ʻAʻole pau ka ʻike i ka hālau hoʻokahi

“Not all knowledge is learned in one school”

Our Polynesian ancestors settled in the Hawaiian Islands around 400 A.D. They paid close attention to their surroundings and learned many valuable lessons about the land, the ocean, and the elements. They were keen observers of nature and all of its inner workings. If they could be given modern day job titles, they would have been called astronomers, biologists, doctors, carpenters, and artisans, just to name a few. They fully demonstrated that knowledge can be gained from many sources and that our very survival depends on our ability to tap into them. The term that describes the vision that drives our people to know what to expect from the future is called ʻIke Pāpālua. The island of Kahoʻolawe, offers those who are willing to visualize it, a vast classroom that has the ability to promote intellectual thought, spiritual healing, and a strong cultural base.

As part of Kahoʻolawe Island Reserve Commission’s (KIRC) Vision Statement, “Kanaloa is a puʻuhonua and wahi pana where Native Hawaiian cultural practices flourish.” The KIRC’s Education and Outreach Programs distribute educational material to promote the public’s understanding of the cultural, historical and spiritual significance of Kahoʻolawe. This is very important to an individual’s understanding of this storied place, and the care that must be taken to protect it.

In today’s society, education is approached with a western philosophy, using different mediums such as books, computers, and various forms of media. But as our ʻōlelo noʻeau (Hawaiian proverb) teaches us, not all knowledge is learned in one school of thought. As we acknowledge the idea that our ancestors had no use of modern day tools, equipment, and material, all of their major senses seem to be enhanced by their cultural awareness to their surroundings and guided them to think of concepts relative to math, science, ethnobotony, health and medicine, navigation, music, history, physics, oli, hula, religion, construction, and all the professions we have today. Innovative thinking and sound knowledge of the environment guided the Hawaiians of the past and present to produce great wonders of work such as Piʻilani Hale on the island of Maui and Puʻukoholā on the island of Hawaiʻi. It also made navigation between Hawaiʻi and Kahiki possible.

The island of Kahoʻolawe affords us the ability to learn about many things, such as the ocean and its currents, the wind and its directions, tides, marine life, and the manifestations of Kahoʻolawe’s deity, Kanaloa. We have adopted ways of caring for our land from our ancestors who set the standard for us. Today, we must re-think the way we are caring for our environment, for we must take care of it in order for it to take care of us. We must be innovative and find ways to balance our use of our natural resources, and re-educate ourselves in the concepts of caring for the land and sea, we must practice Aloha ʻĀina. Living in a sustainable fashion is a cultural practice, it was the way of our ancestors.

Let’s acknowledge the wisdom that was acquired, developed and nurtured by our kupuna. Let’s continue to practice and learn from them about all of the elements that surround our beautiful ʻāina and continue to recognize that “not all knowledge is found in one school of thought”. Our future depends on our ability to learn from the past.