SSci UNIVERSITY OF HAWAI'I LIBRARY THE HO'ULU HOU PROJECT: STORIES TOLD BY US A NATIVE HAWAIIAN CHllDREN'S BOOK PROJECT IN KO'OLAULOA, 0' AHU, HAW AI'I A THESIS SUBMII"I'ED TO THE GRADUATE FACULTY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF CURRICULUM STUDIES OF THE UNIVERSITY OF HAW AI'I IN PARTIAL FULFUILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF EDUCATION IN EARLY CHllDHOOD EDUCATION May 2008 By Marilyn Niilani Mattox-Primacio Thesis Committee: Richard T. Johnson, Chairperson DonnaJ. Grace Julie Kaomea 2 We certify that we have read this thesis and that, in our opinion, it is satisfilctory in scope and quality as a thesis for the degree of Master of Education in Early Childhood Education. THESIS COMMITIEE 3 ABSTRACT In articulating the process oflocal decoloniaIization from prevailing models of children's litemture, the study surveyed participants focused on a Native Hawaiian community children's book project in Ko'o!auLoa, Hawai'i. Participants revealed how they worked and felt about the transformation of native oral space and self-narrated life in to written text in Hawaiian and English. Recurring themes address recognizing the needs of young Native Hawaiian children, collective positions on books in the lives of children, valuable stories, authenticity as a sense of truth, and learning and reading in Native Hawaiian language. Implications ofthe research include: I) the need for further research to be conducted with, for, and by Native Hawaiians to ensure that their worldview is acknowledged and put into cultural early childhood practices and guidelines; and, 2) the appreciation of authentic foundations of published stories and the knowledge they preserve within Native Hawaiian communities. 4 TABLE OF CONTENTS HO'OMOHALA .........•....................................................................6 CHAPTER 1- HO'OLAUNA, INTRODUCTION Welina 0 Ko'o1auLoa ..................................................................... 8 Native Hawaiians in Ko'olauLoa.. ... ..... ........ ............. .......... ..... ... ........ 9 Inside a cultura1 community .....................................•........................ 10 Background .................................................................................12 Books in the Native Hawaiian environment ........................................... 15 Discovering a baseline ....................................................................16 Rationale .................................................................................... 18 Thesis Questions ...........................................................................21 CHAPTER 2 - IlTERATRURE REVIEW Literacy for young children through socialization/parent interactions ..............23 Linking children's books with cultura1 knowledge .....................................25 Developing indigenous literacy and publishing in children's books ...............31 CHAPTER 3 - RESEARCH DESIGN Introduction .....................................................................................37 Choosing a Methodology .................................................................39 Action Research ..........................................................................41 Research Participants .....................................................................42 Stakeholder Interviews ..................................................................42 Data Collection ............................................................................43 Data Analysis .............................................................................44 Limitations in the Research Design .......................................................44 CHAPTER 4 -ANALYSIS OF FINDINGS The String or Framework ................................................................47 Research Theme #1-Recognizing the needs ofKo'olauLoa children .......... ..49 Research Theme #2 - Collective positions on books in the lives of children ....56 Research Theme #3 - Our own stories are just as valuable as those ...............61 Research Theme #4 - Authenticity is regarded as a sense of truth ................64 Research Theme #5 - Learning and Reading in Native Hawaiian .................75 CHAPTER 5- CHALLENGES AND PUKA Challenge #1: General consensus and requests for improvement .................. 81 Challenge #2: Authenticity problems in the literary world ......................... 84 Challenge #3: Struggles universalism and dominant ideas .........................86 Challenge #4: Who judges whom? The gaze and surveillance .....................90 Challenge #5: Removing the element ofmoney...................................... 93 CHAPTER 6- DISCUSSION AND EVALUATION ..................................97 5 CHAP1ER 7 - POSTED INSCRlPTION ..........................................107 CHAP1ER 8 -IMPUCATIONS AND SUMMARY Implications for Research ....................................•..................... 111 Implications for Practice .......................................•.............•..... 113 The Look Back ...................................................•.................. 114 Summary ••••••••••.••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••.••••••.• 115 HO'OPAU •.............................•................................................ 118 REFERENCES ..•...•.....•••.....•••••.•...............•.......••••••..............••.•119 APPENDIX A - Index of participants and interview questions ................. I40 APPENDIX B - Glossary of Hawaiian Terms Used in Paper ................•.. 142 APPENDIX C - Samples of Photocopied Pages from the books .............. .145 APPENDIX D - Conceptualizing Categories from Project ..................... .146 APPENDIX E - illustrative Figures and Pictures from Project ...........•.....147 6 HO'OMOHALA As indigenous people, we look for some sort of commonality. We push tradition ahead of us in defense, and demand some sort of basis to hold us together. Like manu kai , we feed our young at the nest and harbor their well­ being under our wings. In dark winds we huddle together for warmth and protection. But once on the ocean, we fly alone; prone to the wind, the rain and other elements. Connecting us is the basic truth of all; there is a rhythm in belonging. We return to this source over and oYer. Trying to find comfort in the first voices, the lost truths, and our deepest heart of hearts. And when we fly like kiilea, we return to look for the right place to land, rest and recover; and grow full, and momona, and safe, as we share. Somehow I am flying. I am bresthing in time with someone eise, somewhere. Maybe its you or maybe not. Take what you will. I am honored for your presence. Sing loud. Write welL Inspired by the book Songs MY Mother Taught Me by Wakako Yamauchi (1994). I The family kakau [tattoo]. 7 CHAPTER 1 Ho'oIauna Introduction This is the story of a Native Hawaiian community that chose to make children's books from their own personal stories. These were not just pieces of fiction from stolen native traditions, but rea1life experiences and values, held together with spirit and pit bull resolve. With little initial assistance from educational structures, it's a case study about having the heart to believe and go through with the journey; about pride, childhood and a glowing sense of place and belonging. The location is Ko'olauLoa, O'ahu Island, Hawai'i The project is called Ho'ulu Hou: Stories Told By Us. This narrative study (Bruner, 1985) surveyed nine participants focused on a lengthy community children's book project from stories that permeate the Native 2 Hawaiian! community in Ko'olauLoa, Hawai'i • Collectively, participants revealed how they worked and felt about the transformation of native oral space and self-narrated life in to written text for children in Hawaiian and English. Five salieut research themes emerged from the interviews conducted. First, the participants recognized that Ko'olauLoa children have their own needs; second-there was a collective position on books in the lives of children, that books were important. Third, the participants felt that their own stories are just as valuable as those that were commercialized and for sale in a bookstore. Fourth, participants felt authenticity is regarded as a sense of truth. Finally, participants recognized that learning and reading in Native Hawaiian was addressed by ! In this paper, 'Native Hawaiian' mean those people whose aru:estraI ethoicity and cultum1 heritage descends from the indigenous people ofHawai'i 2 The Ko'olauLoa moku or land division spans from Kualoa to Waimea Bay on O'abu. 8 the project in an unusual fashion, and that is was a valued process to reintroduce into native households. Close readings ofthese texts and field observations further revealed participants reveled in a third space while participating in a process unique to a native community seeking to support its young children. Implications of the research included: 1) the need for further research to be conducted with, for, and by Native Hawaiians to ensure that their worldview is acknowledged and put into cultural early childhood practices and guidelines, and, 2) the appreciation of authentic foundations of published stories and the knowledge they preserve within Native Hawaiian conununities. Welina 0 Ko'olauLoa Hawai'i is made up of 132 islands, reefs, and shoals stretching in a northwest­ sontheast direction. The eight major high islands, located at the sontheast end of the chain, make up more than 99% of the total land area and are the ancestral home to Native Hawaiians. The