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An Ignite-format powerpoint on the topic of Hawaiian Science, that was presented at a STEM-related series of talks on science at the Greenhouse Innovation Hub in Kakaʻako, March 2012. The format is 20 slides, 15 seconds each slide, for a total of 5 minutes. A very challenging format, but it forces you to boil down messages to their essence.
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Science & ʻIke HawaiʻiIntegration of Western & Indigenous Knowledge
“Hawaiian Science in just 5 minutes”
ʻImi loa = far seekingʻIke o ka poʻe ʻimi loa
Knowledge of a far-seeking people
What is “Science?”
• An approach to learning marked by:• Empiricism / Observation• Manipulation / Experimentation• Prediction / Modeling• Testing / Replication / Proof• Transmission / Publication
Empirical observation
Pua ka wiliwili, nanahu ka manōThe wiliwili blooms, the shark bites
Pua wiliwili Lālani Kalalea
Pua ke kō, ku mai ka he‘eThe sugarcane are blooming, the octopus are appearing
Pua kō He‘e
Pala ka hala, momona ka wanaThe hala fruit are ripening, the sea urchins are fat
Hua hala pala Hā‘uke‘uke
Manipulation/Experimentation• Lo‘i (terraced fields), ‘auwai
(irrigation channels), loko iʻa (fishponds)
• Hand pollination
Testing and Transmission
He lohe pepeiao, he ‘ike maka ho‘iA piece of hearsay [or] seen personally
‘O ka mea pono, kūpa‘a, ‘o ka mea hewa, kāpae a‘eThe correct: retain, the flawed: set aside
Selective oral transmissionWe pass on only what we accept as true
Contrasting World Views
• Land as commodity,
• Life domesticated.
• People as labor.
• Living things as objects manipulated.
• Biological elements are not cultural (man-made) elements.
• Land as conscious entity.
• Ecosystems semi-wild.
• People connected spiritually.
• Living things as conscious individuals.
• Living things are sacred kinolau of kini akua and part of cultural landscape.
“Western” “Hawaiian”
What Hawaiian tradition offers conservation ethic:
Hawaiian tradition holds that we are direct kin with the living elements of native ecosystems.
‘aumakua kinolau
People are the youngest siblings in the genealogy of creation
The youngest are charged with caring for the family
Validation of “Gut Feelings”The enteric nervous system contains billions of neurons, distributed diffusely along the digestive system, and provides the majority of the mood-altering chemical serotonin. There is a complex feedback system between the enteric nervous system and the CNS.
--Gershon 2008
To the wise, what "feels pono" in the naʻau is what fits best with a lifetime of learning
Reconciliation of Western and Hawaiian approaches
• Recognize ecological zones
• Conduct experiments
• Transplant species
• Rely on experts
• Show concern for the future
• Impose & lift restrictions
BOTH SYSTEMS:
Value of ʻIke Hawaiʻi• Haka ʻūaʻu i ka hale uluhe o Lauhaka
The Hawaiian petrels nest in the fern house of Lauhaka
The arrangment of ahupua‘a on the island of
O‘ahu demonstrates amazing optimization of
access to ecosystem resources.
Hawaiian psychology & social science
• Dispute resolution (ho‘oponopono)
• Protocol for unification & joint effort
• Life is comprise of physical & spiritual aspects
• Moral conduct vital for success in life
Rebuilding a Sustainable Hawaiian Society
• reestablishment of knowledge and values could rebuild a sustainable society that again values and maintains its unique island legacy
MAHALO!