Kynaston Kaika Lindsey
Kanu a ka Aina New Century Public Charter School is a community-based, bilingual (Hawaiian/English), kindergarten through twelfth-grade, Hawaiian-focused school. It is located in rural Waimea in the Kohala District in the north of Hawaii Island (the largest and southern-most island of the Hawaiian chain). “Kanu o ka aina” is a Hawaiian phrase meaning “natives of the land from generations back. ” The one hundred fifty students of Kanu o ka Aina. . . perpetuate Hawaiian language and culture by practicing native traditions such as kalo (taro) cultivation, outrigger canoe sailing, and traditional Hawaiian protocol. Students of the school participate in project-based inquiry and scientific research efforts including assisting Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum scientists with a stream-restoration study in nearby Waipio Valley. Students demonstrate their learning by presenting an annual hula drama for their community and by generating Hawaiian-focused educational products including CDs, websites, and publications. I Am a Creature of the Tides: What Am I/He la Wau: Pehea Kou Ano is just such a student-created product. Written and illustrated by a high school junior, this book is the result of an interdisciplinary book publishing project integrating English Language Arts, Fine Arts, Hawaiian Language, Hawaiian Studies, and Science and Technology.
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