KALAHEO — The National Tropical Botanical Garden was the site of a special kupuna program for Kalaheo Elementary third graders planned by Kumu Elwood Machado and funded by the County of Kaua‘i’s A‘ola Pono program. Last year Machado worked with NTBG
KALAHEO — The National Tropical Botanical Garden was the site of a special kupuna program for Kalaheo Elementary third graders planned by Kumu Elwood Machado and funded by the County of Kaua‘i’s A‘ola Pono program.
Last year Machado worked with NTBG to start a “little botanical garden” at the school. He wanted the children to see the canoe garden with the kinds of plants brought over by Polynesians in their canoes, so they could envision what they were trying to do at the school.
The NTBG has developed curriculum based on Hawai‘i content and performance standards for students in grades kindergarten through 12. Whenever a school calls to plan an excursion, the NTBG staff members tailor the lessons to meet the desired outcomes.
“Teachers can use the garden as a classroom,” said Phyllis Somers, education program director for NTBG.
For the Kalaheo Elementary School excursion, Somers arranged for Kumu Machado to do his presentation stationed at one of the garden gazebos. The students were divided into four groups, each led by a member from the NTBG — Somers, volunteer Leslie Von Brimer, education aide Stephanie Krieger and conservation/education technician Stefani Gee.
Groups rotated among four sites: Kumu Machado’s presentation; plants brought by the Polynesians; native Hawaiian plants; and traditional Hawaiian products.
Somers said that the NTBG is an integrated experience — a hands-on affair that allows students to explore through touch, smell, taste and hearing.
When Somers took her group to the canoe plants area, she used two ‘awapuhi ginger flower stalks to illustrate how the Hawaiians used the ginger to clean and condition their hair. She squeezed the flower and used the thick liquid oozing from it to apply to the hair of any child who wanted the experience of having their hair groomed with ‘awapuhi ginger.
When the children were told that the olena plant would die during the winter, one student asked if the plant would continue to grow with a light bulb over it. Somers welcomed such student inquiries.
With the wauke plant, Somers demonstrated how the bark could be stripped revealing the white substance that would be placed in a river for about two weeks to ferment, then pounded and stretched to be made into kapa cloth. The students were also able to handle the plant.
“Kinesthetic learning,” Somers called it.
The idea is for students to develop an intimate relationship with the plants in the garden. Somers began by asking the students to observe a moment of silence in order to “feel connected” with the land and the plants. She explained that native Hawaiians felt everything was connected and they always asked for permission before entering an area. It was a way to show respect.
Machado told the students that they needed to support the garden and to take care of the ‘aina, or land. Machado showed students the food and products from the plants they had seen in the garden, like haupia from the coconut and the ipu from the gourd.
He hopes that one day students will be able to eat and make things from the plants they are growing in their school garden.
As part of the Department of Education kupuna program, Machado works with students in grades kindergarten through three. His partner, Kumu Anuhea, or Carolyn Newcomb, works with students in grades four and five.
Sabra Kaukua, the district kupuna program cultural personnel resource, said that the purpose of the program is to teach Hawaiian culture, language and history.
When it first began, Hawaiian language proficiency was a prerequisite to be hired as a kupuna.
“Fluency is still important but we no longer have kupuna active in the program on Kaua‘i who grew up speaking Hawaiian first,” Kauka said.
The kupuna take or have taken classes at Kaua‘i Community College or through the evening community Adult Education classes to increase their language skills, Kauka said.
“Many of us are active in hula halau and increase our knowledge of Hawaiian culture through mele, ‘oli and hula,” she said. “Some of us teach Hawaiian Studies in the Hawaiian language immersion classes to keep up our fluency.”
The kupuna meet once or twice a month for training and professional development provided by state DOE Hawaiian Studies personnel.
The kupuna attend cultural enrichment workshops to expand knowledge and skills in such areas as making kapa, weaving lauhala, making stone implements, weaving coconut fronds, cooking Hawaiian foods and making ‘ohe kapala, or kapa stamps.
Each year the kupuna study a different moku or large division of land on Kaua‘i and visit all the cultural sites in that area. The kupuna who come from that moku share the mo‘oleleo (stories), mele (songs) and place names.
“By doing this we keep the Hawaiian place names alive, and those are the names and stories that we teach the children,” Kauka said.
There are about 20 kupuna servicing schools on Kaua‘i. Each elementary school principal hires the kupuna.
Kalaheo Elementary principal Erik Burkman said that in addition to bringing Hawaiian culture to the school through crafts, language and mele, his kupuna help choreograph the dances for the May Day program. They teach the students various forms of hula.
The kupuna work collaboratively with the teachers, and even more closely with the music teacher.
“Our kupuna are very committed,” Burkman said. They annually attend a big “aha” in Polynesia to learn about other cultures and places they can share with the students.
“They are constantly working on how to improve the program here at Kalaheo School,” he said.
Burkman said that as he walks the campus, he often hears the children talking about the stories they were told by the kupuna. He said he hears the students using the Hawaiian words and phrases they learned.
Machado loves being a part of the kupuna program.
“Working with children has really changed my life,” he said.
In June 2007, the Kaua‘i kupuna will host a statewide Hawaiian Studies Kupuna Conference.
Somers said the NTBG offers scholarships to help pay for bus transportation for schools interested in touring the garden.
• Cynthia Matsuoka is a freelance writer for The Garden Island and former principal of Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School. She can be reached by e-mail at aharju@kauaipubco.com.
