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!