Our Mission
Ua lehulehu a manomano ka ‘ikena a ka Hawai‘i
Great and numerous is the knowledge of the Hawaiians
With respect and reverence for our ancestors, the mission of Hawai‘inuiākea School of Hawaiian Knowledge (HSHK) is to pursue, perpetuate, research, and revitalize all areas and forms of Hawaiian knowledge, including its language, origins, history, arts, sciences, literature, religion, education, law, and society, its political, medicinal, and cultural practices, as well as all other forms of knowledge. We recognize the unique status of the Native Hawaiian people and recognize their unique connection to these forms of knowledge by encouraging, supporting, facilitating, and ensuring the incorporation of Native Hawaiians at all levels of the university.
We seek to accomplish this mission with a Native Hawaiian perspective that recognizes the holistic aspects of this knowledge, its diversities, and the importance of its practical applications. Our goal is to apply this knowledge to provide service and support to the Hawaiian community, as well as extending this knowledge outward from the academy and the community, into the Pacific, and other international domains.
Guiding Principles
Traditional principles that guide us are grounded in the following ‘ōlelo no‘eau, or wise sayings, from ʻŌlelo Noʻeau Hawaiian Proverbs & Poetical Sayings by Mary Kawena Pukui (Bishop Museum Press, 1983)
Ka waihona o ka na‘auao
The repository of learning
Hawai‘inuiākea will be a resource for Hawaiian courses and programs in order to improve and expand quality education for the students, faculty, and staff of the academy in undergraduate and graduate programs.
‘Ike i ke au nui me ke au iki
Know the big current and the little current; is well-versed.
Hawai‘inuiākea promotes research and pursuit of traditional and modern forms of Hawaiian knowledge in order to create new knowledge and perspectives.
E lawe i ke a‘o a mālama, a e ‘oi mau ka na‘auao
He who takes his teachings and applies them increases his knowledge.
Hawai‘inuiākea will use a variety of means and media to distribute and promote knowledge from academy outward to community, Pacific, and internationally.
Hānau ka ‘āina, hānau ke ali‘i, hānau ke kanaka
Born was the land, born were the chiefs, born were the common people. The land, the chiefs, and the commoners belong together.
Hawai‘inuiākea will establish a Hawaiian place of learning and education.