Tagged With "Native Hawaiian"

Dr. Kekuni Blaisdell, the widely respected and cultural icon of kanaka maoli (Native Hawaiian) stated that a traditional way for kanaka to greet each other was to say, "Pehea kou piko?" The piko that he is referring to is the belly button- the connection to our mothers through the umbilical cord- as well as our connection (even emotional connection) to the current world that we are living in. Dr. Blaisdell is quoted as saying, "The gut in the tradition of kanaka maoli is the seat of all...

Title image: Jeny Bissell, Ho‘oikaika Partnership founder and Core Partner, gives a shaka at a Child Abuse Prevention Month mayor's proclamation and concert. A brochure from the Ho‘oikaika Partnership shows four people paddling a slender boat, their bodies silhouetted against an apricot-hued sky. The tagline: “When it comes to parenting, who’s in your canoe?” The image and the metaphor are intentional, says Karen Worthington, coordinator of the 60-member, cross-sector Ho‘oikaika Partnership...

The Office of Wellness and Resilience , was celebrated today at the Hoʻokupu Center , marking a three year journey in Hawaiʻi becoming a Trauma-Informed State! SB2482 , introduced by Senator Donovan Delacruz and signed by Governor Ige, creates an office that is tasked with building wellness and resilience in the State of Hawaiʻi through a cross-sector/public and private partnership strategy that embeds Hawaiʻiʻs rich cultural practices (Native Hawaiian and other ethnicities) of healing with...

There has been much research about Native Hawaiian youth suicide, but we should also highlight programs that infuse Native Hawaiian culture into their programming to build wellness and resilience. Programs such as, Hoʻo Kū ʻĀina , Kinai Ehā and Keiki ʻo Ka ʻĀinaʻs, "Board and Stone" class , have been a "canopy" of protection for our communities by promoting Native Hawaiian cultural practices, providing education and empowering Native Hawaiian communities. There are many more programs that...

Kilo is the Native Hawaiian art of observation. Through Kilo , we become part of our environment by watching, observing, examining and even forecasting. Children learn best through play. During the developmental stage of a preschool keiki (child), it is important that a child has opportunities to interact with his/her environment. This is when a keiki is beginning the process of scaffolding information to make sense of the world and learn new things. Kilo can be natural for a keiki at this...

Our Mindfulness Minute Series (4 of 6) emphasizes self-regulation and self-awareness for your elementary-aged keiki (child). As I mention in my trainings, the strategies we use to help our keiki, “return to center” are the same strategies we can and should use in our daily lives. Stressed students cannot learn, stressed children have difficulty at home and stressed educators can have difficulty teaching and stressed caregivers . . . well, you see my point. waterford.org “seeks to blend the...

Our Mindfulness Minute Series (5 of 6) looks at the middle school years. As mentioned in the the 2nd installment of this series, the first 1,000 days of a child’s life is highly critical as this is where 85% of the human brain is formed and hopefully healthy, secure and consistent attachment is developed between the child and their caregiver(s). The middle school years are also a critical stage because of the biological and psychological development of your student/child. This is a stage...

To listen to Sonali Kolhatkar's interview with Kaniela Ing, please click here. More than a hundred people have so far been documented to have died in the devastating wildfires that swept the Hawaiian island of Maui, making it one of the deadliest such disasters in United States history . Federal agencies are pledging assistance even as survivors are desperately looking for loved ones and struggling to find lodging and other necessities. The historic town of Lahaina in particular has been...

This is an excellent blog for developing resilience skills in your child. It is well-organized, offering a widely accepted definition of resilience, and includes links and videos for professional development (featuring embedded videos from the Harvard Center for the Developing Child). Additionally, it provides tangible strategies that are developmentally appropriate. This blog could serve as an excellent resource for caregivers and as professional development for staff who are new to the...