My journey through the ethnomathematics program has opened my eyes to a new and exciting way of teaching and doing math. Ethnomathematics has not only changed my views on math curriculum and teaching practices; I see my role as a middle school math educator and the roles of my students as math learners and doers harmonizing in a way that cultivates freedom in each of us to explore and make discoveries. My ethnomathematics journey introduced me to refreshing, inspiring, and often breathtaking visions of experiencing math.

I see ethnomathematics as a vessel sailing back and forth in time, drawing upon the cultural riches of our ancestors and bringing these gifts into our present-day learning environments. I also see my students as vessels bringing with them an abundant array of cultural experiences and ways of life. I want my students to believe they already have a spiritual connection to math. The first time I visited a loko i’a with my ethnomathematics cohort, I felt a spiritual connection. Since that time, it has become my purpose to create a learning environment for my students where they understand, appreciate, and practice laulima (working together), aloha (showing kindness and compassion), ‘imi ‘ike (seeking knowledge), na’au pono (being just) and lokomaika’i (sharing) for these are the gifts I received as I voyaged throughout the ethnomathematics program.

I feel privileged and grateful to be a part of this journey. I learned that helping my students honor their personal lived experiences and cultures and incorporating these resources into their math learning makes math alive and real, and we can discover together the many different ways to know and appreciate math.