This research is that of a reflective self-study embarked on by an informal educator from Moku o Keawe. The project revolves around the essential question of, what did I, an informal Kanaka ʻŌiwi educator, learn about working with Kanaka ʻŌiwi communities on Moku o Keawe on a project instigated by Outsiders? By engaging moʻolelo and coding methodologies the researcher shares her understanding of what was learned in her work with a Kanaka ʻŌiwi community in a collaborative response to a kāhea from the realm of Kanaloa. The culture of bureaucratic scientism confine policy guidance to Eurocentric methodologies and determine what is considered the truth. This view limits Kanaka ʻŌiwi interaction with Hawaii’s natural resources and encourages the dismissal of Kanaka voices regarding management and policy initiatives. This moʻolelo shares the exploration of a pivotal time in her development as an educator and how she understands the impact and influence it continues to have on her practice.

STEMS² Pillars: Aʻo, Moʻolelo, Sense of Place, Advocacy