Graduate Student Research Symposium 2026

As an Indigenous Cook Islands Maori teacher in a Kaiapuni school, I am committed to continuous self-reflection on my teaching practice whilst understanding my kuleana to the broader Hawaiian language revitalization movement. My self-studyʻs focuses on increasing my knowledge of Hawaiian History, culture, and values and leveraging my Cook Islands language and cultural knowledge to support my growth in Olelo Hawaii. This self-study seeks to understand how I, as an Indigenous Cook Islands Maori educator, can utilize my own Indigenous knowledge and pedagogical approaches to become a more effective teacher whose practice aligns with the goals and frameworks of the Hawaiian immersion program, specifically Foundational Administrative Framework for Kaiapuni Education (FAFKE). This research, conducted utilizing a two month unit plan as its focus…, will examine the critical question: How can I strategically integrate my own Indigenous linguistic and cultural understanding in a way that is non-cannibalistic, reciprocal, and bolsters the efforts of the Hawaiian Kaiapuni schoolsʻ language and cultural revitalization efforts.