I Ulu nō ka Lālā i ke Kumu: A Descriptive Study of Child-Rearing Traditions Recalled by Native Hawaiian Elders

Abstract

How does one raise a healthy Hawaiian? Parents are eager to learn how best to guide their children through these challenging times, that children may carry the values and traditions of their ʻohana into the uncharted future. We conducted a descriptive study consisting of in-depth individual interviews of twenty-one kūpuna (elders) who reside on Oʻahu, documenting how they recalled growing up in Hawaiʻi. Their recollections and reflections identify key processes that contribute to child resilience and family cohesiveness, yielding important insights for parents, as well as for service providers, program planners, and policymakers concerned with the well-being of Kanaka ‘Ōiwi (Native Hawaiian) children. Our findings suggest that interventions targeting indigenous populations will be more relevant if they are grounded in an understanding of historical trauma related to colonization and more effective if they preserve traditional ways of knowing and being.