Quote by Haunani-Kay Trask: “The purpose of education is to teach children to be good Hawaiians.”

This quote defines education not just as learning facts, but as a way to instill cultural values and identity. For indigenous communities, it means teaching children how to live in harmony with their traditions, land, and community, fostering a strong sense of belonging.

Trask advocated for culturally relevant education that countered the Western-centric schooling imposed during colonization, arguing that decolonization required reclaiming educational systems to transmit indigenous knowledge and values.

Native Hawaiian scholar, poet, and activist who was a professor at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and a leading voice for Hawaiian sovereignty. Her 1993 book From a Native Daughter challenged Western academic accounts of Hawaiian history. She co-founded the Kamana Hawaiian Studies program.