Being Indigenous and operating in an institution such as a university places us in a complex position. The premise of decolonizing history, literature, curriculum, and thought in general creates a tenuous space for Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples to confront a shared colonial condition. What does decolonization mean for Indigenous peoples? Is decolonization an implied promise to squash the tropes of post-coloniality? Or is it a way for non-Indigenous people to create another paradigm or site for their own resistance or transgression of thinking? What are the roles of Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in this space of educational potential, this curriculum called decolonization? This article presents a multi-vocal reflection on these and related questions.

Written in a style inspired by Hawaiian language newspapers of the 19th century, this moʻolelo (history) seeks to tell the story of Hawaiian patriotism at the Kamehameha Schools, a school for Indigenous children founded and funded by a princess of the Hawaiian Kingdom. With Raphael Lemkin’s phases of genocide in our pocket and Lomawaima and McCarty’s Safety Zone Theory as our guide, readers will journey through the school’s correspondence, teacher meeting minutes, and Hawaiian language newspapers documenting the celebration of the holiday Lā Kūʻokoʻa, the events surrounding the 1895 Kaua Kūloko, and the experiences of the first Indigenous teacher hired by the school.

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