Written in the Sky by Matthew Kaopio
The anchor text was Written in the Sky, a novella written by a local Hawaiian author Matthew Kaopio. It is the story of an indigenous young boy, ‘Ikaulikalni, who is in search of his own identity and culture as he suddenly becomes homeless in Honolulu after the death of his grandmother. This narrative is, at first glance, deceivingly simplistic.  “The boy,” as he is often referred to throughout the story, meanders through a daily routine of waking up under a bridge, walking through the touristy Ala Moana Beach Park, and meeting several homeless characters who live there.  The narrative is pulled along by Ikau’s frequent visions he sees in the sky and vivid dreams he has of his deceased grandmother, who seems to be giving him messages from the other side.  While the prose itself is not textually complex, Kaopio weaves in traditional Hawaiian mo’olelo, mele, and oli (ancestral stories, songs, and chant) in a setting in which all of my students are familiar. The story itself critically examines issues of indigenous identity and the modern tangible effects of colonial dispossession which pervade the plot at every turn.  Other characters in the novel reflect the diversity of my own classroom including Filipino, Japanese, Chinese, and Pacific Islanders. 

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This is Paradise by Kristiana Kahakauwila
A short story set in contemporary Hawaii and narrated by three different groups of women: young local surfers, Polynesian hotel workers, and middle-aged professional women. The story addresses multiple perspectives of cultural conflicts in the islands.  A tragic event brings the groups of women together as they each encounter a young white female tourist who is largely unaware of the local reality behind the glitz of Waikiki.  

The House of Many Gods by Kiana Davenport
In this chapter from a powerful local novel, a young Native Hawaiian girl from a rough part of the island struggles with the absence of her mother, poverty, and issues of power and identity as she considers her future education.  It is a fantastic weaving of traditional culture, historical trauma, and resistance. 

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The Young Woman & The Sea by Rell Sun
A short literary non-fiction piece written by a local female surfing legend.  It describes her encounter with a tiger shark while free-diving spear fishing on the west coast of O'ahu.

Act of War - Documentary Film
This film features Hawaiian activist Hanaun-Kay Trask who tells the history of the overthrow of Hawaii by American businessmen and the subsequent annexation by the United States.  

Hawaii Kai & Henry J. Kaiser
These two videos were also options for students to view and reflect upon.  They are essentially local news segments which give an overview of the area that my students live.  However, what is missing from both videos is the indigenous perspective.  I wanted to see if my students were able to pick up on it after being introduced to the critical lenses.

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COVID-19 and Tourism in Hawaii
The following two articles were also included in the choice reading list.  Each article addresses the problem of quarantine and its effect on the tourism industry in Hawaii.  You can read the articles with the following links:

Covid Monitoring Could Turn Hawaii into a Tourist Prison Camp by Christina Jedra

Coronavirus Has Revealed How Bad Hawaii's Tourism Problem Really Is by Laurie Lyons-Makaimoku