Mary Hermes In Hawaii Culture

According to Mary Hermes and Keiki Kawai’ae’a (2012), “Speaking through an indigenous language is one of the deepest forms of identity reclamation and validation for people of indigenous heritage” (p. 307). Mary Hermes is helping to revitalize the Ojibwe language in the Great Lakes region. Hermes changed her major to curriculum studies and where she worked in a tribal school for five years, finishing her dissertation on culture-based schooling in 1995. Keiki help with the development of the Na Honua Mauli Ola Hawaiian cultural pathways, the Moenaha culture-based curriculum, and designed the instructional method that helps native learners in culturally healthy and responsive ways. The loss of our indigenous language is contributed to the assimilation …show more content…
307). The first speakers or fluent speakers are the ones we should turn to in order for change to happen in the immersion schools. They are the ones that will give you the correct terminology and also give you the history related as why we say or do certain activities. Shelia Nicholas states, “I can see that any Native speaker has a responsibility for keeping the language alive” (2005, p. 44). I agree with that because they are the ones who should educate the non-native speaking teachers and determine if they are qualified to teach in the Natives …show more content…
307). I’m in the process of trying to learn my language and it’s a lot of work and it just feels like it’s a lot of weight to carry knowing the Dine and English language. According to Diversity, 2008, as we internalize culture throughout our lives, it influences who we are, what we think, how we behave, and how we evaluate our surroundings (p. 2). Having our language and culture really changes you as a person instead of speaking and knowing the culture. I know I would be happy to be able to speak my language but than if you really want to be fluent you need to know the cultural side which in my opinion you pick and choose what you want to learn or