Creating Constellations

This reflection is the first in a series sharing some takeaways from my Pacific professional learning adventures.

John calls Saipan home and traces his heritage to the Carolinian people who first arrived in Saipan to stay over a hundred years ago. Natives of the Carolinian Islands found their islands destroyed by a super typhoon. Unable to sustain their community, they sought a new permanent home in Saipan The Carolinians were seafaring people who knew how to navigate by the stars, sea, animals and air. Our group of educators from across the Mariana Islands and the United States visited John as part of an National Endowment for the Humanities "Saipan Land and Sea" program. This program helped me map stories in new ways and consider new ways to make meaning and weave stories of the past into relevant lessons for the future with students. John spoke to our group about learning traditional Carolinian ship building using authentic materials.

Joseph and Ino spoke to our group about Carolinian culture as well. Joseph (right) rejected his culture as a young man until he left the island for college. He bristled at any association with his father - a well respected community member- because he wanted his own identity. As a middle school teacher I recognize this struggle in many students. They want to create an identity but they don't know how to go about it without destroying the community that is already embracing them.
Ino, on the other hand, spoke to us of the culture he carries with him. He learned to be a wayfinder and sailed on ocean voyages. When asked how he began learning to navigate on the ocean using nature, Ino outlined two key starting points: listen to others first, learn to name all the stars, 

I marveled at the idea! Learn to name all the stars? How impossible!
But isn't that how some subjects feel for our students? Don't they feel as though we are asking them to master an endless and overwhelmingly vast amount of information?

For Ino, John, and famous wayfinder Papa Mau, the stars are learned through constellations and stories. This wisdom passed down through culture sharing and story telling. 

Wayfinders do not set off on a journey alone. With a team of six to twelve, they rely on community to help them navigate the weather and the challenges of life on the water until they reach a safe port.
During our stay in Saipan, a group of student sailors and adults from Palau were resting and gathering provisions in preparation for sailing back to their island. The program, like the work Joseph does to teach Carolinian stick dancing and John does to teach boat making, is designed to keep the traditions and knowledge of the indigenous people of the Pacific islands alive. This program was also groundbreaking because it was the brainchild of a woman, as including women as wayfinders was not always accepted. At the boat-building hut we saw provisions piled up - like rice, bottled water, ramen noodles, crackers, and bananas. Remarkably, my friend Kat and I also had the opportunity to see the catamaran bound for Palau leave Friendship Cove as the crew embarked on their journey home. After hugs and goodbyes the boat unmoored and sailed off. On the shore the crowd waved and shouted more goodbyes. A conch shell was blown. Farewell and goodluck.

​How did they fare? What adventures did they experience on their journey?
In eleven years I've wondered these same questions about my middle school students. I also wonder how well we are equipping them with the provisions they need to succeed in the 21st century. Do they have the right literacy tools? Will they think critically about the information they consume? Are they packing creativity and the ability to listen in order to collaborate with them?

As I reflect on this experience, I see that education is boatbuilding and wayfinding. As educators we have to prepare our students using the wisdom we have gained because education without knowledge is empty. However, we also must have the foresight and intuition of the wayfinder. What direction are the winds of change blowing? How can we spark the passion of curiosity in the mind of a future scientist, legislator or entrepreneur? 
One thing is certain. We don't do this alone. Only in community do the Carolinians find strength. That community includes the wisdom of their ancestors and the hope for the future. Community means when you need to rest, someone will step up to help. Having a supportive community means someone will be there to help you notice the big picture.
One of our Carolinian teachers told us about seeing a huge pod of whales swim under their boat when they sailed beyond the reef. He almost missed the whole event, but the crew all stopped to marvel and take in the beauty.