LOVE OF PLACE: TOWARD A CRITICAL PACIFIC STUDIES PEDAGOGY

Authors

Emalani Case, Victoria University of Wellington

Abstract

Growing up in Hawaiʻi, I was raised with aloha ʻāina. Loosely defined as “love of place,” aloha ʻāina is a way of being in and with the world. It is built on relationship and stewardship. In this article, I will use aloha ʻāina to reflect on my role as a Pacific studies teacher and on what responsibilities educators may have to confront our common challenge and most dire threat: the destruction of the natural environment. I will articulate “love of place” to a critical Pacific studies pedagogy, one that addresses environmental issues, contributes to the well-being of the Pacific (people, land, and sea), and harnesses the power of Indigenous ways of knowing to do so. Reflecting on past teaching experiences and on previous articulations of Pacific studies, I will then argue that we must cultivate “love of place” to help students turn unfamiliar Pacific spaces into places of meaning.

Recommended Citation

Case, Emalani (2020) "LOVE OF PLACE: TOWARD A CRITICAL PACIFIC STUDIES PEDAGOGY," Pacific Studies Journal: Vol. 43: No. 2, Article 2.
Available at: https://digitalcollections.byuh.edu/pacific-studies-journal/vol43/iss2/2