Gandharva Mahina Hou Ross

Tell us about your work/ research. What kinds of things do you do?

E ke hoa aloha ʻāina, ʻo au ʻo Gandharva Mahina Hou Ross a he kumu au ma ke kula kaiapuni ʻo O Hina I Ka Malama ma ka mokupuni ʻo Molokai. ʻO ke kahua o ko mākou mau haʻawina, ʻo ia ka huakaʻi mau ʻana i ka ʻāina a e ʻike maka i ke ano o i ia ʻāina a me ka nohona o nā kupuna ma i ia ʻāina. ʻO ka ʻāina ke kahua o ko mākou mau haʻawina. A ma muli o kēīa hana ma ka ʻāina he mea nui ka hānai ʻana i nā ʻohana o mākou ma nā lā nui o mākou.

Greeting friend, love the land. I am Gandharva Mahina Hou Ross and I am a teacher at O Hina I Ka Malama, Hawaiian Language Immersion High School on Molokai. Frequent field trips to our outdoor environment is the foundation of our curriculum, where we go and see firsthand the natural and cultural resources of the land and the way our ancestors lived there. The land is the focus of our curriculum. Because of our working closely with our land we are able to provide food for our families and communities at important events in the community.
 

What sparked your initial interest in your career?

Ma mua, ʻaʻole au i noʻonoʻo e lilo ai i kumu. Noʻonoʻo au e hana ma ka ʻāina, i loko o ke kai a i ke kuahiwi paha, akā o ka mea nui, makemake au e hana ma ka ʻāina. Eia naʻe ʻaʻole nui nā ʻoihana ma Molokai i hiki ke malama kūpono i kaʻu ʻohana a hoʻokumu ʻia ka papahana hoʻomākaukau kumu ʻo Kahuawaiola no laila noʻonoʻo au, ʻo kēia ka wā kūpono a lilo ai i kumu a aia nō au i kēia hana a hiki i kēia manawa. Ua komo hou au i Kahuawaiola no koʻu palapala laeʻula. A ʻo ka haʻawina aʻu e aʻo nei, ʻo ia ka hoʻopili ʻana i kēia mau hana ma ka ʻāina me nā haʻawina a mākou e aʻo nei ma ka lumi papa a ma ka ʻāina ma Molokai.

I never thought I would be a teacher. I wanted to work on the land, in the ocean on the mountains, but the main thing was I wanted to be outdoors doing things with the land. I realized that there are not many opportunities to find a job on Molokai to support my young family and the teacher certification program Kahuawaiola was just beginning, so I decided this was the right time to become a Hawaiian language immersion teacher and I guess it was the right choice as I am still teaching. I also received my masters degree from Kahuawaiola. And the type of curriculum I am teaching, it is to connect the things that I love to do on the land with what I am teaching my students in the classroom and in the outdoor learning environment of Molokai
 

Who influenced you or encouraged you the most?

Nui nā poʻe i kākoʻo mai iaʻu i kēia ala o ka hoʻonaʻauao. Mai koʻu wā kamaliʻi aʻo koʻu mau mākua a me koʻu ʻohana i kēia mea o ke aloha ʻāina. Nui nā kumu a kaʻi i koʻu wā kula kiʻekiʻe a kulanui i aʻo mai iaʻu i ka ʻike e pono ai no kēia ʻoihana. A mahalo nui au i kaʻu wahine a me kaʻu mau keiki e paipai mai iaʻu e holomua ma kēia kuleana o ke kumu kaiapuni Hawaiʻi.

There are many people who supported me in my educational journey. Since I was a child my parents and extended family have instilled in me the concept of aloha ʻāina, to love the land. There were many high school and college teachers and coaches who taught me the skills and knowledge to be successful in this career. I must thank my wife and children for continuing to support me to continue to grow in this important responsibility of being a Hawaiian language immersion teacher to teach the next generation the language and culture of their ancestors.
 

What element of your work/ study do you think is the most fascinating?

I koʻu manaʻoo, ʻo ka mea pīhoihoi loa o koʻu hana ʻo ia nō ke aʻo ʻana i nā opio ʻo Molokai i ko lākou moʻomeheu ma o ka leo o nā kupuna. ʻO ka lawe ana iā lākou nā haumāna i ka loʻi kalo e aʻo iā lakou i ka mahiʻai a me ka hana poi. ʻO ka lawe ʻana iā lākou i ka loko iʻa e kūkulu hou i ka loko iʻa a laila e lawaiʻa ma kēlā wahi nō. A laila ka lawe ʻana i kēia ʻike a e hānai i ka poʻe ʻohana a me ke kaiaulu i ka meaʻai o ko lākou mau kupunama ka aha puka kula

I think the most fascinating part of the work I do is teaching the students their culture in the language of their ancestors. Taking the students to the taro patch and teaching them to farm kalo and make poi. Taking them to the fishpond to help with the restoration of these ponds and then being able to catch fish at the pond. And then taking the fish and the poi and being able to feed their families and community at their graduation ceremony.
 

How did you get involved with Ocean Exploration Trust? How did you become part of the expedition team?

I have become involved with the Ocean Exploration Trust first as a classroom teacher who had the opportunity to do a ship-to-shore session in Hawaiian language and to see my students interest in what was being shared with them from the people on the ship. I also had interest in the exploration of the ocean and thought this would be a wonderful opportunity to learn new things and bring the information to Hawaiian Immersion schools and the Moloka'i community so I applied and was chosen as a Science Communication Fellow.
 

What other jobs led you to your current career?

Mai koʻu wā kamaliʻi he mahiʻai au ma nā loʻi kalo ma koʻu hale, a laila no kekahi hana kauwela ua kukulu mākou i ka loko iʻa ʻo ʻUalapuʻe . Puka au i ke kula kiʻekiʻe a hana au me The Nature Conservancy of Hawaiʻi ma nā kuahiwi o Molokai. I koʻu hele ana i ke kulanui, hui au me koʻu hoa he manaleo no Niʻihau a aʻo ʻo ia iaʻu i ka ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi. A laila ua hoʻoponopono au i ka ʻauwai ma Halawa a mahiʻai nā loʻi ma laila. A laila ʻo au ka ʻalakaʻi no kekahi hui kukulu loko iʻa a kukulu mākou i ka loko iʻa o Kahinapohaku a me Honouliwai. A laila lilo au i kumu kaiapuni ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi a ke aʻo nei au i kaʻu mau haumāna i kēia mau ʻike o nā kupuna, o ke kukulu loko iʻa, ka malama ʻana i ka ulu lāʻau ʻōiwi i ke kuahiwi a me ka mahiʻai ʻana i ka loʻi kalo.

Since I was a little child we had taro patches in my yard and we grew kalo. For a summer job I helped with the restoration of ʻUalapuʻe fishpond. When I graduated from Molokai High School I received a summer internship with The Nature Conservancy of Hawaiʻi and worked in the native forests of Molokai. While attending University of Hawaii at Hilo I met a friend who is a native speaker of Hawaiian from Niʻihau and he taught me how to speak Hawaiian. When I returned home from college to Molokai I helped with a group of my friends to restore the ancient irrigation ditch in Halawa valley and we started farming the taro patches there. I was then hired as the coordinator of a fishpond restoration project where we restored Honouliwai and Kahinapohaku fishponds. Then I decided to become a Hawaiian language Immersion teacher and now I teach my students this ancestral knowledge of building fishponds and taro patches and caring for our native ecosystems
 

What are your degrees and certifications?

Bachelor Of Arts in Natural Science with Minors in Biology and Hawaiian Language -University Of Hawai'i at Hilo 1996

Teaching Certificate - Kahuawaiola Hawaiian Medium Teaching Certification Program University Of Hawai'i at Hilo 2000

Masters in Indigenous Language and Culture Education - Kahuawaiola Hawaiian Medium Teaching Certification Program University Of Hawai'i at Hilo 2010

What are your hobbies?

He kanaka mahiʻai au ma ka ʻāina kuleana ma Halawa Molokai, a me koʻu ʻohana hana mākou i ka poi, Ainaboypoi. Holo moana au ma nā waʻa kaulua holomoana o Moʻokihaopiilani, Hokulea a me Hikianalia. Piʻi au i ke kuahiwi e ʻohiʻohi i nā ʻanoʻano o nā meakanu ʻōiwi a laila kanu au ma koʻu hale a ma ka ʻāina kekahi.

I am a kalo farmer and I have a small family poi business, Ainaboypoi. I also sail on Hawaiian double hull voyaging canoes Mookihaopiilani, Hokulea and Hikianalia. I also enjoy hiking in the native forest above my house in Waialua Molokai and collecting seeds to grow for reforestation of native Hawaiian ecosystems
 

What advice would you give someone who wants to have a career like yours?

Inā paha e hoihoi iā ʻoe e lilo i kumu kaiapuni, ʻaʻohe kanalua, e komo i ka hana. He nui nā poʻe e kākoʻo ana iā ʻoe i kēia ʻoihana no ka mea, he mea nele nā kumu mākaukau e aʻo ma ka ʻōlelo Hawaii. He mea nui nā kumu mākaukau ma ka ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi no ka hoʻomau ʻana i ka hoʻoilina o nā kūpuna.

If you are interested in becoming aHawaiian Language Immersion teacher I would say go for it and give it a try. There will be many people to support you as there is a great demand for Hawaiian Language Immersion teachers. It is important to have qualified immersion teachers to be able to carry on the cultures and traditions of our ancestors