Many people think of Hawaii as a place for vacations, with erupting volcanoes and hula dancing. For Hawaiians, it is home, where parents work and kids go to school. The Native Hawaiians live in a beautiful land in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, as their ancestors did for thousands of years. Eight islands make up Hawaiian homeland. The people love the ocean, which surrounds them. The family is at the center of the communities, and sometimes everyone goes camping on the beach— children, parents, aunts, uncles, and grandparents.

    Guess who taught the world to surf? Native Hawaiians. Since ancient times, they have practiced the sport. Today people come from all around the world to surf Hawaii’s fantastic waves. One famous Hawaiian surfer, Duke Kahanamoku, was also an Olympic swimmer. Do you know the Hawaiian language is still spoken? It is endangered, like many other Native languages. There are public school programs, however, where children can learn in both Hawaiian and English. On the island of Molokai, instructors like Kumi Puanani Johnston teach Hawaiian along with math, science, and reading. She takes her classes on field trips, like the one they took to Hokule’a.

    Hokule’a is an outrigger canoe built in the same way as the Hawaiian ancestors built canoes. When Hokule’a visits the different islands, the crew helps children learn more about Hawaiian traditions. The people who built it wanted to prove that ancient Hawaiians navigated the seas without modern equipment like radar. Using the stars and other old ways to map routes, Hokule’a has sailed to New Zealand, Tahiti, and Easter Island.

    There are three active volcanoes on the island of Hawaii: Kilauea, Mauna Loa, and Loihi. Kilauea is one of the most active volcanoes on Earth. It has been called the “drive up” volcano because it is easy to get near many of its active areas.

     Although Hawaii is a beautiful place to live, it is getting polluted. Native Hawaiians are concerned about that and have organizations helping to protect nearly 1,000 plants and animals in danger of extinction. There are also groups working to regain land rights.