The Indigenous Peoples’ Journal of Law, Culture & Resistance

This article argues that the state of Hawai’i should encourage and provide legislative protection for practicing pule in K-12 public schools on a regular basis for cultural and educational purposes. The Hawai’i state constitution should have specific provisions regarding the time, venue, and practitioners of pule. Hawai’i state laws should provide greater protection of Native Hawaiian religious rights than federal laws. Part II introduces the educational and cultural values of pule, its connection with ‘Ōlelo Hawai’i (Native Hawaiian language) from the past to present, and pule practices as educational programs at public schools can contribute to the Third Hawaiian Renaissance. Part III reviews the current Hawai’i state law protection of pule in public schools under constitutional, administrative, and judicial power, and examines what can be done in order to extend these protections. Part IV scrutinizes the challenges from the U.S. Constitution First Amendment’s Establishment Clause in the separation of church and state, and compares different federal laws related to indigenous rights.