This paper introduces a novel pedagogical framework titled Hānai Pedagogy, which embraces cultural identity, language, and familial relationships to counter dominant narratives around historical and colonial educational systems. Derived from a larger study on informal mentorships (Brandehoff, 2020) and Indigenous concepts of familial connectedness and community, Hānai Pedagogy is Hands-on; builds Aloha with students, families, and community members; Navigates racial, cultural, and economic oppressions; centers Authenticity among educators and learning practices; and encourages explorative teaching through Interrelations of cultural tradition and modern modes of learning. Using an Asian American, Native American, and Pacific Islander (AANAPI) lens, this new pedagogical framework will be applied to future studies of Grow Your Own Teacher preparatory programs. The goal of these studies is to refine this pedagogical framework and better understand how educators of Color use culture, Indigenous traditions, and language to shepherd learning and navigate teaching mandates to weave curricula and classroom relationships driven by cultural identity, Indigenous languages, and community epistemologies.
*This paper is open-access and downloadable courtesy of the Pedagogy and Theatre of the Oppressed Journal.