Unit 1-I Ka Wā Kahiko: Origins & Native Spirituality
Overview of Unit 1
Human kind has always contemplated the origins and nature of life in the quest for its secrets. As a result, different cultures created unique creation traditions, which provide a foundation for philosophic, religious, and spiritual thought and shape the structure of each society. In Unit 1 we will look at different origin stories and examine how they affect the social structure of a people and influence their world-views.
Origin traditions generally fall into two categories; cosmogonies and migrations. Cosmogonies are those stories that attempt to explain the creation (or in the Hawaiian case, procreation) of the cosmos, human beings, the earth and natural phenomenon. Migration traditions relate the coming of the first peoples to various islands in Oceania by way of long-distance voyaging. These traditions can be independent of or combined with cosmological traditions. In these migration traditions ancient way-finders traveled to distant lands for various reasons. Some may have sought new lands and resources, others may have fled disease, famine, war, or overpopulation. Still others may have embarked on these voyages in the spirit of adventure and discovery. For whatever reason, brave seafarers crossed the ocean without the technological conveniences available today--no compass, sextant, or global positioning systems. Instead, they were guided by the knowledge of thousands of years of observation and experimentation.
Questions to consider:
Human kind has always contemplated the origins and nature of life in the quest for its secrets. As a result, different cultures created unique creation traditions, which provide a foundation for philosophic, religious, and spiritual thought and shape the structure of each society. In Unit 1 we will look at different origin stories and examine how they affect the social structure of a people and influence their world-views.
Origin traditions generally fall into two categories; cosmogonies and migrations. Cosmogonies are those stories that attempt to explain the creation (or in the Hawaiian case, procreation) of the cosmos, human beings, the earth and natural phenomenon. Migration traditions relate the coming of the first peoples to various islands in Oceania by way of long-distance voyaging. These traditions can be independent of or combined with cosmological traditions. In these migration traditions ancient way-finders traveled to distant lands for various reasons. Some may have sought new lands and resources, others may have fled disease, famine, war, or overpopulation. Still others may have embarked on these voyages in the spirit of adventure and discovery. For whatever reason, brave seafarers crossed the ocean without the technological conveniences available today--no compass, sextant, or global positioning systems. Instead, they were guided by the knowledge of thousands of years of observation and experimentation.
Questions to consider:
- How do origin traditions shape our identities and self-perceptions?
- How do origin traditions influence the relationships of individuals to their societies?
- How do origin traditions mold a society's values and principles?
- How do origin traditions shape relationships between humans and divine, humans and the environment, and humans and other living things?
- How do origin traditions relate to contemporary issues?