Firstly the Ancient understanding of the relationship between a Kahuna and the Heiau-Temple in Ancient Times:

The Kahuna is a Master full Stop. The Master of Knowledge, Wisdom, Teachings, Traditions, and Practice of a chosen Discipline, of multiple Disciplines or All Disciplines. Depending on the status of a Kahuna, there existed Kahuna Nui! The Kahuna is a Master and became your Master. ( I will not go into the social resistance to the word Master or its counter word Servant here! This is another discussion which requires a very specific level of understanding in order to be shared. However you can begin to have a clearer understanding of the dynamics in the relationship I am referencing of a much older time with this small glimpse into our Ancient History.) In this ancient time you committed to a Heiau which is a Temple and the Temples are dedicated to the Gods and Goddesses. There is a huge difference between a Heiau-Temple and a Halau-School.

Old School: Commitment in the relationship between a Kumu, Haumana and a Halau ( a School of Learning)

The commitment is for a Lifetime. When you entered into a school of learning there was a commitment made between the Student and a Teacher and this commitment was entered into by both sides. It was a commitment on the part of the Student to Learn for a lifetime and it was a commitment on the part of the Teacher to Teach for a lifetime. This commitment was not taken lightly! It is also important to keep in mind that after the commitment was confirmed through Ceremony, that the School became the entire life and world of the Student. As a student you eat, slept, bleed, pissed and shit the School you entered into, you Lived the School! 

Modern Times

With these understandings established now we can come back to the modern Teacher and Student relationship we have today. Because there are strands in this relationship that harken back to the Ancient relationship. When your Teacher makes a decision about your learning and proclaims you to be ready for a particular responsibility there is no discussion about the decision that is made and there is definitely no argument! It is what it Is. So when your Teacher elevates you to the status of a Kumu, you are a Kumu, regardless of what you think or feel about yourself. Each Kumu takes their own individual path to embracing the responsibility and in discovering more of who they are will develop their own unique flare of how they fulfil the responsibilities. 

The Point:

Truth is ‘You’ have nothing to do with it. E Nana I Ke Kumu. It is vital that we remember to Look to The Source. The source is our Elders, our Ancestors, our Guardians and Na Akua our Gods/ Goddesses. For those of us that become Kumu, we understand the responsibility and willingly (perhaps grudgingly at first) accept this responsibility to ensure the Knowledge and Wisdom given to us from our Teachers, our Elders and  our Ancestors lives on through us in the Hopes that it will be passed down from our generation to Live on in the generations of the Future. We do this for Survival! We do this so the Spirit of our Ancestors stays Alive in the Hearts and Minds of All the Generations that will come after Us.  

Here is a Counter Point:

Beware of False Teachers! Cultural Appropriation is Real! By Foreigners and Natives of the Land. It is unfortunate that some of our own Native People have appropriated The Hawaiian Culture. There are many out there that claim to be something that they are not. You can not become a Kumu/ Teacher by attending a couple of workshops! Do your home work. Do your Research. Ask the questions that need to be answered. Know This! Any True Kumu of Hawaii Nei will be Happy and Proud to share the Names of their Kumu and the Lineage they Belong to. Stay intelligent! You don’t have to just take their word for it. When names are shared contact those Kumu. Enquire about the person you are interested in Learning from and becoming your Kumu. You’ll know and get the Truth very fast from the True Source! There are only two simple answers from the True Source: 

Answer #1 “Yes, Oh what a wonderful student He was. He learned from me for many years before becoming a Kumu. How is he doing? I hope he’s well, You’ll love learning from Him. Next time you see Him You tell Him I send my Aloha. He’ll know what I mean. And you tell Him to give his Old Kumu a call or video chat soon, I know He’s a busy Man, a busy Kumu, yes, a very busy Kumu indeed. But He can spare a couple of minutes for His Old Kumu it has been far too long since last we spoke.”

Or Answer #2 “What!, Who! Oh no, no, NO! That guy is an AS!#H@L!! Came to one class thought he knew it all. The Arrogance! I would never teach that guy. It would take a Miracle of Akua to turn that guy into a Kumu! Wait?! Who we talking about again? Oh ya! no, no, NO! Pilau that guy. A’ole!”

Then something like this would happen:

“Oh you poor thing, stop crying, come, come give this Old Kumu a hug. Yes that’s it wipe your tears. Now, so you know, Im a Kupuna and have retired and don’t teach any more. However if you really like learn you go make contact with Him.” The Old Kumu places the torn corner of a piece of paper with a scribbled name and number in the young students hand and looks into the young students eyes, then says. 

“He was my favourite, a bit hard head He was sometimes,” Old Kumu gently knocks her knuckles on the young students head. “but he was my favourite, so good He was, He is the only one I ever make into one Kumu.” Old Kumu breaks eye contact and turns to head to her chair. “There you see, still hope for your learning yet. Auwe! This Kupuna needs to sit down, I haven’t lost my temper or words like that in years, kinda nice, ya. I still get em, ya!” Old Kumu smiles knowingly.

Old Kumu sits back into her chair to rest her head against her shoulder, then closes her eyes. “Anyway, you go on now and when you make contact with your Kumu make sure to tell Him I send Him my Aloha, He will know what I mean.”  Old Kumu opens her eyes ever so slightly, to take one last look at the young student. Then shuts her eyes again. “And you tell Him to give his Old Kumu a call or video chat soon, I know he’s a busy Man, a busy Kumu, yes, a very busy Kumu indeed. But He can spare a couple of minutes for his Old Kumu it has been far too long since last we spoke.” 

The young student walked away cradling the torn corner of the piece of paper with the scribbled name and number on it in both hands. Wondering if it was just a figment of the imagination or if he had really seen the dark brown eyes of the Old Kumu turn red and her long jet black hair lift and dance on a breeze that wasn’t there. So deep in thought and wonder of the newly acquired contact, he didn’t notice the door of the hale behind him close on its accord. The invisible, translucent hand of the Old Kumu resting comfortably in her chair shutting the door behind him.