Hawai'i is a small place on a large planet; Kanaka Maoli, the Indigenous people of the islands, today comprise just 20% of the total population within the state, and less than 1% of the total U.S. population across the nation (U.S. Census Bureau, n.d.). Yet Hawai'i, promoted for centuries as an exotic tourist destination, and Hawaiian culture as something for touristic consumption, is something everyone knows--or think they know--something about. Far too often, Kanaka Maoli are criticized for a perceived discord. The author suggests a different interpretation of this alleged disharmony, a paradoxical view--that there is unity through diversity, an idea reflected in the oft-referenced "olelo no'eau" (proverb). Many examples from traditional literature demonstrate this unity in diversity, the most familiar perhaps being the stories of the volcano goddess Pele and her younger sister, Hi'iakaikapoliopele, first published in Hawaiian in the 19th century. In this essay, the author discusses the role that oral traditions play in enhancing multicultural perspectives in educating indigenous and other students. The author focuses on the epic of the Hawaiian volcano goddesses Pele and Hi'iaka and examines the valuable lessons found in traditional literature, a tool for educational empowerment, and one strategy of nation-building. (Contains 6 footnotes.)