By Lee Cataluna
Advertiser Columnist

Butch Richards is a firm believer in asking permission.

On the first day of his course on Hawaiian medicinal plants, he tells his students to go outside and pick a plant, a leaf, a flower, something that appeals to them, and bring it back.

When the students return, some with leaves, some with flowers, some with whole plants they have pulled up by the roots, Richards asks them, "Do you realize you have just committed murder?"

To Richards, you don't take without asking and receiving permission first, and you don't take without first giving.

He teaches his students not only how to identify, prepare and use Hawaiian medicinal plants, but also how to propagate and care for them.

This idea of asking permission extends to his method of teaching. Richards, who retired from the Department of Education after 30 years of teaching, believes true learning cannot be forced on anyone. "It's more 'May I have permission to teach you?' You cannot push yourself onto someone unless they ask for your help first," he says. In turn, a student must ask, "Will you share with me your knowledge? May I be your student?"

Richards grew up on Maui, where he learned the ways of Hawaiian healing from his grandfather. He speaks in metaphor about the source of that wisdom, of a knowing that has always been, of signs that appear in nature, of the ancestors that guide their living descendants.

Richards is also one who walks in two worlds. He brings this ancient knowledge into the modern day. He can point to a plant growing in the Ke'eaumoku superblock and tell you it is good for sore throats. While sitting at a bus stop in Nu'uanu recently, he noticed a certain plant growing nearby. He knew that someone was going to call him for help with an illness and that this plant would be part of the cure.

Richards has taught many classes on Hawaiian medicinal plants over the years, and he plans to start new class in January. The classes meet twice a week for three hours each session; every other Saturday, there are field trips to places like Ka'ena Point and Ka'ala. He may ask for a fee to cover the cost of materials but, in terms of tuition, he says, "Does it mean if you pay for something, only then will you show up? Is that how real commitments are made?"

Richards likes the adage "When the student is ready, the teacher will appear."

He's looking for students who are ready, who have heard the whisper: "You're the one who has to carry on."

"It's like I've woven this basket and I give it to you. What's in the basket? Nothing. You bring that basket to class with you. You fill it up. If you're ready, you fill it up with many things," he says.

For more information on the classes, Richards can be reached at 239-1699.

Reach Lee Cataluna at 535-8172 or lcataluna@honoluluadvertiser.com.