Na Keanokualani Perreira, Papa 12, Ke Kula ʻO Nāwahīokalaniʻōpuʻu
ʻAuhea ʻoukou, e nā aloha ʻōlelo e kani haʻaheo ai ka leo o ka ʻāina, Eia au ʻo Keanokualani Perreira, he haumāna papa ʻumikūmālua ma Ke Kula ʻO Nāwahīokalaniʻōpuʻu. “Kaʻau Hua, Kaʻau Ola.” He mākia nō ia e hoʻokele ana i ka papahana aukahi o kēia makahiki kula, i mea e hoʻomanaʻo ʻia ai nā hana a pau i hana ʻia a i māhuahua pono ai ka papahana ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi, a i ola ai hoʻi ka ʻōlelo laupaʻi o ka ʻāina.
Pili ia mākia i ka hoʻomanaʻo ʻana i ka piha makahiki 40 o ka ʻAha Pūnana Leo a me nā mea a pau e pili pū ana i ke ola ʻoiaʻiʻo ʻana o ka ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi, he ʻōlelo ola o ka ʻāina i kēia lā. Ma ka hoʻomanaʻo ʻana i ka nui o ke kūpaʻa a me ka paio ʻana i mea e hōʻea mai ai i ka hua o kēia lā, ua mohala mai he papahana hoʻomāhuahua kuanaʻike Hawaiʻi ʻo Kīpuka Moʻolelo.
Ua hua mai ʻo Kīpuka Moʻolelo me ka manaʻo e lilo ia papahana he ala e hoʻonaʻauao hou ʻia ai ke kanaka ma ke kuanaʻike Hawaiʻi ma ka ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi. He 10 pūkaʻina ʻokoʻa o ke kumuhana i paʻi wikiō ʻia nā kumuhana e pili ana i ka ʻoihana poʻokumu, ke kuanaʻike ʻōlelo, nā mele oli, ke aloha ʻāina, ka hoʻomākaukau kumu, a pēlā wale aku. Mai loko mai o ka hana ʻana ma ia pāhana i nui ai nā haʻawina i ʻike ʻia. ʻO ka hoʻolālā ʻoe, ʻo ka hoʻokaʻaʻike ʻoe, ʻo ka mālama ʻenehana ʻoe, a keu aku hoʻi ka waiwai o ka hoʻohana ʻana i ka ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi piha ma nā pōʻaiapili e maʻa ʻole ai ka nui lehulehu.
ʻO ka ʻōlelo kā kākou aliʻi, a i mea hoʻi e ola ai kēia aliʻi a kākou, he kūpono ke ʻōlelo ʻia, ke hoʻohana ʻia, a ke hoʻolaha ʻia. I loko o kēia hoʻoulu ʻana i ke kuanaʻike Hawaiʻi, eia ke hoʻomanaʻo aku nei i ka welo mau o nā hana o ke kaʻau makahiki i hala iho nei no nā kaʻau he lehulehu e hiki mai ana.
My name is Keanokualani Perreira, and I am a senior at Ke Kula ʻO Nāwahīokalaniʻōpuʻu. The theme of this school year, “Kaʻau Hua, Kaʻau Ola” demonstrates the importance of recognizing all of the past work that was done to revitalize the Hawaiian language and its programs.
This theme also recognizes the ʻAha Pūnana Leo and its celebration of 40 years of Hawaiian language revitalization. As a means to recognize the intentions behind the work that started 40 years ago, Kīpuka Moʻolelo was created: a Hawaiian language videography production project to cultivate the Hawaiian perspective.
Kīpuka Moʻolelo became an opportunity to educate and support the growth of our people in the Hawaiian language. This program consists of 10 episodes that speak about different subjects such as being a principal or an educator, language perspectives, chants, patriotism, teacher development, and more. A few of the skills that we were able to strengthen and learn about were planning, communicating, using and caring for equipment, and applying the language in different settings.
Our language is our value, however, it will not flourish and will not grow if it’s not utilized or spoken. In this perpetual growth of our perspective and language, the dedication of our ancestors to perpetuate our values will be recognized and cultivated as evidenced in the past 40 years and in subsequent generations.
