Photo: Ka Haka ʻUla O Keʻelikōlani College at UH Hilo
Ka Haka ʻUla O Keʻelikōlani College at UH Hilo offers BA, MA and PhD programs in Hawaiian language and related topics including linguistics, literature, language acquisition, and indigenous cultural revitalization. - Photo: Keiki Kawaiaeʻa

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Na Dr. William H. Wilson, UH Hilo Hawaiian Studies Division Chair

O Ka Holomua Ma Luna O Ke Kahua Paepae A Nā Kūpuna

I ka makahiki 1982, ua ʻāpono kūhelu ʻia ka Papahana Laepua no ka Haʻawina Hawaiʻi o ke Kulanui o Hawaiʻi ma Hilo. I ia makahiki aku 1983, ua hoʻokumu ʻia ka ʻAha Pūnana Leo. No nā makahiki he 40, he mau pakanā hoʻoikaika nui kēia mau keʻena no ke ola o ka ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi ma ke kānāwai a ma ka hoʻopuka lako.

ʻAʻole i piha nā MH he nui ma ia hope aku, ʻo ke kū aʻela ia o ke kula ʻo Nāwahīokalaniʻōpuʻu. I ka makahiki 1994 kēlā, a i ia makahiki aku ʻo Ka Haka ʻUla O Keʻelikōlani. ʻO lāua nā papahana kaiaʻōlelo Hawaiʻi muli-kulahaʻahaʻa mua loa mai ka wā mai o Lahainaluna Kāhiko. Mai loko o kēia mau kula aʻela i loaʻa mai ai ka ʻōnaehana hoʻonaʻauao kaiaʻōlelo Hawaiʻi piha mai ke keiki liʻiliʻi a hiki i ka laeʻula.

He mau pōmaikaʻi kēia mau mea a pau i kō i loko o nā makahiki hope loa o ke kenekūlia iwakālua. ʻO ke kenekūlia ia i hainā nui ʻia ai nā keiki mānaleo Hawaiʻi hope loa ma nā kula kelikoli. I ka wā poʻohina o ia poʻe i hainā ʻia, ua alu nui lākou e ola hou mai ka ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi.

Ua lohe nō paha ka nui o kākou no ka polokalamu lēkiō Ka Leo Hawaiʻi i paipai hoʻōla ʻōlelo nui ai ia mau kūpuna mānaleo. (https://ulukau.org/kaniaina/?l=en). ʻAʻole naʻe paha i lohe nui ʻia no nā hana kaiāulu ʻē aʻe a ua mau kūpuna ʻimi hoʻōla ʻōlelo nei.

Ma Hilo nei, ʻo kekahi o ia mau hana, ʻo ia ka Hui Hoʻoulu ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi o Hilo nei. He hui ia o nā mānaleo kūpuna i noho pelekikena ʻia e Edith Kanakaʻole. E ʻimi ana ia hui e komo ka ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi ma nā kula. Ma muli o ke kumu hoʻohālike ʻimi ikaika ʻo ʻAnakē Edith no ka ʻōlelo a moʻomeheu Hawaiʻi, ua kaʻi nā haumāna kulanui o Hilo e koi ana e loaʻa kekahi kēkelē laepua Haʻawina Hawaiʻi i Hilo nei.

I loko nō hoʻi o ka ʻae ʻana o ke kulanui e loaʻa ia kēkelē, ua hopohopo ʻia o hōʻole ʻia e nā mana o luna aʻe no ka loaʻa ʻole o ke kēkelē mulipuka iā ʻAnakē Edith a me ka poʻe hai no ke aʻo ʻōlelo. Pēlā i ʻimi mai ai ke poʻokoleke iaʻu e neʻe mai ka Hale Waihona Palapala Kahiko ma Honolulu i Hilo nei no ka papahana e hoʻolālā ʻia ana. I ia wā ʻo wau kekahi o ka poʻe kākaʻikahi i loaʻa ke kēkelē mulipuka pili ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi.

I ka loaʻa ʻana mai o kēia kono, ua ʻimi koke akula iā ʻAnakē Edith e nīnau i kona hoʻoholo ʻana, e ʻae paha wau, ʻaʻole paha. Ua haʻi mai ʻo ʻAnakē e ʻae au. Eia naʻe, ua hoʻoholo māua e ʻae wale nō me kekahi mau koina e hoʻokō ʻia o hōʻole au. ʻO kekahi, ʻo ia ka loaʻa o ka māhele kūʻokoʻa o ka papahana Haʻawina Hawaiʻi. ʻO ka lua, e aʻo a mālama ʻia ka Māhele Haʻawina Hawaiʻi i loko piha o ka ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi ma ke ʻano he ʻōlelo kūhelu ma lalo o ke kumukānāwai hou o ka mokuʻāina. He mau mua wāwahi palena kulanui kēia no ia wā paʻa o nā ʻike Hawaiʻi ma lalo o nā māhele ʻē a ma ke kaiaʻōlelo Pelekānia e aʻo ʻia ai.

Ua makemake ʻo ʻAnakē Edith a me nā kūpuna o kona hanauna e hoʻōla hou ʻia ka ʻōlelo e like me ia i loaʻa i nā kula o nā mākua a me nā kūpuna o lākou o ka wā o ke Aupuni Mōʻī. Ua komo nui lākou ma nā hana hoʻololi kānāwai a ma ke aʻo ʻana i loko o nā papa mai nā papahana o Hilo nei. ʻO lākou ke kahua i paepae ʻia ai nā lanakila piha makahiki e ʻike ʻia nei. Nui ka mahalo ʻia o lākou!