He ‘ōlelo kūhelu kā?

Synopsis: What does being an “official language” mean? Perhaps the state needs to take action so that Hawaiian really is an “official language.”

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Welina e nā makamaka heluhelu mai ka moku o Keawe a i Ni’ihau o Kahelelani, kahi e kū nei ka ‘ōlelo Hawai’i, ‘o ia kekahi o nā ‘ōlelo kūhelu o ka moku’āina ‘o Hawai’i. A ‘o ia ka mea i ulu a’e ai kahi nīnau, he ‘ōlelo kūhelu kā ka ‘ōlelo Hawai’i no ka moku’āina ‘o Hawai’i?

Ke nānā aku kākou i ke ‘ano kūhelu o ka ‘ōlelo haole, he nui nō kona mana. ‘O nā palapala aupuni a pau, ma ka ‘ōlelo haole nō. A pēlā pū nō me nā palapala o nā kūlanakauhale. Kohu mea lā, ‘a’ohe wahi mana o ka ‘ōlelo Hawai’i, kekahi o nā ‘ōlelo kūhelu. E kala loa ka ‘ōlelo Hawai’i i lilo ai he ‘ōlelo kūhelu no kēia moku’āina nei, i ka makahiki 1978 nō. A no laila nō i kupu a’e ai kahi nīnau a ko ‘oukou mea kākau, ‘o ia ho’i, no ke aha i ho’olilo ‘ia ai ka ‘ōlelo Hawai’i i ‘ōlelo kūhelu?

E pane mai paha kekahi, “Mai nō a nīnau mai i ia nīnau. E ‘ole ia paukū o ke Kumu Kānāwai o Hawai’i, ho’okumu ‘ia ai nā kula kamali’i a me nā kula kaiapuni. ‘Eā, inā ‘a’ole i pāku’i ‘ia ia paukū ma ke Kumu Kānāwai, inā ‘a’ole i loa’a ke kula kaiapuni i kēia mau lā.” A he ‘oia’i’o nō ia mau ‘ōlelo, akā, ‘a’ole ia he mea e kāpae ‘ia ai ka nīnau ma ka ‘ao’ao. ‘Oiai na’e, aia nō nā kula kaiapuni ke kū nei, a ke a’o ‘ia nei nā pua a kākou ma ka ‘ōlelo a nā kūpuna, ‘a’ole nō paha i ho’olako pono ke aupuni i ia mau kula kaiapuni e like ai a like me nā kula aupuni. ‘O ia nō kekahi mea e pono ai ka ho’okō ‘ia ‘ana a’e o ka Paukū XV o ke Kumu Kānāwai o Hawai’i.

A he nui hou aku nō nā hana. ‘O kekahi, ‘o nā palapala a pau o ke aupuni moku’āina a me ke kūlanakauhale paha, he pono ke hana ‘ia ma nā ‘ōlelo kūhelu a i ‘elua, ‘o ia ho’i, ‘o ka ‘ōlelo Hawai’i a me ka ‘ōlelo haole. E lele koke paha ka hauli o nā kānaka ho’okae i ka Hawai’i i ka lohe ‘ana i ia ‘ōlelo me ka ‘uā pū ‘ana a’e paha, “He keu ‘oe a ka na’aupō, e kēnā mea kākau, no ke aha lā e kākau ‘ia ai nā palapala a pau ma ka ‘ōlelo Hawai’i? ‘O ka ‘ōlelo haole ka ‘ōlelo mana o ka hapanui o nā kānaka o kēia moku’āina nei.”

A ‘o ia nō ka pilikia, ‘o ka no’ono’o ‘ana o ka hapanui o nā kānaka, ‘o ka ‘ōlelo haole ka ‘ōlelo mana. I mana ka ‘ōlelo haole i nā kānaka puni i ka ‘ōlelo haole. A i mea e pau ai ia kuhihewa ‘ana iā He’eia, e ho’ololi ‘ia ka hana e kū nei a like ke kūlana o ka ‘ōlelo Hawai’i a me ka ‘ōlelo haole. Inā e kākau ‘ia nā palapala aupuni a pau o Hawai’i nei ma ka ‘ōlelo Hawai’i, he mea ia e māhuahua ai nā ‘oihana ‘ōlelo Hawai’i. A ke ‘ike ‘ia aku ka māhuahua o ia ‘ano ‘oihana, e no’ono’o nā kānaka, he maika’i ke a’o ‘ana i ka ‘ōlelo Hawai’i, a e māhuahua auane’i nā kānaka ‘ōlelo Hawai’i.

A ‘o kekahi mea nui, ‘o ia ho’i, e hana ‘ia paha he kānāwai e koi ana i nā luna aupuni, nā lunamaka’āinana a me nā kenekoa, a pēlā aku, e a’o mai i ka ‘ōlelo Hawai’i. A i ‘ole ia, he pono ke like a like ka helu o nā luna aupuni ‘ōlelo Hawai’i, a pēlā pū nō me nā luna aupuni ‘ōlelo haole. A laila, e ‘ike ‘ia nō ka ‘ai a nā u’i.

(E ho’omau ‘ia aku)

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E ho’ouna ‘ia mai na ā leka iā māua, ‘o ia ho’i ‘o Laiana Wong a me Kekeha Solis ma ka pahu leka uila ma lalo nei:

>> kwong@hawaii.edu
>> rsolis@hawaii.edu

a i ‘ole ia, ma ke kelepona:

>> 956-2627 (Laiana)
>> 956-2627 (Kekeha)

This column is coordinated by Kawaihuelani Center for Hawaiian Language at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa.