Aulani lauded for embracing Native Hawaiian language

Disney is known for its flights of fancy. But a big part of the magic at its Aulani resort lies in its authenticity — especially when it comes to the Hawaiian language.

The Disney resort opened seven years ago with the ‘Olelo Room, a bar where visitors could be exposed to Hawaiian language. Now there are 28 Hawaiian-language speakers on staff at Aulani, making it one of the few resorts in the state where guests can be exposed to Hawaiian language during every aspect of their stay, from check-in to checkout.

Aulani is taking its Hawaiian language skills outside the resort, too.

Aulani Disney Ambassador Manako Tanaka recently had 47 Disney employees from Aulani, Disneyland, Walt Disney World and the Marvel Library spend about 825 hours transcribing 330 pieces of information — from articles to documents — of Hawaiian history. Some of the volunteers didn’t even speak Hawaiian.

Tanaka, who has a master’s degree in Hawaiian language from the University of Hawaii at Manoa, reviewed the passages for authenticity. He forwarded them to the Office of Hawaiian Affairs for papakilodatabase.com, which allows online users to search Hawaiian-language newspapers.

Nikki Moreno, Aulani’s public affairs director, said Disney allowed project volunteers to accrue grant money in exchange for their time. Volunteers pooled resources to donate $1,500 to Awaiaulu, a nonprofit founded by Puakea Nogel­meier, that is “dedicated to developing resources and resource people that can bridge Hawaiian knowledge from the past to the present and the future.”

Efforts to revitalize and normalize the Hawaiian language prompted the Hawaii Tourism Authority to present Aulani with its highest honor, a Tourism Legacy Award, said Kalani Ka‘ana‘ana, HTA director of Hawaiian cultural affairs.

“They are one of the few properties that have the ability to speak Hawaiian language with guests from check-in to checkout. Though other properties are getting there, Aulani is still a leader in our industry,” Ka‘ana‘ana said. “Committing to the normal, everyday usage of olelo Hawaii is about helping to save an integral part of our culture, which makes these islands and how we live so distinctive from anywhere else in the world.”

Ka‘ana‘ana said its fitting that Aulani chose to step up its commitment to Hawaiian language in 2018, which marked the 40th anniversary of the 1978 Hawaii State Constitutional Convention, which led to Hawaiian being reaffirmed as one of Hawaii’s official languages. The convention spurred Hawaiian education programs that helped bring the language back from the brink of extinction, he said.

It’s heartening to see Aulani committed to sharing olelo Hawaii and providing a true sense of Hawaiian place, said Keith Vieira, principal at KV &Associates, Hospitality Consulting.

“There are other places that have great beaches that are cheaper and closer,” Vieira said. “But what Aulani is doing isn’t just a marketing ploy. The biggest impact that it has is on employees, who are proud of their culture and want to be proud of where they work.”

Disney ambassador Tanaka isn’t Hawaiian like Ka‘ana‘ana and Vieira, but he shares their passion for perpetuating Hawaiian culture.

“Hawaii is very special, and part of what makes it unique is olelo Hawaii,” Tanaka said. “I think all Hawaii residents have a responsibility to preserve and protect this cultural gift.”

Tanaka’s experience volunteering for Awaiaulu is where he got the idea for the Disney project, which he humorously dubbed Kikokiko Aulani because the typing sounds that transcribers made were like the kiko, or peck, of birds.

“There’s a lot of information in Hawaiian language that needs to be transcribed and translated so we don’t lose the knowledge,” Tanaka said.

Kikokiko Aulani adds to OHA’s 2011 launch of the Papakilo Database, which encompasses more than a million pages of Hawaiian history.

“We were given files from Hawaiian-language newspapers from between 1905 and 1907, which wasn’t too long after the overthrow,” Tanaka said.

The files ranged from political documents to advertisements, translations of English stories into Hawaiian and more.

“Some of the coolest stuff came from J.M. Poepoe, who wrote about moon phases and astrology. We learned that you were more likely to be pretty if you were a girl and you were born during a particular moon phase,” Tanaka said. “Some of the files were really fascinating. I’m so glad that we were able to help ensure that his information gets shared.”