Synopsis: The Hawaiian language community has been a fast-growing sector of the constituency that gubernatorial candidates would be wise to heed.

E ao nā moho kia’āina i nā mea e pono ai ke kaiāulu ‘ōlelo Hawai’i e ulu nei ā nui ‘ino i kēia wā me ka leo wawalo e ho’olako ‘ia mai nā mea e māhuahua ai ka ho’okele waiwai o ka Pae’āina nei. E pi’i ka ‘ae’oia o ka noho ‘ana i ka paipai ‘ana i ke ‘ano o Hawai’i nei he wahi Hawai’i maoli. He hiki ‘ole ke ho’opalai maka ‘ia nā kula ‘ōlelo Hawai’i e na’auao nei kamali’i a me nā kānaka mākua pū i ka ‘ōlelo Hawai’i a me nā hana ku’una a ka Hawai’i.

Ma ka MH 1896, na ke aupuni kipi i kau i ke Kānāwai 57 e hō’ole ana i ka ho’olako ‘ia o nā kula o ka ‘āina e a’o ana ma ka ‘ōlelo Hawai’i. He wā hou kēia.

Mai ka 1978 mai, ho’omaka ke aupuni kipi o kēia au e paipai i ka mālama ‘ia o ka nohona Hawai’i ‘ōiwi a kau ‘ia ka ‘ōlelo Hawai’i ‘o ia ka ‘ōlelo kū o ka ‘āina.

Mai ka 1984 mai, kūkulu ‘ia nā kula ‘ōlelo Hawai’i. I kēia wā, ua hele ā nui kūpono ia mau papa hana i mea e pono ai nā moho kia’āina e nānā mai a ho’olohe.

Ua nīele ‘ia kekahi po’e hana ma nā kula ‘ōlelo Hawai’i i nā mea a lākou e mana’o nei he pono e māhuahua ai ia mau kula. Māhelehele ‘ia nā pane ma ‘elima māhele: Ka ho’okele ‘ana, ka ho’olako kālā ‘ana, ka ‘āina, ke a’o ‘ana e pono ai, a me ka hana a ke kia’āina.

No ka ho’okele ‘ana, e like nō me ia ma Aotearoa, ‘elua nō ‘Oihana Ho’ona’auao e pono ai: Ho’okahi no nā kula ‘ōlelo Pelekānia a me kekahi no nā kula ‘ōlelo Hawai’i. E kaulike ia mau ‘Oihana ā ‘elua me ko lāua mau luna ho’omalu. Na kekahi kanaka kūpono i a’o ‘ia e ho’omalu. ‘Oko’a nā mea i makemake ‘ia no nā kula Hawai’i a me nā kula Pelekānia. E hō’ae pū ‘ia kahi ‘ano kū’oko’a i kēlā me kēia kula i kūpono nō no ko kēlā me kēia ‘āina.

No ka ho’olako kālā ‘ana: E ho’okoe ‘ia kekahi pakeneka like o ka ‘auhau no ka ‘Oihana Hawai’i a me ka ‘Oihana Pelekānia. Kekahi mea nō, e ‘ae ‘ia ka ‘imi ‘ia ‘ana o nā kālā no waho mai o ka ‘oihana aupuni e piha ai nā kālā e pono ai ka ‘Oihana Hawai’i.

No ka ‘āina: E hā’awi ‘ia nā ‘āpana ‘āina nui kūpono i kēlā me kēia kula Hawai’i. E kūkulu ‘ia he wahi kahi e noho pū ai nā ‘ohana ma ke ‘ano ‘o ia wahi ka hale kula a me ke kaiāhome o ia mau ‘ohana i a’o ‘ia ai nā mea ā pau e pono ai.

No ke a’o ‘ana e pono ai: ‘Oi aku ka nui o nā papa hana a’o e pono ai nā kumu kula Hawai’i ma mua o nā kula Pelekānia. Pono e a’o ‘ia nā kumu ma ka ‘oihana kumu kula a me ka ho’oponopono ‘ōlelo Hawai’i ma nā ‘ano māhele like ‘ole o ka nohona. Pono nō ho’i e kūkulu ‘ia he papa hana ho’ona’auao no kamali’i me ke kino kīnā.

No ka hana a ke kia’āina: He pono loa nō kona paipai a kōkua i ke kūkulu ‘ia ‘ana o ka ‘Oihana Ho’ona’auao Hawai’i kū’oko’a a he pono nō ke kia’āina e ho’olohe i ke kauleo ‘ana a ia ‘Oihana.

Aia ka ‘ae’oia o ka ‘āina i ka ho’ona’auao ‘ia ‘ana. Aia nō ho’i ka puka nui o ka waiwai i ka paipai ‘ana i ke ‘ano kū ho’okahi o Hawai’i nei.

E ho’ouna ‘ia mai nā 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)
» 956-2624 (Kekeha)
This column is coordinated by the Hawaiian Language Department at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa, supported by the Initiative for Achieving Native Hawaiian Academic Excellence.