Synopsis: Harnessing the power of animation can help ensure the preservation of Hawaiian as a living language.

Aloha mai nō kākou e nā hoa makamaka o nei kino lahilahi e waiho nei i mua o ke alo me ke ake e hō’ike aku i kona nani. Aia wale nō i ka lena mai a ka maka.

Iā kākou nō e ho’oikaika nei i ka paio ‘ana no ka pono o ka ‘ōlelo kanaka, he mahalo ‘ia nō nā lima a pau e komo pū nei ma ia hana. Eia nō i kēia wā he lima ua mākaukau no ke kōkua ‘ana mai i ka ho’olaha ‘ana i nā mo’olelo Hawai’i ma o nā ki’i’eu (nā ki’i kātuna ho’i). ‘O ka mea nona ia lima, ‘o ia kahi hui kōkua ho’ona’auao ma ka Pākīpika i kapa ‘ia ma ka ho’opōkole ‘ana ‘o PREL.

I loko o kēlā mau makahiki aku nei he 20 o ko’u lohe ‘ana i ka inoa o PREL, kai nō a he hui kēlā nāna e kōkua wale nō i ka po’e o Maikonesia. Eia kā, ke huli mai nei kona nānā ‘ana i ka pono o ka po’e o Hawai’i kekahi. ‘Akahi nō a hai ‘ia he luna hou no PREL (he mau mahina helu wale i hala aku nei) nona ka inoa ‘o Sharon Nelson-Barber, a he ‘ōiwi ia no ‘Amelika. I lawa nō a hai ‘ia, ‘o kona ha’oha’o ihola nō ia i ka mālama ‘ole ‘ia o nā polokalamu Hawai’i i loko nō o ka noho pa’a ‘ana o PREL ma Hawai’i nei. Ke mana’o nei ‘o Nelson-Barber, he mea nui ko’iko’i ke kōkua ‘ana o PREL i ka po’e a pau o ka Pākīpika.

Ke haku nei ‘o PREL (me ke kōkua o kekahi po’e o nā Kula o Kamehameha) i kekahi mau ha’awina ‘epekema pili i nā mo’olelo Hawai’i kahiko. He ‘ekolu mo’olelo i koho ‘ia i kahua e kūkulu ‘ia ai ua mau ha’awina nei. ‘O Pele a me kona ‘imi ‘ana i wahi e noho ai, ‘o Maui a me kona ho’ohei ‘ana i ka lā, a me ka mo’olelo pili nō i kahi menehune a me kona ho’opakele ‘ana i nā manu.

‘Ekolu māhele o kēia papahana i kapa ‘ia ‘o “E Ho’omau”. ‘O ke ki’i’eu kekahi māhele a ‘akahi nō a pa’a mai ke ki’i no Maui, he 18 minuke kona lō’ihi. ‘O kekahi māhele, he mau puke ha’awina ‘ekolu e pili ana i nā ‘ike ‘epekema i unuhi ‘ia mai loko mai o ka mo’olelo, e la’a me nā ‘ike ‘alemanaka. A ‘o ke kolu o ka māhele, he puke ki’i’eu e hō’ike ana i ka mo’olelo.

‘O ka mea minamina, he nui ‘ino nā kātuna i pa’a ma ka ‘ōlelo haole. Ua ‘ike ‘ia ka mana ho’owalewale i nā keiki. Ua ‘ike pū ‘ia ho’i kona waiwai ma ke ‘ano he meaa’o. ‘O ka’u mo’opuna, he ‘elua wale nō ona makahiki, eia nō ‘o ia ke ho’opuka nei i ka ‘ōlelo Paniolo i pa’a iā ia ma muli o ka nāna mau ‘ana iā “Dora the Explorer”. ‘O nā keiki ‘ōlelo Hawai’i na’e, ua nele i ke kāka’ikahi o nā ki’i’eu i hana ‘ia ma ka ‘ōlelo Hawai’i. No’u iho, i meaa’o ikaika nō ia e pa’a ai ka ‘ōlelo Hawai’i i nā keiki he nui, a pau pū ho’i me nā keiki e kula ‘ia nei ma o ka ‘ōlelo haole.

A no laila, i lohe aku ka hana o’u i ka mana’o o PREL mā e hana hou i kēlā mau mo’olelo ma ka ‘ōlelo Hawai’i, no’ono’o ihola nō au i loko o’u ē ‘o ia ihola nō ka hana e a’o malū ai i nā keiki o kēia pae’āina i ka ‘ōlelo Hawai’i a me nā ‘ano ha’awina like ‘ole nō ho’i e la’a me nā ha’awina ‘epekema, a pēlā nō e laha ai ma kēlā pe’a kēia pe’a o ka ‘āina. Mahalo e PREL!

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.