Synopsis: Last month, a Native American student in Wisconsin was punished for speaking her native language in school. Those who tell others to speak English are those who are rude and hypocritical in their own words by denying others’ freedom of speech.

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Aloha nō e nā makamaka heluhelu ma ke one hānau o kēia ‘ōlelo nahenahe a puni loa aku ho’i ke ao holo’oko’a. Ua a’o aku au ma ke ‘ano he kumu kula ki’eki’e ma ka ‘āina nui nei, a ua lohe pinepine ‘ia mai ia mele aloha ‘ole i luna a’e ma ka papa ke ‘ōlelo Kepania ka po’e Mekiko.

Mau nō ho’i ka lohe wale ‘ana o nā haumāna i ia kekē nuku ma nā kula i kahi nei o ka Palapala Pono Kanaka. ‘A’ole na’e i kuhihewa ko’u mana’o he kūnoa ko kākou pākahi a pau e wehewehe aku i kou mana’o me ho’okahi pāpā ‘ole. Poina wale paha anei ke Kumukānāwai? ‘A’ole kā! Aia i kahi ‘ē ka mana’o o ia ‘ano po’e ho’okekē. Eia kekahi, ‘a’ole ka po’e ‘ōlelo Kepania wale iho nō ke lohe mai i ia ‘ano nuku ‘ana ma nā kula o ka ‘āina nui.

I ka lā ‘ekahi o Malaki i hala aku nei, ua heluhelu iho au i ka mo’olelo e pili ana i ka haumāna nona ka inoa ‘o Miranda Washinawatok ma ka moku’āina ‘o Wakinekona. He haumāna ‘o ia i ke kula ‘o Shawano Sacred Heart ho’i, a he mau ‘Ilikini ka hapanui o nā haumāna i laila. He ‘Ilikini ‘o Miranda no ka lāhui ‘o Menominee, a maopopo iā ia ka ‘ōlelo a kona mau kūpuna. Ma kāna papa, ua ha’i wale aku ‘o ia i nā hoa ona “Aloha au iā ‘oe” ma kāna ‘ōlelo makuahine ‘o Menominee ho’i. ‘O ka pane inaina akula nō ia o kāna kumu kula iā ia, ‘a’ole e ‘ōlelo pēlā. Ma hope iho, ua ha’i aku ke kumu i kā Miranda mau hua ‘ōlelo i nā alaka’i kula. Ma muli o kāna ‘ōlelo Menominee wale nō, ‘o kā Miranda pā’ani ‘ole ‘ana i ka pōhīna’i ma ka ho’okūkū ho‘okahi kā ke kula ho‘opa‘i iā ia. ‘A’ole i mahalo kona ‘ohana i ka hana a ke kumu a me nā alaka‘i kula, a ua loa‘a i ka ‘ohana ka leka ho‘oponopono mai nā alaka‘i kula me ka mihimihi i kā lākou hana iā ia.

He aha lā ka ‘oko’a o ia kaikamahine a me nā haumāna ‘ōlelo Kepania? ‘A’ohe ho’okahi mea ‘oko’a, ua like nō a like! Ma ka’u papa, ‘o kahi pane a’u i ia kekē nuku “Eia kākou ma ‘Amelika Hui Pū ‘ia. He kūnoa ko kākou e ‘ōlelo Kepania inā makemake.” A pane hou mai lākou haumāna nuha he hana kīko‘olā ka ‘ōlelo i ka ‘ōlelo ‘ē a‘e no ka mea ‘a’ole ia i maopopo i ka po’e a pau ma ka papa. Koe kēia—pehea lā ka hāwanawana ma hope o ka lima?

Ua like nō a like ia kaikamahine me ka po’e ‘ōlelo Hawai’i. Mau nō ka nuku namunamu mai o kekahi mau kānaka loko’ino ke lohe a ‘ike ‘ia ka ‘ōlelo Hawai’i ma ka mole o ia ‘ōlelo! ‘Auana wale aku ka mana’o o ka po’e e hiki ‘ole ke ‘ōlelo Hawai’i. Hō’ole wale lākou i ko lākou kumukānāwai iho i kēlā me kēia manawa o lākou e ho‘opuka mai ai i ia mele aloha ‘ole “E ‘ōlelo haole!” Iā lākou e hāwanawana nei ma hope o ko lākou lima pono’ī, mana’o iho au he ‘ōlelo kīko’olā kā lākou e ho’opuka nei.

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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.