Synopsis: Can there be too much Hawaiianness at a University of Hawai’i event? Or any event, for that matter?

Welina e nā makamaka heluhelu o Kauakūkalahale. Ke hiki koke mai nei ka hopena o ke kau kulanui, ka puka ‘ana o nā haumāna mai ke kulanui aku a me ka ‘Aha Hemo Kula. A no laila i hāpai ‘ia ai kahi mana’o i ‘ano ‘ē loa. Ma kekahi hālāwai ma ke Kulanui o Hawai’i ma Mānoa, e ha’i a’e ana kekahi kanaka, ‘a’ole make e nui loa ka ‘ōlelo Hawai’i a hana Hawai’i paha ma kekahi ‘aha, e like me ka ‘Aha Hemo Kula o ke Kulanui o Hawai’i ma Mānoa, a me kekahi ‘aha a mea ‘ē a’e paha o ke Kulanui o Hawai’i. Wahi āna, ua lawa ke oli ‘ana o nā Hawai’i, ‘o ia wale nō, ma ka ho’omaka ‘ana a’e o ka ‘Aha Hemo Kula. A ho’omau ana ‘o ia i ka ‘ōlelo, inā he kanaka hou e ‘ōlelo Hawai’i ana ma ia ‘aha, he paukū pōkole paha, ‘a’ole kūpono. A ‘ōlelo nō ho’i ‘o ia, he nui loa ia a e namunamu ana kekahi lāhui, ‘o ke Kepanī paha, ‘o ka Pākē paha a me kekahi lāhui ‘ē aku paha, ‘a’ole i loa’a kahi manawa o ia lāhui e hana ai i kekahi hana i mua o ka lehulehu.

Ua pū’iwa loa ka no’ono’o o ko ‘oukou mea kākau i ka lohe ‘ana i ua kanaka lā i ka ‘ōlelo ‘ana pēlā. I ‘ōlelo paha ia kanaka pēlā ma muli o ka maopopo ‘ole o ka ‘ōlelo Hawai’i iā ia. Inā i maopopo ka ‘ōlelo iā ia a me ka nui o nā kānaka o Hawai’i nei, inā ‘a’ole ‘o ia i ho’opuka i ia mana’o na’aupō.

He mea maopopo wale, ua nui nā lāhui kanaka ma Hawai’i nei i kēia mau lā, ‘o ke Kepanī ‘oe, ‘o ka Pukikī ‘oe, ‘o ke Kāmoa ‘oe, me ia lāhui aku, ia lāhui aku. A he mea maika’i ko lākou hiki ‘ana mai a noho ‘ana mai ma kēia pae ‘āina. Akā, ‘o nā keiki papa o ka ‘āina, nā ‘ōiwi ho’i o kēia pae ‘āina nei i ka hiki ‘ana mai o Kāpena Kuke a ma mua o ka hiki ‘ana mai o ia mau lāhui ‘ē i ‘ane’i nei, ‘o ia ke Kanaka Maoli, a Kanaka ‘Ōiwi ho’i o kēia pae ‘āina, a i kapa ‘ia nō ho’i, he Hawai’i e kekahi po’e.

I hewa paha iā ‘Amelika i ke kōkua ‘ana ma ka ho’okahuli aupuni Mō’ī a me ka ho’olilo ‘ana iā Hawai’i i moku’āina no ‘Amelika Hui Pū ‘Ia. A ua lilo ka ‘ōlelo Hawai’i i ‘ōlelo ho’okae ‘ia, akā, i kēia manawa, ke ho’oikaika aku nei e ho’i hou ka ‘ōlelo Hawai’i i kona kūlana i ka wā ma mua, ‘o ia ho’i, ma ka waha o nā kānaka a pau e noho nei ma kēia pae ‘āina. Akā, inā e ho’omau ‘ia ana ke ‘ano no’ono’o e like me ia kanaka ma luna a’e nei no ka lawa o ka ‘ōlelo Hawai’i a hana Hawai’i ma ka ho’omaka wale nō paha o kahi ‘aha a hana ‘ē a’e paha, a ‘o ia ihola, ‘a’ole nō e holo mua ana ka ‘ōlelo Hawai’i. A kohu mea lā, he mea ho’owehi wale nō paha ka ‘ōlelo Hawai’i.

‘Eā, inā he mana’o ko kekahi, e oli i ka ho’omaka ‘ana o kekahi ‘aha a pā’ina paha, a oli hou ma waena a i ka hopena nō ho’i, a e kama’ilio a ha’i ‘ōlelo paha ma ka ‘ōlelo Hawai’i, he mea kūpono ia. ‘A’ole e kaupalena ‘ia ka hana a ke Kanaka Maoli o kēia ‘āina. He keu ia ‘ano hana a ka maha’oi.

‘O kekahi, ‘o kahi ‘ōlelo pahuhopu o ke Kulanui o Hawai’i, ‘o ia ka lilo ‘ana o ke kahua kulanui i wahi kū i ke ‘ano Hawai’i kahi e holo mua ai ke a’o ‘ana. A he pono ka ho’ohanohano ‘ana i nā Kānaka Maoli o kēia pae ‘āina, ko lākou mau mo’olelo, a me kā lākou ‘ōlelo, ka ‘ōlelo Hawai’i.

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