Synopsis: Whereas Hawaiian is one of two official languages of the state, a defendant should be allowed to present a defense in Hawaiian, and not be forced to operate within the limitations of English. 

Aloha hou mai nō kākou e nā hoa kanaka e pa‘u nei i ia hana ‘o ka ho‘ōla ‘ōlelo makuahine. I ka MH 1978, ua palapala ‘ia akula kahi kānāwai moku‘āina e paipai ana i kā kākou ‘ōlelo makuahine i ‘ōlelo kūhelu. He ‘oli‘oli ‘i‘o nō. Ua hoihoi na‘e këia hanana, no ka mea, ‘o ia nō ka ‘ōlelo e kü ana i ka moku ma mua loa o ka hō‘ea mai o ka namu haole. He aha ke kumu e ho‘okūhelu ‘ia ai ka mea maoli? A i kūhelu ho‘i iā wai? A i këia manawa, ke ‘ike nei kākou he kūhelu ho‘opunipuni wale ia. Aia nō kekahi paukü ma ia kānāwai e ho‘oha‘aha‘a ana i ke kūlana o ka ‘ōlelo Hawai‘i ma lalo o ka namu haole. Penei ho‘i, inā e ‘oko‘a ka mana‘o haole a ‘oko‘a ho‘i ka mana‘o Hawai‘i o kekahi kānāwai, ‘o ka mana haole ke nānā ‘ia. A ‘o ka mea ‘āpiki, ua lilo ke kuleana i nā hale ho‘okolokolo Maleka e ho‘okolokolo ai i nā hihia a pau ma o ka namu haole. Eia kā, ua ho‘okuleana lākou iā lākou iho nō, a ua hapa mai ka ikaika o ka ‘ōlelo Hawai‘i ma ko kākou ‘āina pono‘ī iho nō.

I ka P3 o ka pule nei, ua kupu maila kekahi hihia e emi ai ka pono o kākou Hawai‘i. Ua ho‘oholo ‘ia akula e kekahi luna kānāwai o ka moku‘āina ‘o Hawai‘i, ma lalo o ke kaumoku‘āina ‘o Maleka, kekahi nïnau no ka hihia o Kaleikoa Kaeo, he kanaka aloha ‘āina no Maui, i hō‘āhewa ‘ia akula i ke ‘ano ‘ino o ka hana, ka ‘āke‘ake‘a i ke alapīpā, a me ka ho‘okuli ‘ana i ke kauoha a ka māka‘i. Ua pili ia nïnau i ka ‘ōlelo e ho‘okolokolo ‘ia ai ua hihia nei, ‘o ka namu haole paha, a ‘o ka ‘ōlelo kanaka paha. Ua koho ‘ia ka namu haole, a ‘o ke kumu mai, ‘o ia nō ka ho‘omakauli‘i ‘ana i ke kālā. Penei ho‘i ka mana‘o o ka luna kānāwai, ‘oiai ua hiki nō iā Kaleikoa ke ho‘omaopopo i ka namu haole, e ho‘okolokolo ‘ia ka hihia ma loko o ka namu haole.

Aloha nō kahi luna kānāwai ‘ike ‘ole i ke ‘ano o ia mea he ‘ōlelo. Pehea lā ke akamai o ka mea unuhi, ‘a‘ole nō e like a like ka mana‘o o kekahi ‘ōlelo me kona mana‘o ke unuhi ‘ia ma kekahi ‘ōlelo. Inā e mana‘o ana ka mea i hō‘āhewa ‘ia aia kona pono i ka pale aku i nā hō‘āhewa ‘ana ma o kekahi ‘ōlelo, e pale aku nō ‘o ia pēlā. Ke mana‘o nei ua ‘o Kaleikoa ‘o ka ‘ōlelo Hawai‘i ka mea e akāka loa ai kāna mau hana a me kona mau kumu i hana ai, a pēlā ho‘i e ‘ike ‘ia ai kona pono. No laila, ‘a‘ohe wahi kaulike o kona koikoi ‘ia e hō‘ike aku i kona mana‘o ma o ka namu haole.

He aha lā ho‘i ke kumu e hō‘ole ‘ia nei ko ia ala noi e pale aku i nā hō‘āhewa ma o ka ‘ōlelo a kona mau kūpuna? He ho‘omakauli‘i paha i ke kālā, he hāwāwā paha ko ke aupuni ‘ike ‘ole i ka ‘ōlelo Hawai‘i, a i ‘ole ia, he hana ‘āpiki paha ia e hapa mai ai ka ikaika kūpale o ke kanaka Hawai‘i a kōkua ai ho‘i i ka ‘ākena o Maleka i ka ho‘oha‘aha‘a ‘ana i ka pono o ka po‘e Hawai‘i. Eia nō ‘o Kaleikoa ke na‘i nei i ka pono o kona mau hoa lähui, a ke kū ka‘eo nei i ke kala‘ihi o Maleka. E ala e nā hoa kanaka! E huliāmahi ho‘i o hapa mai ko kākou pono!

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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 Mänoa.