Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 2, Number 4, 1 April 1985 — Kauai's La Hoʻoulu ʻOlelo Hawaii Adds Some New Twists [ARTICLE]

Kauai's La Hoʻoulu ʻOlelo Hawaii Adds Some New Twists

It started mueh later than. the 9 a.m. scheduled opening but that didn't matter because officials running the fifth annual Kauai La Ho'oulu 'Olelo Hawaii Feb. 16 soon caught up with the printed schedule and the event went off in eloeklike fashion at the campus activities center of Kauai Community College. In fact, it got over just 15 minutes past the 3 p.m. closing because a fund-raising auehon, a new program on this year's schedule, ran a little late. However, it was another successful day of doing things Hawaiian and speaking Hawaiian. Reason for the late start was attributed to the tardy arrival of the Maui group because of a late departing flight. Except for a plane trip and dinner for two, prizes for the auction included Hawaiian plants, flowers, merchandise and other items. Even the center pieces were auctioned off, all in the spirit of fellowship and raising a few coins for the chapter treasury. More than 150 Hawaiian-speaking teachers, students, kupuna and keikis attended this year's event. They eame from Maui, Oahu, Hawaii and Niihau as well as from Kauai. In addition to the auction, another added twist was Hawaiian games for children conducted by Paul Koki Williams, Hawaiian language instructor at Waimea Elementary School. Other activities throughout the day included leetures, singing, charades (games), ha'iole'lo and ho'okuku. During the ho'ike phase of the program, the University of Hawaii's Larry Kauanoe Kimura gave a brief update on Ka Punana Leo O Kekaha, Honolulu and Hilo. Kekaha is already in operation and a slide show was presented on its activities. The ha'i'olelo featured a very interesting presentation on the art of opelu catching from a eanoe especiaily crafted for that purpose. It was presented by Iokepa Makaai of Kona. He gave a step by step detail of opelu catching, referring to a detailed drawing and an actual opelu net. The pa'ani keaka and ho'okuku, of course, brought laughter from the crowd. Actors and performers in the charade, amateurs all, probably would not win any Oscars but they won the hearts of the group with their performances. They went through all kinds of body and facial fexpressions after viewing Hawanan words flashed by a committee member. Eaeh group of three or four members selected one caller and it is this eommunieahon (or laek of it) that had the crowd in stitches. Extemporaneous speaking also put the crowd in a jovial mood when speakers would relate an experience or a particular subject matter written on a slip of paper drawn from a brown bag. All conversation, of course, was in the Hawaiian language. It was onee more a wonderful experience to witness and listen to people from virtually every ethnic group speak the language. Rapping with Niihau natives or former Niihau residents was another beautiful experience. Office of Hawaiian Affairs Trustee Moses K. Keale Sr., who represents Hawaiians on Kauai and Niihau, again did a masterful job as master of ceremonies in keeping the conferenee moving at a steady paee. Keaie and Kauai Community College Hawaiian language instructor Byron Hokulani Cleeland were among those who established the 'Olelo Hawaii movement on Kauai.