Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 16, Number 6, 1 Iune 1999 — E HOLOMUA I KA MILENIO HOU AʻE ME KA MOʻOMEHEU HAWAIʻI I PILI ME KA ʻŌLELO HAWAIʻI [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

E HOLOMUA I KA MILENIO HOU AʻE ME KA MOʻOMEHEU HAWAIʻI I PILI ME KA ʻŌLELO HAWAIʻI

Na Ka'lmookalani Muhlestein, OHA Culture Speclalist

Editor's note: This month's Kolamu 'Ōlelo Makuahine (Hawaiian language eolumn) is by Ka 'imookalani Muhlestein, OHA culture specialist. While in college several years ago, she pondered the idea ofeducation through a Hawaiian language medium. To her delight, the D.O.E.'s Hawaiian immersion program was initiated, compelling her to enroll her keiki. Today, she has a child at Ke Kula Kaiapuni 'o Ānuenue in Pālolo, 0 'ahu. Here, she expresses her mahalo for the innovative program, having completed its first K -12 cycle. E heluhelu mai. IKO'U WĀ e hele ai i ke kula nui i 19 mau makahiki i hala aku nei, ua mana'olana wau inā hiki i ka Papa Ho'ona'auao Moku'āina ke ho'okumu i kula hou e a'o i nā ha'awina ma ka 'ōlelo Hawai'i i nā keiki o Hawai'i nei. Ma muli kēia o ka'u makemake e ho'ouna i ka'u mau keiki i ia 'ano kula Hawai'i. Ua komo ka pū'iwa i loko o'u nō ho'i, i ka lohe ua hemo 'ia 'elua kula hou i ka makahiki 1986. Aia kekahi kula ma Waiau, O'ahu a kekahi ma Keaukaha, Hawai'i. Mai kēlā manawa a hiki i kēia lā, ua ulu a māhuahua ia 'ano kula ma nā mokupuni 'elima o Hawai'i nei, 'o Hawai'i, Maui, Moloka'i, O'ahu a me Kaua'i. Ua kapa 'ia kēia mau kula 'ano hou 'o "Nā Kula Kaiapuni," a ua alaka'i 'ia e ka Papahana Kaiapuni o ka Māhele Ho'ona'auao Moku'āina. 'O ka hapanui o kēia mau kula kaiapuni i mālama 'ia i loko o nā kula aupuni. Aia Ke Kula Kaiapuni 'o Keaukaha i loko o ke Kula Aupuni Ha'aha'a 'o Keaukaha, akā na'e, aia nō he mau kula kaiapuni i mālama ka'awale 'ia i waho o nā kula aupuni, e la'a Ke Kula Kaiapuni 'o Ānuenue ma Pālolo a me Ke Kula 'o Nāwahīokalani'ōpu'u ma Kea'au. I kēia manawa, ma kahi o 1,500 haumāna e hele nei i nā kula kaiapuni a puni Hawai'i. No ka hana pono a ka

Papahana Kaiapuni, 'o kēia ka makahiki mua e puka aku ana nā haumāna mai 'elua kula kaiapuni, 'o ia ho'i 'o Ānuenue a 'o Nāwahīokalani'ōpu'u. Ua a'o wale 'ia nā ha'awina i ka 'ōlelo Hawai'i mai ka papa malā'o a hiki i papa 'ehā. Ma hope, komo pū 'ia ka 'ōlelo Pelekānia a hiki i ka wā e puka aku ai nā haumāna mai ke kula ki'eki'e. A'o 'ia nō ho'i nā ha'awina ma'a mau i ka 'ōlelo Hawai'i, 'o ia ho'i ka makau 'ōlelo 'oe, ka 'epekema 'oe, ka makemakika 'oe a pēlā wale aku a ua ho'opa'a loa lākou i ka heluhelu 'ana a me ke kākau 'ana i ka 'ōlelo Pelekānia. Pehea kēlā! Ua lilo 'ia nō ho'i i mea ma'a mau no nā mākua e ho'okomo i kā lākou mau keiki i loko o kēia 'ano kula kaiapuni, akā, ua 'oi aku ka makemake ma mua o nā kumu mākaukau e a'o a me ka loa'a i nā lumi kula. Mana'o wau me nā mākua pū, ua maika'i loa kēia mau kula kaiapuni no nā keiki Hawai'i no ka mea ua piha loa ka na'au a lākou me ka 'ōlelo Hawai'i i pili me nā mea waiwai Hawai'i a pau. No kēia ho'ona'auao, hiki i nā haumana ke lawe ha'aheo aku i ko lākou mo'omeheu Hawai'i i pili me ka 'ōlelo Hawai'i i loko o ka milenio hou a'e a e lilo i kupa kanaka makua 'olu'olu o Hawai'i nei. ■

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