Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 25, Number 3, 1 March 2008 — He lei i ke aloha o ka ʻōlelo [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

He lei i ke aloha o ka ʻōlelo

lmmersion schools mark 20 years of Hawaiian language education

By Blaine Fergerstrūm Media Prūductiūn Specialist As it prepares to graduate its 1 0th high sehool elass this year, Hawaiian inunersion sehools on O'ahu eelebrated two deeades of teaehing 'Ōlelo Hawai'i at a gathering of hundreds of eurrent and fonner kuniu, haumāna, state offieials and supporters at the state Capitol. Speaking to the erowd, Daniel Hamada, assistant superintendent of the state Edueation Department's eumeulum offiee, pledged his eontinuing support for Hawaiian inunersion, saying he envisioned tripling the size of the innnersion sehools and eonsolidating them into a single eomplex, rather than being spread aeross the existing sehool system, as they are now. And in the erowd, Dr. Leimomi Malina-Wright, viee prineipal of Ke Kula Kaiapuni 'o Ānuenue, said she was awed by the statewide program's reaeh. "What is extraordinary is, sometimes when I am in a restaurant, I ean hear the ehildren ehanting their pule. You ean now hear ehildren and their families speaking the language in

their everyday lives," said MalinaWright, who has spent 16 years with the Hawaiian innnersion program. In 1987, following the Hawai'i state Constitution mandate (Artiele X, Seetion 4) to promote the study of Hawaiian eulture, language and history, the state Department of Edueation established the Hawaiian Language Immersion Program, Ka Papahana Kaiapuni Hawai'i. Marking the oeeasion, many who gathered on 8 Pepeluali wore T-shirts emblazoned with the legend, "He Lei i ke Aloha o ka 'Ōlelo - Ka Piha Makahiki he 20 o ka Papahana Kaiapuni," or "A Lei of Love for the Hawaiian Language - The 20th Anniversary of the Hawaiian hmnersion Program." The erowd shared oli, speeehes and featured visits from several distinguished program graduates. Ua hlmeni nā haumāna a me nā kumu i ka mele 'o Hawai'i Pono'ī while standing but a few yards from the statue of Ke Ali'I Wahine Lili'uokalani, whose brother, Ka Mō'ī, David Kalākaua, had eomposed the lyries. Several members of the WAC ehampion University of Hawai'i Warriors football team — eaeh a

produet of Hawaiian inunersion sehools, addressed the erowd in 'Ōlelo Hawai'i. As they were introdueed, Warriors Brad Kalilimoku, brothers Keahi and Keala Watson, Aaron Kia and R.I. KieselKauhane ealled out to students of their fonner sehools, whose eurrent students answered in unison, "E ō!" "We are present!" The players shared their experienees growing up in Hawaiian immersion and how they had pushed the boundaries of sueeess in pōpeku (football) and in their edueation. As they left the stage to great applause, nā haumāna took up a ehant, ealling to the Warriors, " 'Ai ha'a! 'Ai ha'a!" After iniīial modest resistanee, Nā Koa aeeeded to their requests and performed the Warriors' famous 'ai ha'a ehant to the delight of the erowd. Dignitaries in attendanee ineluded Keoni Ineiong, state

DOE administrator for Hawaiian Language Immersion and Hawaiian Studies Programs and state Sen. David Ige, whose Pearl City-'Aiea distriet ineludes Waiau Elementary, home to Kula Kaiapuni 'o Waiau, one of the first inunersion sehools. OHA Hawai'i Island Trustee Robert Lindsey also attended to lend his eongratulations and support to the programs. Dr. Kalena Silva of the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa Hawaiian Studies Program addressed the gathering in 'Ōlelo Hawai'i with an eloquent, impassioned speeeh on the state of the Hawaiian innnersion sehools and advaneed Native Hawaiian edueation. Sen. Ige presented a framed proelamation from legislators eongratulating the Hawaiian innnersion sehools on their sueeess. Malina-Wright, the viee prineipal of Ke Kula Kaiapuni 'o Ānuenue, said graduates from the

immersion presehools are earning palapala from the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Hilo, Chaminade and Hawai'i Paeifie universities, "and they are all eoming baek now to heeome teaehers and hopefully administrators in innnersion sehools." "We now have over 1,600 students speaking the language," she said. "We need to go to 100,000 people speaking the language, not only Hawaiian ehildren or Hawaiian families, but all ethnie nationalities." Ka Papahana Kaiapuni Hawai'i plans a Sunset on the Beaeh event to honor O'ahu innnersion sehools on Mareh 15 and 16 at Queen's Surf Beaeh in Waikīkī. Hawaiian musie starts at 5 p.m., with food booths and movies. Lor more infonnation, www.eolamau.org. A gallery of photos from the event may be viewed at http://url tea.com/2pgf I

- HO'ONA'AUAO • EDUCAĪION

As part of the 20th year celebration, Ua hīmeni nō haumōna a me nō kumu i ka mele 'o Hawai'i Pono'i. - Pholo: Blaine Fergerstrom