Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 37, Number 1, 1 Ianuali 2020 — NORMALIZING 'ŌLELO HAWAI'I [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

NORMALIZING 'ŌLELO HAWAI'I

HO'ONA'AUAO | EDUCATION

The Hawaiian language movement continues to gain momentum, with students from Hawaiian language immersion schools increasingly participating and competing at a high level in inter-scholastic academic activities and competitions using olelo Hawai'i. Two recent examples were the Hawai'i Council for the Humanities' History Day and the Hawai'i State Science and Engineering Fair sponsored by the Hawai'i Academy of Science, both held in April 2019. Hawai'i History Day is the culmination of a year-long history education program that promotes a theme-based, research-centered model for history and civics education. Students present their projects as an exhibit, performance, documentary, paper or website project. OHA was a sponsor for the event and also awarded two haumōna (students) with OHA's Award for Outstanding Research and Presentation in Hawaiian Language. Both recipients were from Ka 'Umeke Kō'eo PCS.

I At the State Science and Engineering Fair, four kula kaiapuni haumōna qualified to participate with projects researched and presented entirely in Hawaiian. OHA officials, along with Senatorj. Kalani English, presented the haumōna (representing Kula Kaiapuni 'O Anuenue and Pū ohala) with Certificates of

Recognition at the Fair's Awards Ceremony. OHA staff also supported the event by serving as Hawaiian language judges and translators. Then CEO Kamana'opono Crabbe commented, "Hawaiian is now occupying spaces historically reserved only for English. The broader community is beginning to recognize what Native Hawaiians have always known: that olelo Hawai'i is viable in school, government and business, and everything in between." Hawai'i's public education system was established in 1840. For half a century, keiki learned to read and write, perform mathematics, study history and think critically in Hawaiian. In the 19th century, the literacy rate of Native Hawaiians exceeded 90% making Hawai'i the most literate nation in the world. Hawaiian language newspapers abounded and were filled with lively discourse as readers opined and debated on subjects ranging from history to poetry to politics. After the 1893 overthrow, Hawaiian language education was banned. Through the first half of the 20th century, children were punished for speaking Hawaiian at school, and so the language languished until only a tiny handful of mostly elderly Hawaiian speakers remained. When Hawaiian was affirmed by voters as a "co-official language" of Hawai'i during the 1978 Constitutional Convention it reinvigorated the Hawaiian community. In 1987, the first DOE Hawaiian Language lmmersion Programs opened at Waiau elementary in Pearl City, and at Keaukaha elementary in Hilo. Today, there are 18 kula kaiapuni in the DOE, another 6 Hawaiian lmmersion Public Charter Schools, and nearly 20,000 people now speak Hawaiian fluently.

Photo: Kaleena Patcho