Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 40, Number 2, 1 February 2023 — Progress on a Foundation Laid Down by Kūpuna [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Progress on a Foundation Laid Down by Kūpuna

In 1982, the UH Hilo Hawaiian Studies B.A. was approved. The following year, the 'Aha Pūnana Leo was formed. For 40 years these two entities have been partners striving to revitalize the Hawaiian language, lobbying for legal changes and providing resources. By mid 1994, Nāwahīokalaniopu'u school had been established and then in 1998, Ka Haka 'Ula O Ke'elikōlani. These were the first Hawaiian medium middle school, high school and college since Lahainaluna as it was during the Monarchy. From these efforts would grow an integrated Hawaiian language medium system from preschool through to the doctorate that exists today in Hilo. All these resources eame into being in the last part of the 20th century. However, the early 20th century was a period of territorial school persecution of the last native speaker children. When those children heeame kūpuna, they would work to reestablish Hawaiian in the schools. Most of us have heard of the Ka Leo Hawai'i radio program where many kūpuna put out the eall to revitalize the Hawaiian language (https://ulukau.org/ kaniaina). However, not many people may be aware of other activities in whieh kūpuna SEE 40 YEAR ANNI VERSARIES 0N PAGE 7

Ko Hakū 'Ulo 0 Ke'elikōloni Colleae ot UH Hilo offers BA, MA ond PhD programs in Howoiian longuoge and related topics including linguistics, literoture, longuage acquisition, ond indigenous culturol revitolizotion. - Photo: Keiki Kawoioe'o

40 YEAR ANNIVERSARIES Continued from page 6

activists were engaged. One such activity here in Hilo was the Hui Ho'oulu 'Ōlelo Hawai'i, an organization of kūpuna working for language education with Edith Kanaka'ole as their president. Following the strong example of Aunty Edith in support of language and culture revitalization, UH Hilo students petitioned to have a Hawaiian Studies B.A. established here in Hilo. Although the university agreed to seek establishment of such a degree, its leadership was concerned that the degree would ultimately be denied because Aunty Edith and potential language teacher hires lacked graduate degrees. The dean charged with planning the degree contacted me about moving to UH Hilo ffom the state archives in Honolulu. At that time I was one of the few persons with a graduate degree related to the Hawaiian language. After being contacted by the dean, I sought out Aunty Edith to get her decision on whether I should accept the job. She told me to accept. The two of us then decided that I should only accept under certain conditions. One was that Hawaiian Studies would have its own department. The other was that the new Hawaiian Studies Department be operated and taught through Hawaiian as an ofhcial language under the new state constitution. Both ideas were groundbreaking as no Hawaiian area in any university had its own department and English was then the university medium of instruction even for Hawaiian Studies. Aunty Edith and the kūpuna of her generation wanted to revitalize Hawaiian as it had existed in schools attended by their parents and grandparents during the monarchy. They were intensely involved in establishing policies and in teaching in the classrooms here at UH Hilo. They are the foundation from whieh was built the various programs that we have today. Nui ka mahalo 'ia o lākou! ■