Synopsis: Was the Hawaiian language banned or not? Were children punished for speaking Hawaiian at home?

———

Aloha mai e nā makamaka heluhelu, ‘elua nīnau i kupu a’e ma hope o ka heluhelu ‘ana i kekahi mau ‘ōlelo ma kahi waiho mana’o o lalo o Kauakūkalahale o kekahi pule i hala.

‘O kekahi nīnau, ‘o ia ka nīnau e kau a’ela ma luna, “Ua pāpā ‘ia paha ka ‘ōlelo Hawai’i, ‘a’ole paha?” a ‘o ka lua o ka nīnau, penei ia, “Ua ho’opa’i ‘ia nā keiki no ke kama’ilio ‘ana ma ka ‘ōlelo Hawai’i ma ka hale?”

‘O ka nīnau mua, he maika’i nō paha, ‘oiai, lohe ‘ia kahi waha ko’u ma ‘ō a ma ‘ane’i o ka ‘āina e hō’ike ana, ‘a’ole i pāpā ‘ia ka ‘ōlelo Hawai’i ma kēia pae ‘āina. Ua pololei paha? Eia mai ke kānāwai i kau i ka makahiki 1896 e like me ia i kākau ‘ia ma ka Nūpepa Kū’oko’a:

Kanawai 57. Pauku 30. O ka olelo Beretania no ka mea e a’o ia ai iloko o na kula Aupuni a me na kula kuokoa apau, eia nae, ma na wahi i makemakeia ae e a’o ia kekahi olelo e ae mawaho ae o ka Olelo Beretania, ua hiki no e hoomanaia ia a’o ana e ka Oihana mamuli o kona mau rula ponoi, na rula paha o ke kula, a i ole ia, mamuli o ke kauoha maoli ana pela. O kekahi mau kula i hooko ole e like me na mea i hoakakaia ma keia Pauku aole no lakou e ikeia a hoomaopopoia paha e ka Oihana.

I ka heluhelu ‘ana aku o ko ‘oukou mea kākau i ia paukū, ua mōakāka nō, ua pāpā ‘ia, ‘a’ole ‘o ka ‘ōlelo Hawai’i ka ‘ōlelo e a’o ‘ia ai nā papa ma nā kula aupuni. ‘O ka ‘ōlelo Beretania nō ka ‘ōlelo o nā kula. Ua pāpā ‘ia ka ‘ōlelo Hawai’i? ‘Ae, ua pāpā ‘ia iho nō, ma nā kula na’e. He mea iki ia? ‘A’ole loa.

Ua nui nā mo’olelo i lohe ‘ia mai nā kūpuna mai no ko lākou ho’opa’i ‘ia ‘ana aku e ke kumu kula ma muli o ko lākou ‘ōlelo ‘ana i ka ‘ōlelo makuahine a lākou, ‘o ia ho’i ka ‘ōlelo Hawai’i a i ‘ole ia, no ka hiki ‘ole ‘ana iā lākou ke ‘ōlelo haole ma hope mai o ia kānāwai.

‘O kekahi mau ho’opa’i, ‘o ke pa’i ‘ia o ke po’o, ‘o ke kākau i 500 laina, “’a’ole au e ‘ōlelo Hawai’i ma ke kula,” ‘o ka ho’oku’u ‘ole ‘ia e hele i ka lumi ho’opau pilikia a ‘o ka hopena o ka pulu o ka lole, a he nui hou aku nā ho’opa’i. Akā, ‘o kahi mea nui i maopopo, i ia manawa (ma hope o ia kānāwai), e kama’ilio ‘ia aku ana nō ka ‘ōlelo Hawai’i i nā keiki ma ka hale. Pehea e maopopo ai? ‘O ia ka ‘ōlelo a ia mau keiki e kama’ilio ana a ‘o ka mea ho’i ia i kau ai ka ho’opa’i ma luna o lākou.

A pehea, e nā makamaka heluhelu, ua ho’opa’i ‘ia aku nā keiki no ke kama’ilio Hawai’i ‘ana aku ma ka hale?

‘A’ole nō i lohe ko ‘oukou mea kākau i ia ‘ano mo’olelo, a no laila ke kuhi ‘ia nei, ‘a’ole pēlā. ‘O ka mea i lohe ‘ia, ma hope loa mai, ‘o kekahi mau kūpuna paha i ho’opa’i ‘ia,’a’ole lākou i a’o i kā lākou mau keiki a mo’opuna paha i ka ‘ōlelo Hawai’i. ‘

Auhea ‘oukou e nā makamaka heluhelu, inā ua ‘ike a lohe paha i kahi mo’olelo no ke keiki i ho’opa’i ‘ia no ka ‘ōlelo Hawai’i ‘ana ma kahi noho, e hō’ike mai.

‘A’ole no ke kāpili ‘ana aku i ka hewa ma luna o lākou, akā, no ka ‘ike ‘ana aku i ka mana o ia kānāwai.

———

This column is coordinated by Kawaihuelani Center for Hawaiian Language at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa.