Synopsis: The number of Hawaiian language newspapers, blogs and articles has grown in recent years. The writers have primarily been trained to follow a UH canon that is based on the opinions of certain teachers. Are their publications truly reflective of the language of speakers in the Hawaiian-speaking community?
Aloha mai kākou, e nā hoa heluhelu mai ka pi‘ina a ka lā i Ha‘eha‘e ā ka welona a ka lā i Lehua! He leo aloha wale kēia mai kahi kupa o Wahiawā. Ma mua o ke kūkākūkā ‘ana no ke kumuhana o kēia ‘atikala, makemake wale au e ho‘omaika‘i aku i nā haumāna a pau e puka ana mai ke kula. ‘Oiai he wā kēia no ka ho‘omalu ‘ana i mea e pakele ai i ka ma‘i, ‘a‘ohe nō a he mea nāna e ālai i ka laha ‘ana o ke aloha mai ia pae aku a i ia pae aku o Hawai‘i. Mahalo a nui no kā ‘oukou hana nui, a he keu ho‘i nā hana a nā haumāna kaiapuni. E ola ka ‘ōlelo Hawai‘i!
No laila, ‘o ke kumuhana o kēia ‘atikala, he kumuhana paha ia e mokuāhana ai ke kaiāulu ‘ōlelo Hawai‘i. Aka, he mea ia e ‘ike ‘ia nei ma ke ākea. Pili kēia ‘atikala i ka pae o ka ‘ōlelo e ho‘opuka ‘ia nei ma nā ‘ano mea like ‘ole, ‘o ka nūpepa ‘oe, ‘o ka mo‘omana‘o ‘oe, a pēlā wale aku. Nani loa ke kupu ‘ana mai o nā kīpuka leo, akā, no wai lā ia mau wahi? ‘A‘ole paha no nā kānaka a pau.
Ke kele ‘oe ma ka pūnaewele, a ‘ike i kekahi mea pili i ka ‘ōlelo Hawai‘i, a kaomi ‘oe i ka loulou, he aha kāu e ‘ike ai? Hiki nō paha iā ‘oe ke ho‘omaopopo? ‘O ka nui o nā mea kākau, ua hele lākou i ke kulanui. A, he pilikia kēia no ka po‘e e a‘o mai nei, a me ka po‘e i a‘o mai i ka ‘ōlelo ma waho o ke kulanui. No ke aha? No ka pae ki‘eki‘e loa o ka ‘ōlelo e ho‘ohana ‘ia nei. Ma ke kulanui, a he keu ho‘i ma Mānoa, a‘o ‘ia na ‘ano hi‘ohi‘ona kahiko o ka ‘ōlelo Hawai‘i. I ka mana‘o o kēia mea kākau nei, maika‘i loa kēlā. Akā, he manawa nō e ho‘ohana ai, a he manawa ho‘i e ho‘opuka ai i ke ‘ano ‘ōlelo i ma‘a i ka hapa nui o nā kānaka o ka lehulehu.
I nā ‘atikala a pau a‘u i heluhelu ai, pa‘akikī ka ho‘omaopopo ‘ana. Ke ho‘ohana ‘ia nei nā ‘ano ‘ōlelo i kama‘āina ‘ole i ka hapa nui o ke kaiāulu. Ia‘u i wala‘au ai me kekahi o ko‘u mau hoa, nīnau akula wau, “Pehea, maopopo paha i ko ‘olua ‘ohana nā palapala e puka nei?” ‘Ī maila lāua, “‘A‘ole!” A, i ko‘u nīnau ‘ana iā lāua no ke kumu, pane maila lāua, ma muli ia o ke kama‘āina ‘ole o ke ‘ano o ka ‘ōlelo.
No laila, e ka po‘e heluhelu, he nīnau ka‘u iā ‘oukou. He aha ka waiwai o nā ‘ano waihona like ‘ole, inā ‘a‘ole kākou e ho‘opuka i nā ‘ōlelo i kama‘āina a maopopo ho‘i i nā kānaka o ka lehulehu? Inā he mea kākau ‘oe, a ke kākau nei ‘oe ma ka pae ki‘eki‘e loa o ka ‘ōlelo, he pae kama‘āina ‘ole i ka nui o ko kākou po‘e, no wai lā ‘oe e kākau nei? I ka mana‘o ha‘aha‘a o nei mea kākau, pono kākou e kākau no nā kānaka a pau. Maika‘i ka ‘ike ‘ōlelo. Akā, ‘a‘ohe ona maika‘i inā ‘a‘ole ‘ike ‘ia e ka lehulehu.
No laila, e ku‘u lāhui, e ala mai! E ka po‘e o waho o ke kulanui, e kākau mai! E ho‘opuka mai kākou i ko kākou mau mo‘olelo a mana‘o paha, i ‘ole e hulikua ‘ia ka ‘ōlelo o ka lehulehu. ‘A‘ole pono ‘oe e hele i ke kulanui no ke kākau ‘ana, ‘a‘ole au i hele i ke kulanui. E like me ka ‘ōlelo a nā kūpuna, “E ho‘ā‘o i pau kuhi hewa.”
E ho‘ouna ‘ia mai na ā leka iā māua, ‘o ia ho‘i ‘o Laiana Wong a me Kekeha Solis ma ka pahu leka uila ma lalo nei:
>> kwong@hawaii.edu
>> rsolis@hawaii.edu
a i ‘ole ia, ma ke kelepona:
>> 956-2627 (Laiana)
>> 956-2627 (Kekeha)
This column is coordinated by Kawaihuelani Center for Hawaiian Language at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa.
