Synopsis: Many people think that they are free to use Hawaiian words as they wish. This starts to get a bit mercenary when certain words are used to market products. Referring to American Sign Language in Hawai‘i as Hawai‘i Sign Language in order to market it to the HIDOE (Hawai‘i Department of Education) takes this a step too far.

Aloha mai nō kākou e ka po‘e aloha o ka ‘āina, a me kā kākou ‘ōlelo i kupu mai ma luna o ia ‘āina. E noke aku nō kākou i ka paio ‘ana no ka pono. ‘E‘ole ia noke ‘ana, e ho‘i hou mai ke ea o ka ‘āina, a pēia pū ho‘i me ke ea o ka ‘ōlelo. Eia nō mākou ke hāpai nei i kēlā nīnau e kau maila ma luna, ma muli o ka ‘apakau wale ‘ia mai o kā kākou hua, a ka‘a aku ai ke kuleana no ua hua nei i ka po‘e ake kālā a puni hanohano. A ma mua na‘e o ko kākou lu‘u ‘ana i loko o ia kai, e kuhikuhi aku kā ‘oukou mau mea kākau nei i kahi kumuhana i puka mai ma Kauakūkalahale i kēlā pule aku nei. ‘O ia ho‘i, e kani‘uhū ana ka mea kākau o ua ‘atikala nei ma muli o ka ‘apakau ‘ia mai o kauwahi hua Hawai‘i ko‘iko‘i loa, ‘o ia ho‘i, ‘o aloha lāua me mahalo, me ka pono haku wale ‘ana i mau inoa no nā hui kāloa‘a, me ka mahalo ‘ole na‘e i ke ko‘iko‘i o ua mau hua Hawai‘i nei. A pēia nō ho‘i ka hua ‘o “Hawai‘i” e hāpai ‘ia nei i kēia pule.

E like nō me nā lāhui like ‘ole o ka honua nei, he mau po‘e kuli ko ka lāhui Hawai‘i. I loko na‘e o ka haku ‘ia o kauwahi kuhikuhi lima ‘ana e nā ‘ohana Hawai‘i i mea e kama‘ilio ai me kā lākou mau keiki kuli, i kēia mau lā, e ho‘ohana ‘ia ka ASL (American Sign Language) e ka nui o ke kaiāulu kuli Hawai‘i. Mai ka wā kamali‘i mai nō ke kama‘ilio ‘ana ma o ka ASL, me ka po‘e kuli ‘ē a‘e a me ka po‘e i hiki ke lohe. I kēia wā na‘e a kākou e ‘ike nei i ka waiwai o nā mea Hawai‘i, eia kekahi po‘e ke ‘apakau mai nei i ke kuleana e kapa ai i ka ASL ma Hawai‘i nei ‘o ka Hawai‘i Sign Language (HSL). ‘Eā, e ka makamaka, no ke aha e hana ai pēlā? ‘A‘ole ia he ‘ōlelo i kūkulu ‘ia ma luna o ka ‘ōlelo Hawai‘i. Mali‘a, ua mana‘o ia po‘e he ‘āina kū‘oko‘a ‘o Hawai‘i a ua kū‘oko‘a pū me kona ‘ōlelo kuhi lima. Mali‘a paha, he mea hana kālā wale nō.

Eia hou kekahi mau mea ‘āpiki. Inā e kapa ‘ia ka ASL i ka Hawai‘i Sign Language, e kuhihewa ana paha ka lehulehu he ‘ōlelo ia no kēia wahi, ‘o Hawai‘i, ‘a‘ole no ka po‘e Hawai‘i. Eia na‘e he hua Hawai‘i ‘o “Hawai‘i”, a he mea ia nāna e kuhikuhi i nā mea a pau o kēia ‘āina, a pau pū ho‘i me nā kānaka. Inā na‘e e kapa ‘ia ‘o ka Hawaiian Sign Language, e kuhi ana paha ka lehulehu he ‘ōlelo Hawai‘i maoli ia, no ka mea, ua ma‘a lākou i ke kuhikuhi ‘ana i ka lāhui nona ia ‘ōlelo ma o ua hua haole nei, ‘o “Hawaiian”. ‘Eā, ‘a‘ohe pāku‘ina kau hope “-an” ma ka ‘ōlelo Hawai‘i! Eia nō kekahi mea e huikau ai. Inā he ‘ōlelo kuhi lima Hawai‘i maoli ia, no ke aha i kūkulu ‘ole ‘ia ai ma luna o ka ‘ōlelo Hawai‘i? A eia kā ho‘i ka mea ‘āpiki o nā ‘āpiki. Inā he kuhi lima ka hana, no ke aha i kapa ‘ia ai i ka “‘ōlelo”, he mea pili ho‘i i ke alelo?

‘A‘ole nō paha he kapu e pāpā ana i ka hua ‘ōlelo “Hawai‘i” ‘a‘ole e ho‘ohana ‘ia. He aha na‘e ka hewa o ke kapa ‘ana i kēia ‘ano kuhi lima he ASL for the Deaf Community in Hawai‘i? Ua hō‘ike ‘ia a‘ela ma luna ko mākou mana‘o ho‘ohuoi no ke ake kālā a puni hanohano paha, no ka mea, eia ke kū‘ai ‘ia nei kahi papahana a‘o HSL i loko o ka Department of Education. He hana kālā paha ia? He hana manawale‘a paha e kāko‘o ai i ke kaiāulu kuli? Koe aku ia. Na ka hana na‘e ia e hō‘ike mai. Inā e ho‘okē ‘ia ka ‘apakau hua Hawai‘i no ko lākou inoa, ‘o ia nō ka mea e akāka ai.

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:

>> 808-956-2627 (Laiana)

>> 808-956-2627 (Kekeha)

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