Synopsis: Can an event or a program in Hawai’i be “too Hawaiian”?

Welina e nā makamaka heluhelu, ua ‘ike ‘ē ‘ia paha ia ‘ōlelo e kau a’ela i luna i po’o mana’o, ‘o ia ho’i, ‘o Hawai’i no ka Hawai’i. He ‘ōlelo ia i ‘ike ‘ia ma nā nūpepa kahiko. A ‘o kahi nīnau, he aha lā ka mana’o o ia ‘ōlelo? Eia mai kekahi wehewehe ‘ana i pa’i ‘ia ma ka Nupepa Kuokoa o ka lā 10 o Malaki o ka makahiki 1866. Penei ia,

“He mea ia i ike maopopo ia o ko ka Moi makemake a hauoli nui no hoi, o ka hoonoho i na kanaka Hawaii ma na oihana o Kona Aupuni, ma na hana hoi e hiki pono ana i ua mau kanaka Hawaii la ke hana; ua hoike mai oia ia mea, ma Kana mau hana iloko o ke kau pokole ana i Lei iho nei i ka Leialii o kona mau Kupuna, me he mea la o kekahi o na mea ana e makemake nui loa nei i keia manawa, o ka ike i kona mau alii, a me kona poe kanaka e ku mai ana iluna, a hoike mai i ko lakou hiki ke lawelawe i na oihana o ko lakou Aupuni iho.”

‘O ka makahiki 1966 ia, a no laila, ‘o ka Mō’ī i ia manawa, ‘o Kamehameha V nō ia, ‘o ia ho’i, ‘o Kapuāiwa. A he mau ‘ōlelo ia e mahalo nui ‘ia a kau aku i nā mamo, no ka mea, he ‘ōlelo ia e hō’ike mai ana ē e nānā mua ‘ia nā ‘ulu i ke alo, i ‘ole e hala.

‘O kekahi mea nui paha o ia ‘ōlelo, ‘o Hawai’i no ka Hawai’i, he ‘ōlelo ia e hō’ike ana, ‘oiai, ‘o Hawai’i nō kēia, he mea kūpono ka lohe ‘ia ‘ana o ka ‘ōlelo Hawai’i, ke oli Hawai’i a pēlā aku a me ka ‘ike ‘ana i nā mea Hawai’i.

He mea minamina, i ka makahiki nei i hala, ua lohe ko ‘oukou mea kākau i kekahi limahana o kekahi ke’ena o ke Kulanui o Hawai’i i ka ‘ōlelo ‘ana, ‘oiai, e oli ana kekahi kanaka ma kekahi ‘aha, ‘a’ole e oli aku kekahi kanaka ma ia ‘aha ho’okahi nō, no ka mea, he nui loa ana nā mea Hawai’i ma ia ‘aha. E hopohopo ana ia limahana o kū loa ia ‘aha i ke ‘ano Hawai’i. Pehea lā ia ‘ano no’ono’o ‘ana? Ua poina paha ua limahana lā i kona wahi e noho nei? ‘O Hawai’i nō ia! A no laila nō e kau a’ela ia po’o mana’o o kēia lā, ‘o ia ho’i, ‘o Hawai’i no ka Hawai’i.

‘Eā, inā e mana’o ana paha kekahi, ua ‘aikena paha i ka Hawai’i a i nā mea Hawai’i paha, e ha’alele mai ia kanaka iā Hawai’i nei. ‘Auhea ‘oukou, ‘a’ole kēia he ‘ōlelo ho’okae, akā he ‘ōlelo kēia e ho’omaopopo ana, ‘a’ole e kāpae wale ‘ia aku ka lāhui nona ka ‘āina. ‘O Iāpana no ke Kepanī. ‘O Kina no ka Pākē. ‘O Aotearoa no ka Maori. A pēlā aku.

‘O kekahi mea minamina i lohe ‘ia, ‘o ia ka ha’alele ‘ana iho nei o Billy V lāua ‘o Mele Apana i ke kahua lekiō ‘o KINE. ‘A’ole i maopopo ko lāua kumu i ha’alele ai, ‘oiai, he maika’i wale kā lāua hana e nanea ai nā kãnaka ma ke kakahiaka. Hū ka ‘aka a ko ‘oukou mea kākau ke lohe aku iā lāua. ‘A’ole i maopopo inā ma muli o ko lāua kū loa ‘ana i ke ‘ano Hawai’i lāua i kāpae ‘ia ai. Aloha nō, akā, na ka ‘eleu mikimiki ka lawe lilo, a no laila, e nā kahua lekiō, e huki aku iā Billy lāua me Mele, a e māhuahua ana nā kānaka ho’olohe.

‘O Hawai’i kēia, ‘a’ole e kāpae wale ‘ia ka Hawai’i a me nā mea Hawai’i paha.

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.