Synopsis: A court case on Maui has brought attention to Hawaiian rights with respect to the domains of language use. Kaleikoa Kaeo has chosen to present his case through the medium of Hawaiian, but the judge has denied his right to do so. As his rights are stripped away, he becomes increasingly invisible; and so do we.
Aloha e ka po’e aloha o ka ‘āina, ka po’e ho’i e kīhēhē wale aku nei i ke au iā Maleka.
I ka Pō’akolu nei, ua ‘ike ‘ia ka hana ‘epa a ka ‘oihana kānāwai. He ‘oihana ia e kū kala’ihi nei ma luna o nēia ‘āina aloha o kākou, ka mea ho’i i kā’ilikū ‘ia e ka lima ‘apakau ‘ānunu o kahi Maleka. A e like me ke kā’ili ‘ia o ka ‘āina, hopu ‘ia maila kekahi keiki aloha o ka ‘āina e kahi ‘ākena o ua Maleka nei, ‘o ia ho’i, ka Moku’āina ‘o Hawai’i. ‘O kona hō’āhewa ‘ia nō ia e kēlā aupuni ho’opunipuni no kauwahi hala mikamina a koikoi ‘ia ‘o ia e hele aku i mua o kahi luna kānāwai o Maui. A i kona kū ‘ana i loko o ka hale ho’okolokolo, kāhāhā, ua kīhēhē wale aku a nalo ho’i i mua pono o ke alo! Kohu mea lā, he pule ho’okalakupua na ke kānāwai o Maleka kona mea i nalo ai.
‘O ka ‘oia’i’o, ua nalo ua keiki nei ma muli o kona koho ‘ana e koikoi i kona pono ma o ka ho’opuka ‘ana i kona mana’o ma o ka ‘ōlelo Hawai’i, he ‘ōlelo kūhelu no Hawai’i nei, a he pono ho’i i ho’omalu ‘ia ma lalo o ke Kumukānāwai o ka Moku’āina ‘o Hawai’i, ma ka ‘atikala XV, māhele 4. Eia na’e, i mua nō ka ‘ulu a hala! Ua noke aku ua luna kānāwai nei e ho’omakapō, a e ho’okuli ho’i, me he mea lā, ‘a’ole hiki iā ia ke ‘ike maka i ua keiki nei o ka ‘āina, a ‘a’ole hiki ke lohe pepeiao i kāna mau ‘ōlelo na’auao.
I ka hopena, ua hō’ole ‘ia ka pono o ua keiki nei, a hō’ole pū ‘ia ho’i me nā pono o kākou a pau. Auē! ‘O ua keiki nei na’e, ua kūpa’a ‘i’o nō ma hope o kona mana’o he pono, a ‘o ka pūhili loa o kahi luna kānāwai, ‘o kona ho’opuka akula nō ia i kekahi palapala e koikoi ana i nā māka’i e hopu i ke keiki. He aha lā ke ‘ano o kahi luna? I loko nō o ke kū ‘ana o ua keiki nei i mua pono ona, ‘ōlelo pololei akula nō ‘o ia iā ia me ka hea ‘ana aku i kona inoa, penei, “I’m going to give you another opportunity Mr. Kaeo to identify yourself.” ‘O ia nō ka wā i pane aku ai ‘o ia ma ka ‘ōlelo Hawai’i me ka hō’ike ‘ana aku ē ‘o ia nō ‘o Samuel Kaleikoa Kaeo. Na wai e ‘ole ka ‘ike i ka inoa o kekekahi kanaka ua kapa pololei ‘ia aku ma o kona inoa pono’ī? Kupanaha!
Eia ho’i ka mea ‘ino loa. Ua ho’oweliweli mai kahi luna kānāwai iā Kaleikoa penei, “Until you speak English Mr. Kaeo, you will be considered not here.” Ua kīhēhē ‘o Kaleikoa no kona noke ‘ana i ka ho’opuka aku i kona mana’o ma o ka ‘ōlelo makuahine o nēia pae’āina. A ma o ua ‘ōlelo lā ‘o ke kīhēhē akula nō ia o kona pono, a me ka pono ho’i o kākou a pau.
Ua puni wale kākou i ke kaena ‘ana a Maleka ē he kaulike kona ‘ano, a ‘a’ohe ona wahi kamawae. Ua like a like ka pono o nā kānaka a pau. Mai nō a puni! Ho’okahi wale nō ‘ōlelo lohe a kēlā luna kānāwai o Maui. No laila, e huki like kākou a ho’opuka aku i ko kākou ‘ōlelo makuahine ma nā wahi a pau!
E ho‘ouna ‘ia mai na ä leka iä mäua, ‘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 Mänoa.
