Queen Kaʻahumanu Center partners with Luana Kawaʻa to teach Hawaiian language

Queen Ka‘ahumanu Center has partnered with Luana Kawa‘a of Morning Manaʻo to teach Hawaiian language to keiki and ‘ohana.  Held every third Saturday from 10 to 11 a.m., Keiki Club will focus on a new theme each month with curriculum geared to share ‘ōlelo no‘eau (Hawaiian proverbs), Hawaiian vocabulary, and hands-on activities like lei making, ohe kapala, hula, mele (song) and more. 

“I am really excited about this partnership with QKC and their commitment to sharing Hawaiian language and culture,” said Kawa‘a in an event announcement. “Keiki Club is an amazing opportunity to bring ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi to our children and make speaking Hawaiian normal for them. Normalizing ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi means that we hear it and speak it everywhere. My goal is to create opportunities for people to use ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi at whatever level they can – a few words, some short phrases, in conversations.”

Also this month, QKC will be celebrating Hawaiian language month with Luana Kawa‘a of Morning Mana‘o who will share a Hawaiian word and phrase every Monday @QKCMaui.

“Queen Ka‘ahumanu Center is passionate about uplifting our community through commerce and culture,” said Kauwela Bisquera, General Manager of QKC in a news release. “Our keiki are our future and what better way to celebrate Mahina ‘Ōlelo Hawai‘i month than by kickstarting their journey with Hawaiian language and learning about Hawai‘i’s culture than with this free Keiki Club program.”

Luana Kawa‘a is a kumu hula, cultural advisor, and Hawaiian language teacher of more than 30 years. She is also the creator and owner of the Morning Mana‘o brand, a radio series that she formed 10 years ago and eventually turned into a podcast and social media platform during the pandemic. Kumu Luana teaches Hawaiian language and cultural online classes to students and organizations locally, nationally and internationally.

The first Keiki Club will be held on Saturday, Feb. 18 from 10 to 11 a.m. in the Keiki Play Area. Keiki ages 5-12 years old are invited to RSVP with a parent. No previous experience is needed. In addition to the hour-long class, participants will have access to Google classroom to practice with interactive learning tools outside of Keiki Club. 

Here’s a list of the Keiki Club themes for the year.

• Pepeluali (February) – Ka ʻOhana (family)
• Malaki (March) – Nā Helu a me Nā Waihoʻoluʻu (numbers and colors)
• ʻApelila (April) – Ke Kai (ocean)
• Mei (May) – Ka uka (uplands)
• Iune (June) – Ke Kino (body)
• ʻIulai (July) – Ka Hula (hula dancing and history)
• ʻAukake (August) – Nā mea kanu (plants)
• Kepakemapa (September) – Nā holoholona (animals)
• ʻOkakopa (October) – Heleuī (Halloween)
• Nowemapa (November) – Ka Makahiki (celebration)
• Kēkēmapa (December) – Kalikimaka (Christmas)
• Iānuali (January 2023) – Ka ʻalemanka (calendar – months, days of the week, dates)

Sign up at https://queenkaahumanucenter.com/event/keiki-club/.