Ola Ka ʻĪ celebrates Hawaiian language at the Queen Kaʻahumanu Center, Feb. 17

A series of Hawaiian language fairs are happening throughout Hawaiʻi in February as part of Mahina ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi or Hawaiian Language Month. This includes an Ola Ka ʻĪ Maui Nui event at the Queen Kaʻahumanu Shopping Center from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. this coming Saturday.

The Feb. 17 event is led by the University of Hawaiʻi Hawaiʻinuiākea School of Hawaiian Knowledge, Kanaeokana, Kamehameha Schools Kaiāulu and others.

The event features student-led entertainment and storytelling, “make & take” stations, games, shopping opportunities, and informational booths.

A hoʻokūkū haʻi ʻōlelo – a Hawaiian language speech competition for students in grades K-12, will also be held on Feb. 16 at University of Hawaiʻi Maui Campus, with the winners to be recognized and perform the following day during the event at QKC.

A similar event on Kauaʻi earlier this month brought together more than 100 students from Hawaiian language education schools on Kauaʻi, teachers, ʻohana and more than 30 community organizations, according to the University of Hawaiʻi publication UH News.

The Kauaʻi-Niʻihau event showcased ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi through music, hula, storytelling, games, student performances and a Hawaiian language speech competition hosted by ʻAha Hui ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi. Interactive booths featured aloha ʻāina activities for keiki and adults to be immersed in a language rich experience.

“We love organizing these kinds of events as Hawaiʻinuiākea and ʻAha Hui ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi because we need to hear our language in all different spaces,” said Malia Nobrega-Olivera, director of strategic partnerships and community engagement at Hawaiʻinuiākea. “That’s a part of Kanaeokana’s objective of renormalizing ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi and that’s really a mission for so many of us that are out in our community.”

“As a member of this hui of Native Hawaiian organizations, Kamehameha Schools is honored to help to host the first Ola Ka ʻĪ Kauaʻi-Niihau,” said Manuwai Peters, senior project manager with Kamehameha Schoolsʼ Kealaiwikuamoʻo. “These events help bring to fruition a future where you can go to places like a shopping center and ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi—and people you encounter there speak back to you in ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi.”

An Ola Ka ʻĪ ʻEwa event is planned at Ka Makana Aliʻi on the island of Oʻahu on Feb. 24 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

*Supporting information courtesy UH News.