#Olelo Hawaii

Its latest Hawaiian language production, Puana, was invited to perform this June at the Kia Mau Festival, an international Indigenously-led performing arts festival in Aotearoa (New Zealand). The festival is a premier showcase of Māori, Pacific and Indigenous performing arts. 

Families from Ka ʻIwa Hoʻolaʻi, a hui (group) dedicated to celebrating and normalizing the use of Hawaiian language, traveled to Disneyland, bringing their culture and language with them.

The community is invited to join in celebrating the Mahina ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi, Hawaiian Language Month, at the upcoming event, “ʻŌlelo Under the Stars.” This special evening of live music and Hawaiian language bingo will take place from 5 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 12, at Kalana Pākuʻi O Maui, located at 250 S. High St. in Wailuku.

The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Library is advancing its goal of becoming a Native Hawaiian Place of Learning with the help of a $3.22 million grant from the Mellon Foundation.

A new department and positions for Hawaiian language specialists are opening the doors for the rise of a language that was suppressed for decades.

A Hawaiian immersion program teacher from Molokaʻi sets sail this week as a Science Communication Fellow in a deep ocean exploration expedition with the Ocean Exploration Trust. Gandharva Mahina Hou Ross, a kumu at Molokaʻi High School’s O Hina I Ka Malama program, joins Ocean Exploration Trust’s (OET) expedition to Jarvis Island, in the US Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument, as part of a team of scientists and explorers.

The Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) has filled two more positions on its executive leadership team. Kēhaulani Puʻu began her new role as chief operating officer on July 1, while Kuʻuleianuhea Awo-Chun began serving as director of education and culture-based learning – a newly created position – on June 17.

Voters approved a proposal to establish Maui County as “a bilingual government,” effective July 1, 2024. The charter amendment says the council is authorized to determine by ordinance which type of county documents will “be prepared and made available in both official state languages,” English and ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi, and establishes the Department of ʻŌiwi Resources.

At their June meeting, OHA trustees approved more than $2.7 million in grant awards to 16 community nonprofits that serve Native Hawaiians.

February is Mahina ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi, Hawaiian Language Month, and an opportunity to appreciate the value that the Native Hawaiian language has provided to volcanology, especially in Hawaiʻi nei. 

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.

Hawaiian Historical Society has received $25,000 from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs as part of the Kākoʻo Grant Program awards. This award is intended to strengthen community organizations, like HHS, in order to strategically plan for the future of better serving its Native Hawaiian communities.

The funding received will be utilized to strengthen the general operations of ʻAha Pūnana Leo, Inc., furthering its mission and focusing on the importance of language revitalization.

The Maui Arts & Cultural Center presents a return to Maui of the Hawai‘i International Film Festival (HIFF) with six feature films, a program of six short films, and a showcase of four documentaries. All screenings will take place in the MACC’s McCoy Studio Theater starting Friday, Oct. 27 and concluding Sunday, Oct. 29.

Independent Hawaiian culture and language immersion school Ke Kula ʻO Piʻilani today announced a grant award totaling $77,700 that will support the Native Hawaiian community through the Office of Hawaiian Affairs’ ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi Community Research Grant.

In 1986, Kīʻope Raymond was asked to join the board of the ʻAha Pūnana Leo to found the first private, nonprofit pre-school in Hawaiian language on Maui. There are now three ‘Aha Pūnana Leo schools on Maui and pathways enabling Hawaiian immersion language students to receive instruction and graduate from Lahainaluna, Hāna, and King Kekaulike high schools. Maui Now writer Gary Kubota interviewed Raymond as part of this People of Maui series.

Since ‘Aha Pūnana Leo started 40 years ago in 1983, its founders and board of directors have demonstrated a vision of “E Ola Ka ‘Ōlelo Hawai‘i” (the Hawaiian language shall live on) to lay a foundation for school systems and communities to carry out their everyday life in ‘ōlelo Hawai‘i. 

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. 

The National Park Service is recruiting one teacher to create a guided field trip in ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian language) for fourth graders.

Haleakalā National Park has developed new educational materials in ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian language) for Hawaiian immersion fourth grade students. The virtual materials are available to teachers anywhere to inspire Grade 4 haumāna (students) to mālama ʻāina (steward the land).