Â鶹´«Ã½

Socializing strictly in ?¨­lelo Hawai?i focus of Â鶹´«Ã½²Ñ¨¡²Ô´Ç²¹ gathering

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A group of people sitting outside
L¨¡ Launa P¨± is held each semester at Â鶹´«Ã½²Ñ¨¡²Ô´Ç²¹.

ʻŌlelo Â鶹´«Ã½ (Hawaiian language) students, faculty and staff gathered on the Maile Way lawn near Spalding Hall at the University of Â鶹´«Ã½ at ²Ñ¨¡²Ô´Ç²¹ on February 10 to speak solely in Â鶹´«Ã½¡¯s native tongue. The bi-annual event, L¨¡ Launa P¨± is organized by the UH ²Ñ¨¡²Ô´Ç²¹ , a part of to encourage students (haum¨¡na) to engage in more conversations in Hawaiian to help them retain the language.

Two people performing hula
Hula and music filled the air at the ʻōlelo Â鶹´«Ã½ gathering.

“ʻO ka mākia o Kawaihuelani, ʻo ia nō ʻo ʻI pono nā mamo a Hāloa.¡¯ No laila, ʻo ia nō ka pahuhopu o kēia hanana ʻo ka Lā Launa Pū. ʻO ka manaʻolana, e lohe ʻia ka ʻōlelo Â鶹´«Ã½ ma ke kula nui, ma ke kai¨¡ulu, ma ko Â鶹´«Ã½ paeʻāina a puni ka honua! M¨¡lama ʻia k¨¥ia l¨¡ i hiki ai i n¨¡ haum¨¡na ʻōlelo Â鶹´«Ã½ ke launa p¨± me n¨¡ hoa papa, n¨¡ kumu a me n¨¡ limahana ma o ka ʻōlelo Â鶹´«Ã½, ʻo ia hoʻi ka ʻōlelo makuahine o k¨¥ia ʻāina o Â鶹´«Ã½ nei. (Kawaihuelani¡¯s motto is ‘I pono n¨¡ mamo a H¨¡loa’ so that is the goal of this event ‘L¨¡ Launa P¨±.’ Our hope is to have ʻōlelo Â鶹´«Ã½ heard at the university, in the community, around Â鶹´«Ã½ and the world. The event is held each semester so that Hawaiian language students can socialize with their classmates, teachers and staff in ʻōlelo Â鶹´«Ã½, the language of this ʻāina, Â鶹´«Ã½),” said Kainoa Wong, a kumu (teacher) at Kawaihuelani who organized the event.

Three people playing a game outside
Haum¨¡na play ulu maika, a traditional game similar to bowling.
A group of children singing outside
P¨±nana Leo o ²Ñ¨¡²Ô´Ç²¹ students perform mele (songs).

Wong has taught ʻōlelo Â鶹´«Ã½ on the ²Ñ¨¡²Ô´Ç²¹ campus for the last 17 years and has seen an increase in the number of haum¨¡na interested in learning the once nearly extinct language. The first Hawaiian language courses were offered at UH ²Ñ¨¡²Ô´Ç²¹ in 1922.

The event featured food, kanikapila (music) and traditional Native Hawaiian games to celebrate Makahiki (traditional Hawaiian observance marking time of year for harvest and peace). Attendees played ancient pāʻani makahiki (makahiki games) such as the stone rolling game ulu maika, and hukihuki, a form of tug of war.

Preschool-age haum¨¡na from P¨±nana Leo o ²Ñ¨¡²Ô´Ç²¹ were among Hawaiian language speakers of all ages who also participated in the day¡¯s events.

“He mea nui ka ʻōlelo no kekahi l¨¡hui. Hauʻoli nō au i ka lohe ʻana i ka ʻōlelo Â鶹´«Ã½ ma n¨¡ wahi like ʻole a me ka ʻike ʻana i ka haʻaheo o nā haumāna e hoʻomau ana i nā mea Â鶹´«Ã½. (The language of a people is vital. I¡¯m so happy to hear ʻōlelo Â鶹´«Ã½ all over and to see the pride that the students have who are perpetuating our language and culture),” Wong said.

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