Aloha ‘Āina-Placed Ho‘omoana ‘Ōlelo Hawai‘i: A Path to Language Revitalization

Abstract

I ka ʻōlelo ke ola, i ka ʻōlelo ka make (in language there is life, in language there is death). This ʻōlelo noʻeau (wise saying) inextricably links our survival as a people to the survival of our language. Languages convey nuances unique to our own worldviews, cultures, and traditions.Kawaihuelani Center for Hawaiian Language at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and the Hawaiian Language program at the University of Hawaiʻi at Maui are cognizant that language is the carrier of culture and worldview. It is further acknowledged that language cannot be taught in isolation or merely within the confines of a western-style classroom. Thus, both programs seek to incorporate various strategies that contribute toward indigenous language education by creating opportunities for students to study the Hawaiian language via learning environments outside of the traditional language classroom setting.This paper will explore the impact that hoʻomoana ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian immersion camps) have had on increasing the language proficiency of ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian language) students, introducing students to ancestral Kanaka practices, and grooming the next generations of Kānaka to become leaders within the lāhui (Hawaiian nation; Hawaiian community). Furthermore, it will demonstrate how the lessons learned from these language immersion camps intersect with the field of education.