Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 11, Number 4, 1 April 1994 — OHA plans May lanauage conference at Kamehameha Schools [ARTICLE]

OHA plans May lanauage conference at Kamehameha Schools

byJeffClark OHA culture officer Pīkake Pelekai believes, as do many other Hawaiians of like mind, that the Hawaiian Ianguage should be spoken everywhere. In order to find ways to make that happen, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs will hold a Hawaiian language conference May 21-22 at the Kamehameha Schools. The 'aha is open to the public. OHA's culture division earlier this year held a series of statewide hālāwai kūkākūkā (discussion meetings) in preparation for the conference. "The purpose of the language conference and these hālāwai kūkākūkā is to assess where the community is in terms of the language," Pelekai says. "We know the language is alive and well in the schools, but we do not know how the language is faring in the community at large." One eommon thread that emerged from the hālāwai kūkākūkā was that there should be hui kama'ilio - conversation groups - so people ean leam and use Hawaiian in an informal, non-threatening, and non-judgmental environment. Pelekai reports that many of those attending said, "We want

to learn the language, but we don't have the time or the money to go to school. I want to

leam Hawaiian, but not in school; 1 want lo have fun and leam it with my friends." In 1987 OHA held a Hawaiian language conference that involved experts and academicians; in addition. OHA last year provided $50,000 to support two language conferences in whieh Hawaiian was considered in the context of Native American and Pacific Island languages. "OHA has always supported the Hawaiian language. but we have never gotten a handle on what the needs are in the community," Pelekai says. "How ean we create a groundswell of Hawaiian language usage and awareness in the community?" Pelekai asks. She hopes the conference will answer that, as well as these, questions:

• How ean we use technology - mcluding Hawanan computer programs, interactive television and CD-ROM - to help create that groundswell? • What impact on the community is made by the school programs? • How ean hui kama'ilio be started and how ean they be kept going? • How do we make 'ōlelo Hawai'i accessible to everybody? • How ean we convince the movers and the shakers in the business world to buy into Hawaiian language perpetuation?

• The language should be spoken everywhere - how ean we make that happen? The answers to these and other questions will allow OHA to prioritize aspects of an overall plan to perpetuate Hawaiian, Pelekai says, adding that the mana'o will eventually be presented to the education and culture eommiūee of the board of tmstees. Pelekai also hopes the conference will "challenge people to be really creative and find ways to increase the awareness of the Hawaiian language and have it spoken everywhere. It's our language that gives us the insight of who we are, that tells about us, that tells who we are. "It's something to be proud of. It's unique and it's not found in any other plaee. Any other major language. you ean go back to that country and talk all you want. We can't do that here. "We need the support of the non-Hawaiians and the business community, but we as Hawaiians have to take the lead." The 'aha will be held at Kamehameha Schools' Kalama Dining Hall. Participants will be charged $10 to cover meals and conference materials. Call 594-1954 for more information.