Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 40, Number 2, 1 February 2023 — He “Toolkit” no ka 'Oihana Ho'okipa A “Toolkit” for the Visitor Industry [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

He “Toolkit” no ka 'Oihana Ho'okipa A “Toolkit” for the Visitor Industry

V LAMAKU HO'OKIPA ^ A BEACON OF HOSPITALITY

Na Mālia Sanders

He waihona nā olelo 'ōiwi . o ke ao A

no ka mauli, ka mo'omeheu, nā hana ku'una, a me nā hana e ili ana mai kēlā hanauna i kēia

hanauna. 'O ka 'olelo a ka oiwi ka mea e mōakāka

mai ai ka 'ike kūikawā. 'O ka olelo Hawai'i ka olelo oiwi o Hawai'i i lawe 'ia mai e nā kānaka mua loa i hō'ea mai no Polenesia mai, me kona ulu pū 'ana me ka mo'omeheu Hawai'i a loa'a mai ka olelo Hawai'i a kākou e lohe pepeiao nei. Ma ka holo o nā makahiki, nui ka po'e ho'ohihi i ko kākou aina, 'o ka hemahema nō na'e o ka 'ike, ka pela, ka puana, a hō'ailona kekahi mau la'ana e 'ike 'ia ai ka hāpai kūpono 'ole 'ia o ka olelo Hawai'i. No kekahi, he no'ono'o 'ia paha he mea li'ili'i wale nō, he mea nō na'e kēia e ulu ana a nui e pā ai ko Hawai'i nānā 'ia a pēlā pū ka mo'omeheu a olelo. Ho'opuka 'ia na ko NaHHA (Native Hawaiian Hospitality Association) ka "Ma'ema'e Toolkit" no ka 'oihana ho'okipa i kēlā me kēia makahiki e ho'ona'auao ai ma ka 'ike, olelo kōkua, mana'o alaka'i, a pēlā pū nā loulou i mea e kūkā 'oia'i'o ai no Hawai'i, ka mo'omeheu Hawai'i, a me ka olelo Hawai'i. I mea e ō mau ai ka olelo Hawai'i, he mea nui ko kēlā me kēia 'auamo 'ana i kona kuleana ma ka hāpai 'ana i ka olelo Hawai'i me ka hō'ihi. E pela a hō'ike kūpono 'ia ka olelo Hawai'i ma ka 'okina a kahakō. E 'imi aku nō i ka hoa olelo Hawai'i mākaukau e ō ai ka olelo ola o ko kākou 'āina. ■

The world's indigenous languages are repositories for identity, cultural history, community traditions and generational memory. A native people's language is the key to unlocking unique !ystems of knowledge and

understanding. 'Olelo Hawai'i (Hawaiian lan-

guage; is the native language of Hawai'i, brought by the first people to arrive from our ancestral homelands of Polynesia and evolved alongside the Hawaiian culture into the nuanced and multi-layered olelo Hawai'i we know today. Over the years, many have fallen in love with our home, however incorrect information, spelling errors, mispronunciation and inappropriate imagery are just a few examples of ways that Hawaiian language and culture are not appropriately represented. Though they may seem like harmless or unintentional mistakes, the aggregate effect of these errors dilutes the sense of plaee of Hawai'i and harms Hawai'i as well as the rich culture and language of our people. The Native Hawaiian Hospitality Association (NaHHA) produces the "Ma'ema'e Toolkit" for the visitor industry on an annual cycle to educate and share information, tips, guidelines and links in order to authentically talk about and represent Hawai'i, Hawaiian culture and Hawaiian language. To ensure the continued survival of olelo Hawai'i, it is critical that we all do our part to accurately and respectfully portray the Hawaiian language. Use proper spelling and correct presentation. Please seek a vetted Hawaiian language resource to ensure the living language of our land continues to be respected and protected. ■ Mālia Sanders is the executive director of the Native Hawaiian Hospitality Association (NaHHA). Working to better connect the Hawaiian community to the visitor industry, NaHHA supports the people who provide authentic experiences to Hawai'i's visitors. For more information go to www.nahha.com Follow NaHHA on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter @nahha808 and @kuhikuhi808.