Synopsis: Was the Hawaiian language banned or not? Were children punished for speaking Hawaiian at home? Aloha mai e nä makamaka heluhelu, ‘elua nïnau i kupu a‘e ma hope o ka heluhelu ‘ana i kekahi mau ‘ölelo ma kahi waiho
Synopsis: Was the Hawaiian language banned or not? Were children punished for speaking Hawaiian at home?
Aloha mai e nä makamaka heluhelu, ‘elua nïnau i kupu a‘e ma hope o ka heluhelu ‘ana i kekahi mau ‘ölelo ma kahi waiho mana‘o o lalo o Kauakükalahale o kekahi pule i hala. ‘O kekahi nïnau, ‘o ia ka nïnau e kau a‘ela ma luna, “Ua päpä ‘ia paha ka ‘ölelo Hawai‘i, ‘a‘ole paha?” a ‘o ka lua o ka nïnau, penei ia, “Ua ho‘opa‘i ‘ia nä keiki no ke kama‘ilio ‘ana ma ka ‘ölelo Hawai‘i ma ka hale?”
‘O ka nïnau mua, he maika‘i nö paha, ‘oiai, lohe ‘ia kahi waha ko‘u ma ‘ö a ma ‘ane‘i o ka ‘äina e hö‘ike ana, ‘a‘ole i päpä ‘ia ka ‘ölelo Hawai‘i ma këia pae ‘äina. Ua pololei paha? Eia mai ke känäwai i kau i ka makahiki 1896 e like me ia i käkau ‘ia ma ka Nüpepa Kü‘oko‘a:
Kanawai 57. Pauku 30. O ka olelo Beretania no ka mea e a’o ia ai iloko o na kula Aupuni a me na kula kuokoa apau, eia nae, ma na wahi i makemakeia ae e a’o ia kekahi olelo e ae mawaho ae o ka Olelo Beretania, ua hiki no e hoomanaia ia a’o ana e ka Oihana mamuli o kona mau rula ponoi, na rula paha o ke kula, a i ole ia, mamuli o ke kauoha maoli ana pela. O kekahi mau kula i hooko ole e like me na mea i hoakakaia ma keia Pauku aole no lakou e ikeia a hoomaopopoia paha e ka Oihana.
I ka heluhelu ‘ana aku o ko ‘oukou mea käkau i ia paukü, ua möakäka nö, ua päpä ‘ia, ‘a‘ole ‘o ka ‘ölelo Hawai‘i ka ‘ölelo e a‘o ‘ia ai nä papa ma nä kula aupuni. ‘O ka ‘ölelo Beretania nö ka ‘ölelo o nä kula. Ua päpä ‘ia ka ‘ölelo Hawai‘i? ‘Ae, ua päpä ‘ia iho nö, ma nä kula na‘e. He mea iki ia? ‘A‘ole loa. Ua nui nä mo‘olelo i lohe ‘ia mai nä küpuna mai no ko läkou ho‘opa‘i ‘ia ‘ana aku e ke kumu kula ma muli o ko läkou ‘ölelo ‘ana i ka ‘ölelo makuahine a läkou, ‘o ia ho‘i ka ‘ölelo Hawai‘i a i ‘ole ia, no ka hiki ‘ole ‘ana iä läkou ke ‘ölelo haole ma hope mai o ia känäwai. ‘O kekahi mau ho‘opa‘i, ‘o ke pa‘i ‘ia o ke po‘o, ‘o ke käkau i 500 laina, “‘a‘ole au e ‘ölelo Hawai‘i ma ke kula,” ‘o ka ho‘oku‘u ‘ole ‘ia e hele i ka lumi ho‘opau pilikia a ‘o ka hopena o ka pulu o ka lole, a he nui hou aku nä ho‘opa‘i. Akä, ‘o kahi mea nui i maopopo, i ia manawa (ma hope o ia känäwai), e kama‘ilio ‘ia aku ana nö ka ‘ölelo Hawai‘i i nä keiki ma ka hale. Pehea e maopopo ai? ‘O ia ka ‘ölelo a ia mau keiki e kama‘ilio ana a ‘o ka mea ho‘i ia i kau ai ka ho‘opa‘i ma luna o läkou.
A pehea, e nä makamaka heluhelu, ua ho‘opa‘i ‘ia aku nä keiki no ke kama‘ilio Hawai‘i ‘ana aku ma ka hale? ‘A‘ole nö i lohe ko ‘oukou mea käkau i ia ‘ano mo‘olelo, a no laila ke kuhi ‘ia nei, ‘a‘ole pëlä. ‘O ka mea i lohe ‘ia, ma hope loa mai, ‘o kekahi mau küpuna paha i ho‘opa‘i ‘ia,‘a‘ole läkou i a‘o i kä läkou mau keiki a mo‘opuna paha i ka ‘ölelo Hawai‘i. ‘Auhea ‘oukou e nä makamaka heluhelu, inä ua ‘ike a lohe paha i kahi mo‘olelo no ke keiki i ho‘opa‘i ‘ia no ka ‘ölelo Hawai‘i ‘ana ma kahi noho, e hö‘ike mai. ‘A‘ole no ke käpili ‘ana aku i ka hewa ma luna o läkou, akä, no ka ‘ike ‘ana aku i ka mana o ia känäwai.
• E ho‘ouna ‘ia mai nä leka iä mäua, ‘o ia ho‘i ‘o Laiana Wong a me Kekeha Solis ma ka pahu leka uila ma lalo nei: kwong@hawaii.edu, rsolis@hawaii.edu
