LIHU‘E — The welcoming of the Chinese Year of the Dragon, the Kaua‘i Quilt Show and the Ola Ka ‘i Kaua‘i-Ni‘ihau event and more filled Kukui Grove Center with celebrant people on Saturday.
“This is more people than I’ve seen in a long time,” said Brenda Turville Biehler of Showtime Characters that offer regular seasonal events at Kukui Grove. “We had Hello Kitty at the Valentine hale throughout the morning.”
Connected by ‘Olelo Hawai‘i, recognized as the official language of the Hawaiians, Ola Ka‘i celebrated ‘olelo Hawai‘i with a series of entertainment, speech presentations, games, ho‘ike himeni, or musical presentations, and exhibits about things Hawai‘i as a part of a statewide celebration, Ola Ka ‘i happening in February as Mahina ‘Olelo Hawai‘i, or Hawaiian Language Month.
“We love organizing these kinds of events as Hawai‘inuiakea and ‘Aha Hui ‘Olelo Hawai‘i because we need to hear our language in all different spaces,” said Malia Nobrega-Olivera, the director of Strategic Partnerships and Community Engagement at Hawai‘inuiakea. “That is a part of Kaneokana’s objective of renormalizing ‘olelo Hawai‘i, and that is really a mission for so many of us that are out in our community.”
The Chinese lions, operated by a multi-ethnic crew with Japanese-based instrumentation, blessed the opening of the event, which was presented in part by the University of Hawai‘i Hawai‘inuiakea School of Hawaiian Knowledge.
They then proceeded through the row of Chinese restaurants offering traditional offerings for good fortune in the coming year.
Beverly Gotelli, instructor of the “Hawaiian Applique” hands-on workshop that is part of The Kaua‘i Quilt Show exhibit, interrupted her class to offer li see. The workshop was themed in accordance with the ‘olelo Hawai‘i event taking place at the main stage in the Kukui Grove food court.
“We’re not missing this opportunity,” said Gotelli in the company of her workshop who whipped out their smartphones for pictures.
Julia Diegman of the Forest Birds Recovery Project, one of the many exhibitors, was busy scanning a QR code on the passport through the exhibitors.
“I only know two words — “aloha” and “mahalo,” Diegman said. “This QR code will teach me more words. Don’t leave, yet. I want to practice.”
Jean Souza, the on-site manager for Kaua‘i Ocean Discovery, not only secured additional Hawaiian language books for the KOD audience, she learned about the relationships of a healthy forest and the ocean.
“As a member of this hui of Native Hawaiian organizations, Kamehameha Schools is honored to help to host the first Ola Ka ‘i Kaua‘i-Ni‘ihau,” said Manuwai Peters, senior project manager with Kamehameha Schools’ Kealaiwikuamo‘o.
“These events help bring to fruition a future where you can go to places like a shopping center and ‘olelo Hawai‘i — and people you encounter in these places speak back to you in ‘olelo Hawai‘i.”
