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>>ALOHA AND WELCOME TO INSIGHTS ON PBS HAWAI'I.
I'M MAHEALANI RICHARDSON. THE HAWAIIAN RENAISSANCE OF
THE 1970'S REVITALIZED THE INDIGENOUS LANGUAGE AND
SPURRED THE STATE TO MAKE HAWAIIAN AN OFFICIAL
LANGUAGE ALONG WITH ENGLISH. MORE THAN 3 DECADES LATER,
THE NUMBER OF HAWAIIAN LANGUAGE SPEAKERS CONTINUES
TO GROW. TODAY, HAWAIIAN LANGUAGE IS USED
PREDOMINANTLY THROUGHOUT THE STATE IN EVERYTHING FROM
STREET SIGNS TO AIRPORT ANNOUNCEMENTS, AS WELL AS IN
CLASSROOMS AND PRESCHOOL THROUGH COLLEGE. WHAT ROLE
DOES THE HAWAIIAN LANGUAGE PLAY IN OUR STATE. INVITE
YOU TO JOE BIDEN OUR CONVERSATION, BY CALLING
E-MAILING OR TWEETING YOUR QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS. TO
OUR GUESTS. PUAKEA NOGELMEIER IS HAWAIIAN
LANGUAGE PROFESSOR AT THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAI'I MANOA.
HE IS ALSO A HOKU AWARD WINNING SONG WRITER AND KUMU
HULA. SNOWBIRD BENTO IS KUMU HULA FOR KA PA HULA O
L` KA LEI LEHUA AND EDUCATOR AT KAMEHAMEHA SCHOOLS
KAPALAMA SNOWBIRD WAS RUNNER UP FOR MISS ALOHA HULA AT
THE MERRIE MONARCH FESTIVAL IN 2001. KALEHUA KRUG IS AN
ASSISTANT SPECIALIST AT THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAI'I MANOA
COLLEGE OF EDUCATION. PREPARING HAWAIIANS TO GO
INTO THEIR COMMUNITIES TO BECOME EDUCATORS. ALSO A
COMPOSER WHO HAS WRITTEN FOR HI'IKUA, AMY HANAIALI'I
GILLIOM AND REICHEL. BEING ONE. FIRST TO RECEIVE
MASTER'S AND DOCTORATE DEGREES IN HAWAIIAN
LANGUAGE. HIAPO DEVELOPED COURSES ON LITERATURE,
COURSES ON HAWAIIAN LITERATURE ANALYSIS,
ADVANCED HAWAIIAN LITERATURE AND RESEARCH AND PERFORMANCE
OF TRADITIONAL HAWAIIAN OR STORY. HAS THERE BEEN A
RESURGENCE IN THE HAWAIIAN LANGUAGE?
>> I THINK THE SEEDS THAT ARE PLANTED FOR THE LAST 30,
40 YEARS, ARE STARTING TO BEAR MORE TRUTH IN SOME
WAYS. THEY'RE STILL A LOT OF PLANTING TO BE DONE.
WE'RE ON THE THIRD GENERATION OF KIDS, SO IN
SOME WAYS, WE'RE SPANNING THROUGH A SEA OF SPEAKERS.
IN SOME WAYS, SHOWERING DOWN A BIT. WHAT I RECOGNIZE IN
THE KIDS BEING RAISED TODAY IT'S SO NORMAL FOR THEM THAT
THEY DON'T HAVE THE SORT OF URGENCY THAT THEIR PARENTS
AND THEIR PREDECESSORS DID HAVE. THERE WAS A REAL
SENSE OF PEOPLE BEING ENGAGED TO SAVE SOMETHING
THAT COULD SLIDE AWAY. AND I DON'T THINK MOST OF THE
KIDS TODAY HAVE THAT SAME FLAVOR. MAYBE THAT'S A
GREAT THING. MAYBE THEY SHOULDN'T BE FEARFUL OF IT.
SHOULD BE NORMALIZED. >> YOUR KIDS ARE IMMERSION
SCHOOLEDS. YOUR KIDS ARE TOO. HOW DO YOU THINK THEIR
EDUCATION IS DIFFERENT COMPARED TO SOME OF THE
FIRST EARLY ONES OF 30 YEARS AGO IN IMMERSION SCHOOLS.
>> I THINK GOOD BENEFITS OF EXPERIENCE. RIGHT NOW, FROM
THE EARLY STAGES OF THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM, I THINK
IT'S BRANCHING OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY. THEY END UP WITH
HAWAIIAN LANGUAGE BEING A LIFESTYLE. HAWAIIAN
LANGUAGE CULTURE BEING A LIFESTYLE. I'M GOING TO
ALSO SAY THAT IN MY HOME, I TRY TO INSTILL BOTH, THAT
EVEN THOUGH YOU'RE RAISED THIS WAY, OR YOU'RE RAISED
SPEAKING HAWAIIAN, THERE IS STILL AN URGENCY SO I TRY
AND FIX THE TWO TOGETHER SO THAT THERE IS STILL
MOTIVATION AND THEY UNDERSTAND STILL MUCH TO DO.
>> SPEAK HAWAIIAN. THAT'S THE LANGUAGE THAT WE
COMMUNICATE IN AT HOME. IN THE COMMUNITY, THAT'S HOW
OUR DAUGHTERS SPEAK ENGLISH. OUR FAMILIES, TV, OR ANY
THEY GIVE THEM THEIR FIRST -- YOU REALLY COULDN'T
TELL. THEY'RE NOT SO DIFFERENT FROM OTHER
CHILDREN. THEY PICK IT UP SO FAST. AS PARENTS WE NEED
TO BE ON THE STICK TO GIVE THEM THE GREATEST AMOUNT OF
HAWAIIAN THAT WE CAN AND VARIETY OF LANGUAGE THAT WE
CAN SO THAT AS PUAKEA WAS MENTIONING, THEY GROW UP IN
A NORMALIZED WAY, BUT WITH A BROADER PALLET OF COLOR FOR
THEIR LANGUAGE USE IN EVERY DAY LIFE.
>>MAHEALANI: HAS ANYONE OF ASKED YOU HOW DO YOUR KIDS
SURVIVE IN AN ENGLISH SPEAKING WORLD? HOW CAN
THEY SURVIVE LET'S SAY ONCE THEY GROW UP TO BE ADULTS IN
THE BUSINESS WORLD? >> A LOT OF THE ENGLISH
SPEAKING CHILDREN, IT'S THE EXACT SAME THING. IF
ANYTHING, IT'S A HUGE PLUS TO HAVE, TO BE ABLE TO LOOK
AT THE WORLD THROUGH THE PERSPECTIVE THAT YOUR
LANGUAGE AFFORDS YOU. IT'S A HUGE PLUS FOR THEM. THEY
CAN JUMP BACK AND FORTH AT ANY TIME THEY WANT TO. FOR
US TO BELIEVE IN OUR CHILDREN, OR MAYBE THE
OPPOSITE OF THAT, FOR US TO THINK THAT OUR CHILDREN ARE
LESS THAN MAYBE CAN'T DO IT IF THEY GO TO HAWAIIAN, I
THINK IS HORRIBLE. OUR CHILDREN ARE BRILLIANT AND
WE NEED TO BELIEVE THAT THEY'RE BRILLIANT.
THEY CAN DO ANYTHING. >>MAHEALANI: SNOWBIRD, HOW
DID YOU BECOME FLUENT IN HAWAIIAN?
>> I GUESS IT WOULD START WITH HEARING MY TUTU LADY
AND HER SISTERS AND THE FAMILY SPEAKING IN HAWAIIAN.
I WAS RAISED BY MY GRANDPARENTS AND TUTU LADY.
I WASN'T RAISED WITH MY PARENTS. MY PARENTS WORKED.
SO YOU KNOW, THE REGULAR. RIGHT? SO I WAS LUCKY
ENOUGH TO HEAR IT. SO WHEN I GOT TO KAMEHAMEHA, AND IT
CAME TIME FOR TO US CHOOSE LANGUAGES, I ACTUALLY CHOSE
FRENCH BECAUSE MY FATHER WANTED ME TO DO JAPANESE AND
I WAS LIKE, I DON'T WANT TO DO WHAT MY DAD WANTS, RIGHT?
OPIO. AND BUT HE DID SAY TO ME AT THAT TIME IN MY LIFE,
I SAID, BE CAREFUL. IF YOU TAKE HAWAIIAN LANGUAGE, I
DON'T WANT TO SEE YOU AT A RALLY SOMEWHERE GETTING
ARRESTED, THROWN IN A PADDY WAGON. I JUST THOUGHT,
OKAY. WELL, IT SHOWED THE FEAR, THE FEAR OF NOT
FITTING IN IF WE'RE SPEAKING HAWAIIAN.
>>MAHEALANI: DO YOU THINK THAT FEAR STILL EXISTS
TODAY? >> ABSOLUTELY.
>>MAHEALANI: IN WHAT WAY? >> I THINK FOR MANY OF US
WHO HAVE KEIKI OR I HAVE MY NIECES, IT SEEN THEM THROUGH
PUNANALEO AND NOW AT KAIPUNI, NUMBER ONE FEARS
THAT MOST PARENTS HAVE IS WILL MY CHILDREN BE BE
COLLEGE READY? ARE THEY ONLY GOOD ENOUGH TO BE
TEACHERS? IMMEDIATELY, I HAVE TO LIKE REIN IN WHAT I
WANT TO SAY. MY FIRST LANGUAGE TEACHERS ARE MY
KUPUNA. MY GREAT GRANDMOTHER WAS FLUENT.
THAT WAS HER FIRST LANGUAGE. AND HER SIBLINGS.
>>MAHEALANI: WHAT DO YOU REALLY WANT TO SAY WHEN
SOMEONE ASKS YOU THOSE QUESTIONS.
>> WILL MY CHILD BE COLLEGE READY?
>> ABSOLUTELY. ABSOLUTELY THEY'LL BE COLLEGE READY
BECAUSE THEY'LL BE MORE OPEN BY BEING GROUNDED IN WHO
THEY ARE AS KANAKA AND IN THEIR CULTURE. THEY'LL BE
MORE OPEN AND EMPOWERED TO BE MORE TOLERANT OF OTHERS
AND OTHER WORLD VIEWS, OTHER PERSPECTIVES.
AND I THINK ONCE THEY START LATCHING ON, THEY CAN LEARN
ANY OTHER LANGUAGES THEY WANT TO BECAUSE THE BRAIN IS
OPEN TO THAT. >> I ALSO THINK HIT ON A
VERY GOOD POINT, THAT WHEN YOU HAVE MORE OPTIONS, THE
WORLD IS A LOT BRIGHTER. AND SNOWBIRD DESCRIBING
ABOUT HOW SHE WAS RAISED BY HER GRAND PARENTS AND SCHOOL
IS NOT SUPPOSED TO BE A DROP-OFF AT 7:30 AND PICKUP
AT 4:00 AND THEY DO EVERYTHING, WHICH IS
SOMETHING THAT OUR LANGUAGE WILL INSTRUCT US ON HOW TO
RAISE OUR CHILDREN, HOW TO BE. SO IT'S VERY, VERY
IMPORTANT TO PAY ATTENTION TO THOSE LESSONS THAT WERE
MAYBE FORMULATED THOUSANDS OF YEARS AGO THAT STILL HAD
GREAT RELEVANCE TODAY. >>MAHEALANI: CAN YOU EXPLAIN
THE PUNANA LEO SYSTEM AND WHAT'S A TYPICAL DAY LIKE
FOR A STUDENT? >> HIAPO, I CAN TALK ABOUT
THE KAI PUNY EXPERIENCE. >>MAHEALANI: WHAT IS THE
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PUNANA LEO AND KAIPUNI WHAT IS
THAT? >> PUNANA IS PRESCHOOL. THE
OTHER IS FROM K-12. >> THERE ARE CHARTER SCHOOLS
TOO. >> KAIPUNI IS FULL
IMMERSION. SOME OF THE CHARTER SCHOOLS ARE FULL
IMMERSION AND SOME AREN'T. >> HAWAI'I BASED.
>> RIGHT. HAWAIIAN CULTURAL BASED BUT MAYBE LANGUAGE
IMMERSION. PARTIAL IMMERSION.
>>MAHEALANI: THERE'S A DIFFERENT WAY OF -- TACT FOR
MANY OF THESE SCHOOLS, BUT THEY'RE ALL TRYING TO TYPE
OF THE STUDENTS HAWAIIAN LANGUAGE?
>> RIGHT. CORRECT. >> ALL OF THEM ATTEMPT DO A
CULTURAL FOUNDATION FOR EDUCATION AS WELL. THEY'VE
GOT TO ARTICULATE THAT WITH THE D.O.E., AND SORT OF THE
BROAD MIND SET ON WHAT CONSTITUTES EDUCATION. THE
SUSPICION OF BILINGUALISM IS AMERICAN.
THAT'S SO WIDESPREAD. THAT'S A PIECE HERE. IS
ANYBODY WHO ISN'T A SOLO ENGLISH SPEAKER, ARE THEY
BIG ENOUGH, GOOD ENOUGH, FULL ENOUGH. WHEN THE
REALITY OF THAT IS OF COURSE IT MAKE YOUR BRAIN STRONGER,
BETTER. YOU'RE LESS LIKELY TO GET ALZHEIMER'S. COME
ON, LEARN HAWAIIAN. >> HAVE BEEN STUDIES BECAUSE
YOU ALWAYS WILL HEAR PARENTS GOING, WILL MY CHILD SURVIVE
IN THE WORLD? HAVE THERE BEEN STUDIES PUTTING THESE
KIDS SIDE BY SIDE. >> 100%. TRACKED IT FROM
THE BEGINNING. PUNANA LEO OPENED UP IN 1985.
OFFICIALLY, TRACKED THOSE CHILDREN. NOW GOT A WHOLE
GENERATION. IT'S VERY MUCH UP TO THE CHILD AND THE
SETTING. IT'S NOT THE LANGUAGE AS MUCH AS IT IS
WHAT'S BEING INVESTED IN THAT CHILD. WHAT THAT CHILD
WILL BRING TO THE TABLE. >> JUST LIKE IN THE MONO
ENGLISH LANGUAGE SCHOOL. SAME RESULTS.
>>MAHEALANI: SNOWBIRD, WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THE FACT THAT
GOVERNMENT IS USING HAWAIIAN LANGUAGE MORE? YOU HEAR IT
ON OUR CITY BUSSES AND YOU HEAR IT IN THE AIRPORT.
WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THAT. >> I THINK IT'S A NICE STEP
FORWARD. IT'S A NICE STEP FORWARD SO THAT IT HELPS TO
NORMALIZE PEOPLE HEARING HAWAIIAN LANGUAGE AND NOT
BEING SO DISCONNECTED FROM HEARING IT. I THINK ONE OF
THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS WE HAVE TO REMEMBER, WHENEVER
WE'RE USING OLELO HAWAI'I IN PROMOTION OR OUTSIDE VENUE,
THAT WHAT WE'RE SEEING IS NOT NECESSARILY JUST A
STRAIGHT LITERAL TRANSLATION. BUT THAT
CONTEXTUALLY IT MAKES SENSE TO THE LISTENER AS WELL.
SO. >> I ALSO WANT TO SAY TOO
THAT I DON'T ACTUALLY, WOULDN'T WANT TO ATTRIBUTE
THOSE GAINS TO THE GOVERNMENT. I ACTUALLY
THINK THAT THE AIRPORT ON THE BUSSES ARE COMING FROM
COMMUNITY BASED MOVEMENTS THAT ARE TRYING TO PUSH FOR
THESE THINGS. >>MAHEALANI: IT'S
INTERESTING BECAUSE PAT FROM KAILUA SAYS, IT SEEMS TO ME
THAT HAWAIIAN LANGUAGE IS BEING PUSHED OFF ON
RESIDENTS WHO CAN'T PRONOUNCE STREET NAMES AND
THE HAWAIIAN LANGUAGE SHOULD NOT BE IMPOSED. HIAPO WHAT
DO YOU THINK ABOUT THAT COMMENT?
>> I THINK YOU SHOULD HAVE RESPECT FOR WHATEVER
COMMUNITY YOU LIVE IN. YOU KNOW, LET'S NOT FORGET OUR
LANGUAGE IS THE EXPRESSION OF OUR ESSENCE AS A PEOPLE
TO THE WORLD. NOW, IF YOU TAKE THAT AWAY, THERE ARE A
LOT OF BEAUTIFUL BEACHES WORLDWIDE. PEOPLE COME HERE
FOR THE CULTURE AND THE CULTURE IS YOU EMBEDDED
STRICTLY IN THE LANGUAGE. SO IT'S NOT SO MUCH AS, I
THINK WE NEED TO, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF LIKE I MENTIONED
EARLIER, HOW DARE WE THINK THAT OUR CHILDREN CAN'T MAKE
IT. WHY DO WE THINK THAT IT'S A BAD THING TO
PRONOUNCE THE QUEEN'S NAME CORRECTLY? IT'S NOT A BAD
THING. IT SHOWS RESPECT. >> I WANT TO ADD TO THE
IMPOSITION PART BECAUSE ARTICLE 15 OF OUR STATE
CONSTITUTION RECOGNIZES ENGLISH AND HAWAIIAN AS THE
TWO STATE OFFICIAL LANGUAGES.
>> POINT THERE, I WAS TRYING TO THINK OF A GOOD
METAPHORE, THE STATE IS YOUNGER THAN I AM.
(LAUGHTER) >> BLESS YOUR HEART. I WAS
TRYING TO THINK OF A METAPHORE. IT'S SORT OF
LIKE ACQUIRING A HOUSE WHETHER YOU BOUGHT IT, SOLD
IT, RENT IT OR OCCUPIED IT, WHATEVER, SO THE STATE GETS
THIS HOUSE WHICH IS HAWAI'I. IN 1959. AND THERE'S A
MANGO TREE THERE AND OVER TIME, THE STATE, THE
HOUSEHOLDERS SAYS, WE HONOR THIS MANGO TREE. BUT THE
WHOLE YARD IS PLANTED WITH CORN. AND THE MANGO TREE
DOESN'T DIE OFF. I WAS TRYING TO THINK OF A SOME
KIND OF AN ANALOGY. THE QUESTION THAT WAS JUST ASKED
ABOUT THAT IMPOSITION SORT OF MAKES IT LIKE THE CORN
THAT'S PLANTED EVERYWHERE IS CERTAINLY NORMALIZED.
THAT'S WHAT EVERYBODY IS MAA TO, SO THEY'RE LOSING A
FAMILIARITY OR MAYBE NEVER MET THE MANGO TREE. BUT
IT'S THERE. THE MANGO TREE, HAWAIIAN LANGUAGE HAS BEEN
HERE FOR A COUPLE OF THOUSAND YEARS. PROBABLY
1200AD. WHAT IS THAT? ONLY ABOUT 800 SINCE IT GELLED
INTO. >> MANY OF YOU HAVE USED THE
WORD NORMALIZED. HOW NORMALIZED DO YOU THINK THE
HAWAIIAN LANGUAGE IS. >> I DON'T THINK IT'S
ANYWHERE NEAR NORMALIZED. THAT'S WHERE I THINK I POINT
BACK TO LOOKING AT GOING BACK TO ARTICLE 15, IF YOU
ACTUALLY DO NOT JUST FISCAL AUDITS ON THE STATE, BUT
LOOK AT HOW LEGISLATION OR POLICIES THAT ACTUALLY
SUPPORT THE UTILIZATION AND EXPRESSION OF HAWAIIAN, AS
EQUITABLY USES 50-50 IN ALL STATE FUNCTIONS BECAUSE
THAT'S HOW IT STANDS IN OUR CONSTITUTION. THEN I THINK
THE LANGUAGE IS EXTREMELY UNDERRESOURCED.
>> WE DO HAVE A PIECE, I WAS WORKING WITH THAT ROAD MAP
AND I ENDED UP I GAVE A SPEECH AND SAID, THAT
REALLY, SINCE THE INITIATION OF THE STATUS AS AN EQUAL
LANGUAGE, HAWAIIAN HAS BEEN USED, THIS IS NOT A
CRITIQUE, IT'S JUST A REPORT, IT'S MORE DECORATIVE
THAN FUNCTIONAL. IT'S HAULED OUT. LOVELY MANGOS.
COULD BE A ULU TREE. HAULED OUT TO SHOW UP AT EVENTS,
YOU CAN'T OPEN SOMETHING WITHOUT A HAWAIIAN PRAYER.
YOU'VE GOT A CHANTER BUT NOBODY IN THE ROOM
UNDERSTANDS THE CHANT. IT'S A REALLY IMPORTANT ROAD
BLOCK BECAUSE IF WE KEEP IT DECORATIVE, YOU DON'T SORT
OF ADVOCATE FOR IT NORMALIZED.
>>MAHEALANI: HOW DO YOU SEE THE DECORATIVE, WOULD THAT
BE A GOOD THING OR A BAD THING? DOES THAT SHOW THAT
WE'RE MAKING PROGRESS OR THINGS ARE JUST STAYING AT A
STAND STILL. >> DEFINITELY A START. BUT
YOU KNOW, YOU NEED TO GROW CRITICAL MASS. WE HAVE A K
THROUGH 12 SITE ON HAWAI'I ISLAND. WE HAVE A K-12 SITE
ON OAHU HERE. MAUI NEEDS A K THROUGH 12 SITE. KAUAI
SHOULD HAVE A K-12 SITE. UNIVERSITY PROGRAM NEEDS TO
BE FULLY FUND. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ONCE AGAIN,
HAWAI'I CAN LEAD THE NATION AS THE ONLY STATE THAT HAS
TWO OFFICIAL LANGUAGES. YOU REALLY NEED TO GET BACK TO
THE FOUNDATION OF EXISTENCE AND ADD TO PUT MEAT TO THE
CRITICAL MASS. >>MAHEALANI: WHAT IS THE
BIGGEST CHALLENGE LET'S SAY FOR HAWAIIAN IMMERSION?
>> RIGHT NOW, I THINK IT'S GOING BACK TO THE
PHILOSOPHICAL, LACK OF PHILOSOPHICAL SUPPORT BY
GOVERNMENT AGENCIES. SO THIS IS ACTUALLY THE
RESPONSIBILITY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND
IF YOU LOOK AT HOW MUCH MONEY HAS BEEN APPROPRIATED
FOR THOSE SCHOOLS, NOT JUST FOR THE SCHOOLS, IT'S FOR
THE ANTICIPATED GROWTH OF A PROGRAM TO GET TO A POINT OF
PARITY, EQUITABILITY MAYBE THAT LOOKS LIKE THE
PERCENTAGE THAT BOTH OFFICIAL LANGUAGES ARE BEING
GIVEN THE SAME NOD, THE SAME CONCERN.
>> IT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MINIMAL COMPLIANCE.
YOU HAVE TO AND THE NOTION OF BEING FOSTERING
SOMETHING. YOU MENTIONED SOMETHING ABOUT HAVING. WE
HAVE TWO LANGUAGES. JUST LIKE HAVING TWO CHILDREN AND
FEEDING ONE IS DON'T WANT THE OTHER ONE TO DISAPPEAR.
BUT TO ACTUALLY NOT ONLY TO TREAT THEM EQUALLY, BUT TO
WANT THEM TO BOTH FLOORISH. I WANT THE ENGLISH SCHOOLS
TO BE EXCELLENT HERE. I'LL PAY MORE TAXES. DOUBLE IT.
IF YOU CAN PUT THAT ON TELEVISION, IF THEY WOULD
MAKE THE EDUCATION SYSTEM TO EXCEL. I WANT THAT TO
HAPPEN FOR THE HAWAIIAN LANGUAGE KIDS TOO BECAUSE
THAT'S A PIECE OF WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO.
>>MAHEALANI: SNOWBIRD HOW DID YOU BECOME INTERESTED IN
OLI OR CHANT AND WHAT IS YOUR MAIN GOAL WHEN YOU'RE
TEACHING HULA AND CHANT TO YOUR STUDENTS?
>> THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION. I THINK IT'S BECAUSE I
EXPERIENCED, I WAS AROUND PEOPLE WHO CHANTED. GROWING
UP. MY UNCLE WAS AN ENTERTAINER. SO I WAS
INTRODUCED TO THE LIKE OF AUNTY ELENA WHOSE CHANTING
VOICE IS JUST SUBURB AND GOT TO LISTEN TO THEM AND HEAR
IT AND IT WAS SOMETHING IN MY NAO, PULLS ON YOU. SO I
REMEMBER MY FIRST FOUNDER'S DAY AND LISTENING TO THE
CHANTER GO ACROSS THE GYM. AND THINKING IN MY HEAD, AT
7TH GRADE, WHEN I'M A SENIOR, I'M GOING TO DO
THAT. AND WHEN I WAS A SENIOR, THAT WAS THAT'S WHAT
I ENDED UP DOING. THAT WAS MY KULANA. IT KEYS INTO ME
BEING A KUMU HULA AND WHAT I'M TRYING TO GET ACROSS TO
MY HAUMANA IS THAT OLI IS I THINK IT'S, I'M GOING TO SAY
THAT EARLIER. OLI AND HULA, THEY'RE LIKE THE POWERPOINT
OF OUR KUPUNA. THIS IS THE ANCESTRAL ROAD MAP TO US
BEING ABLE TO NAVIGATE FOR OURSELVES NOW. NOT JUST IN
WAKAHIKO, BUT OURSELVES NOW WHICH ALSO LEADS THEM TO THE
IDEA THAT HAWAIIAN LANGUAGE IS VERY IMPORTANT TO THE
SURVIVAL OF HULA BECAUSE WE NEED TO ALSO BECOME COULD
CLOSE FOR OUR TIME RIGHT NOW SO THAT OUR KEIKI CAN HAVE
THAT AND THE FUTURE GENERATIONS WILL KNOW ABOUT
US AND THE WORK THAT WE'VE DONE.
>>MAHEALANI: WE HAVE A QUESTION FROM P MEL FROM
HONOLULU. THIS IS FOR PUAKEA. EVERYONE ON THE
PANEL IS HAWAIIAN EXCEPT FOR PUAKEA NOGELMEIER. WHAT IS
HIS ETHNICITY AND HIS REAL NAME.
>> SHOCKING. MY REAL NAME IS PUAKEA WHICH WAS MIKEY
AIAU'S NAME AND SHE GAVE IT TO ME. THAT COULDN'T GET
MORE REAL. MY LEGAL NAME IS MARVIN. YOU MIGHT KNOW I
CAME HERE AS AN 18-YEAR-OLD AND KIND OF FELL INTO
LANGUAGE. WHEN WE TALK ABOUT MORE DECORATIVE THAN
FUNCTIONAL AND WHAT'S THAT, ACTUALLY FUN TO BE PART OF
THE DECORATION. >>MAHEALANI: WHAT WAS IT
ABOUT HAWAIIAN LANGUAGE AND CULTURE THAT CAPTURED YOU?
>> IT WAS ACCIDENT. SORT OF. I GOT INVOLVED, IT WAS
HULA WAS ENJOYING RENAISSANCE BEFORE LANGUAGE
WAS. AND HULA WAS MUCH MORE WIDESPREAD. I GOT INVOLVED
IN HULA AND THAT'S WHERE I GOT, I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW
HAWAI'I HAD ITS OWN LANGUAGE. I WAS AN EMPTY
UMEKE AND STARTED TO BE INTERESTED IN LANGUAGE. SO
I WASN'T AN ACADEMIC AT THE TIME. SO I LEARNED IT OUT
IN THE COMMUNITY. I WORKED WITH OLD FOLKS AND WANTED TO
LEARN. >>MAHEALANI: DO YOU EVER
FEEL SCEPTICISM BECAUSE YOU ARE NOT NATIVE HAWAIIAN?
>> OH, IT'S A HUGE TOPIC. THE SAME, NOT SO MUCH AT
THIS TABLE. NO. I MEAN, IT IS. IT'S ALWAYS
QUESTIONABLE. HOW CAN I KNOW ANYTHING? IF I'M NOT
HAWAIIAN. WELL, I DON'T THINK THAT KNOWLEDGE IS
GENETIC NECESSARILY. IT HAS TO DO WITH INVESTMENT.
ACTUALLY, I GET A LOT OF HAWAIIANS WHO COME UP AND
SAY, YOU MAKE ME FEEL BAD BECAUSE I DON'T SPEAK MY OWN
LANGUAGE. YOU DO. I'M HALF GERMAN AND I DON'T SPEAK A
WORD OF IT AND I DON'T FEEL BAD ABOUT IT. BUT THAT'S
GOT US EMOTIONAL IMPACT HERE. THAT HAS TO DO WITH
HISTORY AS MUCH AS ANYTHING. HISTORY, LOCATION, BECAUSE
OF WHAT'S HAPPENED WITH HAWAIIAN LANGUAGE AND WITH
HAWAIIAN THINGS, THAT CARRIES A LOT OF WEIGHT.
>>MAHEALANI: LET'S GO BACK TO OUR SCHOOLS. IS THERE A
MOVEMENT TO HAVE THE HAWAIIAN LANGUAGE BE A
REQUIREMENT IN OUR HAWAI'I SCHOOLS RIGHT NOW?
>> YEAH. THERE HAVE BEEN A FEW BILLS THAT HAVE RUN
THROUGH THE LEGISLATURE IN THE PAST 3 TO 5 YEARS I
THINK. MAYBE MORE THAN THAT. BUT I THINK RIGHT
NOW, THERE'S ACTUALLY TWO POLICY REDRAFTS AT THE BOARD
OF EDUCATION THAT ARE COMING UP ON FEBRUARY 18TH AND ONE
OF THEM DEALS WITH THE ACTUAL ADDRESSING OF
HAWAIIAN CULTURE AND HAWAIIAN LANGUAGE FOR ALL
180,000 STUDENTS AND 21. >>MAHEALANI: WHAT ABOUT THE
UNIVERSITY SYSTEM WHEN SOMEONE ENTERS COLLEGE? ARE
THEY REQUIRED TO TAKE ANY TYPE OF HAWAIIAN LANGUAGE?
>> NO. I BELIEVE YOU'RE REQUIRED,.
>> SPOKEN THE LANGUAGE REQUIREMENT FOR
UNDERGRADUATE DEGREES. THAT USED TO BE A REGULAR
REQUIREMENT. YOU HAD TO HAVE 2 YEARS OF A FOREIGN
LANGUAGE. BECAUSE OF WHAT IT DID FOR THOUGHT
PROCESSES. ANY LANGUAGE WOULD DO. THEY HAVE BROKEN
THAT DOWN TO PROBABLY ONLY A QUARTER OF THE DEGREES
REQUIRE THAT. WHICH IS REALLY CHANGED THE
ENROLLMENT IN LANGUAGE. BUT EVEN THE ONES FROM THE
SCHOOLS, ARE THEY MAKING IT MANDATORY FOR STUDENTS OR
SCHOOLS TO OFFER? >> RIGHT NOW, I THINK THE
POLICY REDRAFT, IT'S JUST SAYING THAT IT'S TO BE
INCLUDED. HOW IT'S GOING TO BE INCLUDED, THAT'S THE NEXT
STEP. IMPLEMENTATION OF THAT POLICY IS WHAT'S GOING
TO COME NEXT. >> MOST OF THE PLACES THAT
ARE TRYING TO DO LANGUAGE ARE REVITALIZATION, IDEA OF
FORCES KIDS TO LEARN IT IS THE BEST WAY TO KILL IT.
>>MAHEALANI: MUCH HAS BEEN SAID ABOUT WHAT IS IS
AVAILABLE FOR OUR KEIKI. WHAT IS AVAILABLE FOR
SENIORS? SNOWBIRD, CAN YOU ANSWER THAT QUESTION?
>> WELL, I KNOW THAT THERE IS SOME ON LINE CLASSES THAT
ARE AVAILABLE. THERE'S ALSO --
>> AND THEN THERE'S PROGRAMS THAT ARE IN THE COMMUNITIES
NOW THAT ARE OFFERING OLELO HAWAI'I CLASSES. COMMUNITY
COLLEGES, EXTENSION, ADULT EDUCATION. MY MOTHER WEN
AND TOOK SOME ADULT EDUCATION CLASSES IN THE
COMMUNITY SO THAT SHE COULD LEARN HAWAIIAN TOO.
>>MAHEALANI: SPEAKING MORE OF EDUCATION, YOU HAVE
PARENTS WHO SEND THEIR KIDS TO LET'S SAY CHINESE SCHOOL,
AFTER SCHOOL. KOREAN SCHOOL. JAPANESE SCHOOL.
IS THERE ANYTHING AVAILABLE FOR PARENT WHO IS SAY, THEY
WANT TO SEND THEIR KIDS TO SOME SORT OF HAWAIIAN
LANGUAGE CLASS BUT DON'T NECESSARILY WANT TO HAVE
THEM FULLY IMMERSED. >> THERE'S REALLY NOT
ANYTHING IN PLACE. SOME PROGRAMS. HALAU, SOME OF
THE HALAUS. >>MAHEALANI: WHY NOT? HOW
COME THAT'S NOT AROUND? >> THE LITTLE CIRCLE IS
DOING THE REVITALIZATION. IS PRETTY SPREAD.
>>MAHEALANI: HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE WE TALKING ABOUT.
>> WHAT IS IT? 20? REALLY YOU'RE TALKING THE GROUP OF
TEACHERS AND AT LEAST FLUENT ENOUGH TO BE ABLE TO OPERATE
TO SET UP SOMETHING LIKE THAT. YOU'RE REALLY ONLY
TALKING ABOUT A COUPLE HUNDRED PEOPLE THROUGHOUT
THE STATE. AT A LEVEL THAT COULD GENERATE AND OPERATE
SOMETHING LIKE THAT. >>MAHEALANI: HOW MANY PEOPLE
DO YOU THINK ARE FLUENT IN HAWAIIAN OR AT LEAST
PROFICIENT IN HAWAIIAN? >> NUMBERS ARE ALWAYS IFFY.
I'VE BEEN USING 20,000 BUT I USE A LOW LEVEL OF FLUENCY
ONLY BECAUSE PEOPLE CAN UNDERSTAND AND FOLLOW IF
THEY CAN, YOU KNOW, BE ABLE TO FOLLOW WHAT'S HAPPENING
HERE, IF WE HAD A CONVERSATION, THAT'S A LEVEL
OF FLUENCY THAT I THINK THERE'S PROBABLY 20,000. IN
THE COURSE OF 30 YEARS OF COURSES UP AT U.H., PUNANA
LEO KIDS COME OUT AND MAY NOT KEEP UP THE LANGUAGE BUT
THEY'VE GOT IT. WITH THE PEOPLE THAT REALLY DELVE
INTO IT HOLD ON IT IT. I THINK THAT NUMBER IS PRETTY
REAL. >> I WANTED TO GO BACK TO
SOMETHING YOU MENTIONED EARLIER. REGARDING YOUR
QUESTION. THE TEACHERS THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE NOW, THEY
REALLY, REALLY DESERVE ALL THE CREDIT. YOU ASKED THE
QUESTION BEFORE ABOUT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN IMMERSION
SCHOOL AND ENGLISH SCHOOL. ENGLISH SCHOOL, YOU CAN GO
TO THE STORE AND HAVE YOUR PICK OF LESSON PLANS AN
TEXTBOOKS. OUR TEACHERS ARE CREATING AND TEACHING AT THE
SAME TIME. SO THEY'RE DOING DOUBLE TRIPLE WORK. SO WHY
DON'T WE HAVE PROGRAMS IN PLACE? WELL, LACK OF
SUPPORT, BUT THE PEOPLE THAT WE DO HAVE, THE DIE HARDS
THAT WILL TAKE IT TO THE GRAVE, VERY SMALL NUMBER AND
WE NEED TO REALLY SUPPORT THEM.
>>MAHEALANI: WHERE DOES THE HAWAIIAN LANGUAGE STAND IN
TERMS OF BEING A LANGUAGE OF BUSINESS AND DEAL MAKING?
WE TALK ABOUT SCHOLARSHIP, WE TALK ABOUT LEARNING,
EDUCATION HIGHER LEARNING. WHAT ABOUT ACTUALLY BEING
SOMETHING WHERE PEOPLE CAN MAKE MONEY FROM IT OR HAVE
THRIVING ECONOMY? >> I THINK A GREAT THING TO
LOOK AT TO CREATE CRITICAL MASS IS THE MEDIA. NOW, YOU
HAVE OLELO TV IN PLACE THAT THEY PROVIDE PROGRAMS ALL IN
HAWAIIAN. AND RADIO STATIONS, I KNOW. THERE'S
ONE IN HILO. YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT THE LONG TERM EFFECT
AS FAR AS HELPING AND NEEDING TO CREATE THIS
CRITICAL MASS. NOW, YOU PUT IT INTO THE SCHOOLS, BUT
ACTUALLY, THE SCHOOLS SHOULD BE THE VEHICLE TO THEN PUT
IT IN THE HOME. WHICH IS WHAT YOU TALKED ABOUT
EARLIER. WHEN IT'S PUT INTO THE HOME IS WHERE YOU WOULD
HAVE THE GRIP ON LIFE. >> THIS TO ME, I THINK IT
POINTS BACK TO THAT DISPARITY OF PHILOSOPHY. IF
THE GOVERNMENT, IF THE MAINSTREAM BUSINESS MIND
SET, MAINSTREAM EDUCATIONAL MIND SET THINKS THAT THESE
KIDS WE'RE DOING A DISSERVICE TO THE CHILDREN,
LANGUAGE WILL NOT GROW. THAT IS THE GATE THAT WE
CANNOT PASS. IT'S A PHILOSOPHICAL BARRIER.
>>MAHEALANI: PAT FROM KULA SAID THE PRIOR CALLER SAID
THAT HAWAIIAN LANGUAGE IS BEING IMPOSED. IT ISN'T
HAWAIIAN THE LANGUAGE OF THE LAND? THE HAWAIIAN LANGUAGE
HAS SUFFERED DUE TO WESTERN NEGLECT OF THE LANGUAGE.
SNOWBIRD, DO YOU AGREE WITH THAT?
>> ABSOLUTELY. FIRST OF ALL, HAWAI'I, THIS IS OUR
HOME. OUR KUPUNA ARE BURIED HERE. AND WHEN WE RAISE OUR
CHILDREN, WHO ARE KANAKA TOO, THEY NEED TO KNOW THAT
BECAUSE THAT'S HOW WE PLUG BACK IN TO OUR KUPUNA, TO
OUR CONNECTION WITH AINA, OUR KULEANA TO CARE FOR THAT
RESPONSIBILITIES, THAT RESOURCE. ALL OF THE
PRACTICES TO LIVE. WE CANNOT LIVE WITHOUT THAT.
OUR CULTURE IS INHERENT IN THE LANGUAGE. AND THEN THAT
THEREFORE OUR CONNECTION TO KUPUNA, OUR CONNECTION TO
OUR GENERATIONS THAT WILL COME FROM US, THAT'S
IMPORTANT. >> THAT'S CHANGING CULTURE.
BECAUSE HAWAIIAN BUSINESS WAS CARRIED ON IN HAWAIIAN
FOR THE FIRST 200 YEARS OF BUSINESS HERE. ALL OF THOSE
OPERATIONS, WE'RE NOT TALKING GRASS HOUSES AND
HULA SKIRTS. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE FIRST BANK WAS SET
UP IN HAWAIIAN. SO THE MORE THAT IT'S UTILIZED. THE ONE
OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL MEN IN BUSINESS HERE, DUANE
STEEL, CEO AND OWNER/OPERATOR TOTALLY
FLUENT IN HAWAIIAN AND HE ALWAYS SAID THAT HIS
AWARENESS OF THE OTHER LANGUAGES HELPED FRAME SOME
OF WHAT HE DID. THERE'S REALLY A LOT TO BE SAID ON
THAT. I ALSO WANT TO SAY THAT THE FACT THAT THIS
PROGRAM ON PUBLIC BROADCASTING ABOUT HAWAIIAN
LANGUAGE IS BEING HELD IN ENGLISH. HI.
(HAWAIIAN LANGUAGE). (HAWAIIAN LANGUAGE).
>> PEW KAYE A. TELL US WHAT YOU JUST SAID BECAUSE MOIST
OF OUR AUDIENCE COULD NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU JUST
SAID. >> THAT'S THE POINT. THE
FACT THIS A PROGRAM ON PUBLIC BROADCASTING IS BEING
HELD ABOUT HAWAIIAN LANGUAGE IN ENGLISH. WHAT WOULD
IT -- HOW MANY OF THE AUDIENCE WILL UNDERSTAND IF
WE TALKED IN HAWAIIAN FOR A BIT? IT WOULD BE A GOOD
THING. SO GIVE US A COUPLE OF MINUTES. I WAS ASKING
WHAT IS THE REAL VALUE OF TEACHING HIS CHILDREN WHINE
EXCLUSIVELY AT HOME. HE SAID TO PERPETUATE THE
TRADITIONS, THE FAMILY TRADITIONS.
(SPEAKING HAWAIIAN). (HAWAIIAN LANGUAGE).
>>MAHEALANI: PLEASE TRANSLATE BECAUSE OUR
AUDIENCE WANTS TO KNOW WHAT IS SHE SAYING.
>> JUST SAYING THAT ALTHOUGH ALL OF MY STUDENTS THAT COME
TO DANCE FOR ME, THEY MAY NOT BE HAWAI'I, THEY MAY NOT
SPEAK HAWAIIAN, BUT I STILL USE IT. I USE IT SO THAT
THEY GET MAA, THEY GET USED TO HEARING IT SO THAT IT'S
NOT FOREIGN TO THEIR EARS. WHEN THE TIME IS RIGHT, IT
WILL PUKA FROM THEM. IT WILL COME OUT IN WAYS THAT
THEY DON'T EVEN UNDERSTAND. AND I GIVE THE EXAMPLE THAT
RIGHT BEFORE A COMPETITION WITH MY KEIKI, WHEN I'M BACK
STAGE WITH THEM, RIGHT BEFORE THEY'RE ABOUT TO TAKE
THE KAUA, I'M SPEAKING TO THEM ONLY IN HAWAIIAN.
WHETHER MY KEIKI SPEAK HAWAIIAN OR NOT, HAWAIIAN OR
NOT, I'M SPEAKING TO THEM ONLY IN HAWAIIAN AND SAYING
TO THEM, PERSEVERE. SHOW THE STRENGTH THAT YOU NEED
TO AND SHOW YOUR ALOHA FOR THIS ALI'I OR THIS MOOLELO
THAT WE'RE DANCING FOR. >>MAHEALANI: TONIGHT WE'RE
DISCUSSING THE ROLE HAWAIIAN LANGUAGE PLACE IN OUR STATE
WITH GUESTS PUAKEA NOGELMEIER, SNOWBIRD BENTO,
KALEHUA KRUG AND HIAPO PERRIERA. WE INVITE YOU TO
JOIN OUR CONVERSATION BY E-MAILING CALLING OR
TWEETING YOUR QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS. CALL 973-1000 ON
OAHU. AND 800-283-4847 FROM THE NEIGHBOR ISLANDS. WE
HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION FROM KAUKA. PLEASE DISCUSS THE
REVIVAL OF THE HAWAIIAN LANGUAGE AS BEING DONE
PRIMARILY AS A POLITICAL WEAPON FOR SOVEREIGNTY
RATHER THAN A CULTURAL TOOL FOR MUSIC HISTORY AND
LITERATURE. I'M GOING TO THROW THAT ONE OUT. ANYONE
WANT TO ANSWER THAT? >> I'LL JUST SAY NO. I
DON'T THINK THAT THAT'S TRUE.
>> I DON'T KNOW. I THINK THERE'S A SENSE THAT
WHAT IS PUT ON MEDIA IS ALL THAT'S TAKING PLACE. I
WOULD LIKE TO CLARIFY THAT. POLITICAL SOVEREIGNTY,
DIFFERENT TYPES OF SOVEREIGNTY. DIFFERENT
TYPES OF, EVEN NOT EVEN SOVEREIGNTY, BUT
SELF-DETERMINATION. THAT ONE THING THAT BY RAISING
THE CHILDREN IN HAWAIIAN, THROUGH OUR CULTURE, THROUGH
OUR WAYS, THAT'S WE ARE SELF DETERMINING FOR THEM.
THAT'S SOMETHING NO ONE CAN TAKE FROM US.
>>MAHEALANI: THIS IS FROM CHERYL VIA COVER IT LIVE.
YOUR OF YOU'RE A MUSICIAN YOURSELF AS WELL AS A KUMU
HULA. DO YOU MIND IF MUSICIANS SING SONGS IN
HAWAIIAN WHEN THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND THE WORDS? WOULD
YOU PREFER THAT THEY NOT SING THOSE SONGS AT ALL?
>> I THINK THAT'S A REALLY INTERESTING QUESTION BECAUSE
THE MELE CAN BE THE VEHICLE FOR THEM TO LEARN THE
LANGUAGE AND TO BE GET MAA TO IT. I DON'T THINK THAT
THEY SHOULD NOT SING IT, BUT I THINK THAT THEY SHOULD
LEARN HOW TO SING IT PROPERLY. THAT'S A BIG
DEAL. >> AN INVEST THE TIME. MAKE
IT A VEHICLE. THAT'S HOW I LEARNED HAWAIIAN.
YOU WON THE AWARD FOR HAWAIIAN LANGUAGE WHEN YOU
WERE COMPETING FOR MERRIE MONARCH AND MISS ALOHA
MULLAH. WHEN YOU HEAR CERTAIN WORDS IN HAWAIIAN,
THAT ARE NOT USED LET'S SAY APPROPRIATELY, DOES IT MAKE
YOU CRINGE? >> YEAH. I SUPPOSE. IT
DEPENDS ON WHERE AND WHERE, I THINK. BECAUSE YOU
BROUGHT UP THE OLELO AND AWARD AND THE CHANTING, I
THINK ONCE PEOPLE START GETTING REALLY USED TO
HAWAIIAN, THEY'LL ALSO FIND THAT HULA AND HAWAIIAN,
THERE'S A FEW DIFFERENCES. WHAT CHANTED AND WHAT MIGHT
BE PERFORMED NOT NECESSARILY BE LIKE MORE OF I DON'T WANT
IT TO SAY STANDARD, BUT IT'S DIFFERENT. POETRY.
>> IT'S POETRY. MANY FIELDS.
>> PUAKEA, CAN YOU DESCRIBE THIS WORD. PLEASE LET
PEOPLE KNOW WHAT THIS WORD MEANS. THIS IS FROM MICHAEL
FROM KAHULUI. WHAT DOES THE WORD HAOLE MEAN?
>> EXACTLY, IT'S AN OLD WORD MEANING FOREIGN. NOW, IT
GETS TO THE -- FOLKUS THE HAOLI WHICH IS A DIFFERENT
WORD. IT MEANT FOREIGN, NOT FROM HERE. IN THE SENSES,
BECAUSE THE HAWAIIAN KINGDOM WAS ACTUALLY A MULTIRACIAL
KINGDOM. AND WHEN THEY DID THE CENSUS, THEY DID NOT
MEASURE YOUR COLOR OR ANYTHING. YOU COULD BE
POPOLO, BLACK SKINNED AND STILL BE CALL HAOLE BECAUSE
YOU WEREN'T A HAWAIIAN SUBJECT. YOU COULD BE FROM
INDIA OR YOU COULD BE JAPANESE. AND YOU WOULD
STILL BE CALLED HAOLE. >>MAHEALANI: SO THE WORD A
LOT OF PEOPLE THINK THAT HAOLE IS A DEROGATORY TERM.
>> WELL, IT GETS USED AS DEROGATORY BUT SO CAN
HAWAIIAN, SO CAN KANAKA. ANYTHING CAN BE USED AS
DEROGATORY. THERE'S A LOT OF DRAMA GOES ON RACE THESE
DAYS. MUCH STUDY ON, THAT'S AN AMERICAN CUSTOM IS THE
WHOLE RACIAL TENSION THING THAT WAS VERY DIFFERENT
DYNAMIC DURING THE KINGDOM ERA AND EVEN MOVING INTO THE
TERRITORY ERA. BUT IT'S AN UNFORTUNATE CULTURAL ISSUE
INTO MICHAEL ALSO WANTS TO KNOW, WHAT IS THE DEFINITION
OF ALOHA. >> SO BROAD, THAT'S WHY.
YOU CAN COVER SOME OF THE BASES.
>> YOU'RE ASKING BECAUSE OF THE ALOHA AND HA.
>> LET ME PUT IT THIS WAY. THIS IS MY WAY OF TALKING ON
TO A PREVIOUS QUESTION. LET'S THINK OF ALOHA LIKE
THIS. JAPANESE WITH ALL DUE RESPECT, THE LANGUAGE CAN GO
BACK TO JAPAN. CHINESE, THEY HAVE THE MOTHER LAND IN
CHINA. THIS IS OUR ALOHA. THIS IS IT. SO YOU CANNOT
SEPARATE THAT FROM THE ONLY PLACE THAT IT'S EVER KNOWN
TO BE. THAT IS ALOHA. ALOHA AINA, ALOHA OLELO,
ALOHA LAHUI. WHO WE ARE. INTO DO YOU THINK THERE'S
MISUSE OF THE WORD? >> WELL, I THINK.
>>MAHEALANI: OR DO YOU FIND THAT SOME PEOPLE OVERUSE IT
OR MAYBE EVEN OVERUSE HAWAIIAN WORDS JUST TO
APPEAR TO BE MORE DECORATIVE OR HAWAIIAN?
>> WELL, YOU KNOW, AT LEAST IT'S BEING USED. I LIKE TO
MAYBE PUT MORE EFFORT INTO REMINDING PEOPLE THAT MAHALO
DOES NOT MEAN THE TRASH CAN. BECAUSE WRITTEN ON THE TRASH
CANS. IT DOESN'T MEAN THROW AWAY YOUR TRASH. BUT AT
LEAST IT'S BEING USED. WE HAVE TO GETTING BACK TO YOUR
PREVIOUS COMMENT ABOUT CRINGING WHEN YOU HEAR
SOMEONE MISPRONOUNCE. IT MAKES ME WANT TO WORK HARDER
TO HELP. TO HELP. RIGHT. >> GETTING BACK TO ACTUALLY
THE LANGUAGE BEING A WEAPON. I THINK THERE'S 20,000
PEOPLE THAT INVEST IN ENOUGH TO LEARN TO SPEAK IT.
20,000 REASONS. AND IN LEARNING HAWAIIAN, BECAUSE
THERE HAWAI'I IS DIFFERENT THAN MOST OF THE WORLD. NOT
TO LAUNCH INTO A LECTURE. BUT THE HUGE BODY OF WRITTEN
MATERIAL HERE IS UNLIKE ANYWHERE ELSE. SO LEARNING
HAWAIIAN, OPENS IT'S DOOR TO THAT FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE AND
SO THEY BECOME POLITICALLY, HISTORICALLY, CULTURALLY
AWARE IN WAYS OF GENERAL PUBLIC DON'T. THAT CAN BE
SEEN AS DIVISIVE. IT'S NOT. >> HOW YOU LEARN THE TRUE
MEANING OF ALOHA HAOLE AND MAHALO THROUGH GETTING BACK
TO THE MANA'O OF OUR KUPUNA. >>MAHEALANI: LET'S TALK
ABOUT KAMEHAMEHA SCHOOLS. SHARON VIA COVER IT LIVE.
WHAT RESPONSIBILITY DOES KAMEHAMEHA SCHOOLS HAVE IN
ALL OF THIS? I UNDERSTAND KS IS CONSIDERING DROPPING
CULTURAL EDUCATION AND EVEN THE HAWAIIAN PREFERENCE SO
THEY CAN FOCUS ON MEETING WESTERN ACADEMIC STANDARDS.
FULL DISCLOSURE, WE'VE GOT SEVERAL KAMEHAMEHA GRADS
HERE. ONE, TWO, THREE AND FOUR.
>> I DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT. >> SNOWBIRD, DO YOU WANT TO
TAKE A SHOT AT THAT ONE? >> WELL, I'D LIKE TO SAY
FIRST THAT I THINK IT'S EXACTLY THE OPPOSITE OF
WHAT'S HAPPENING RIGHT NOW AT KAMEHAMEHA. KAMEHAMEHA
IS WHAT IS KAMEHAMEHA'S RESPONSIBILITY TO THE
COMMUNITY, TO THE LAHUI, TO HOOMAU, HAWAI'I, ONE, TWO,
THREE, FOUR. I MEAN, WE'RE GRADUATES, I THINK, WHILE WE
WERE AT KAMEHAMEHA, THERE WERE KIPUKA PERHAPS WHERE
THE LANGUAGE THRIVED, WHERE BEING CULTURALLY BASED
THRIVED. WHERE IS KAMEHAMEHA GOING AT THIS
POINT? YOU KNOW, AS WE HAVE SAID EARLIER, THERE'S ONLY
SO MUCH THAT CAN BE DONE. I THINK EVERYBODY TENDS TO
LOOK AT KAMEHAMEHA AS ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM BECAUSE
THEY HAVE SO MUCH FINANCIAL BASE. BUT REALLY, REALLY,
THE FINANCIAL BASE CAN ONLY GO AS FAR AS WE CAN. AND
ONE OF THE KEY THINGS THAT KAMEHAMEHA IS DOING AT THE
MOMENT IS REALLY TRYING TO RE-ESTABLISH AND REACH OUT
TO THE COMMUNITY BASE BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT'S WHERE
IT'S AT. WE'RE ALL COMMUNITY PEOPLE. EVEN
THOUGH I WORK FOR THE SCHOOL OR WE GRADUATED FROM THE
SCHOOL, WE'RE COMMUNITY PEOPLE. WE LIVE IN OUR
COMMUNITIES. WE WORK IN OUR COMMUNITIES. WE THRIVE AND
THAT'S WHAT WE WANT. >> I THINK WE WERE TALKING
ABOUT THIS EARLIER. I DON'T WANT TO SAY A THOUSAND
PERCENT BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW THAT FOR TRUE, BUT I THINK
99.99% OF ALL OF THE HAWAIIAN LANGUAGE COMMUNITY
SUCCESSES WERE COMMUNITY DRIVEN. DIDN'T COME FROM A
SYSTEM. IT WAS COMMUNITY DRIVEN AND THEN THE SYSTEM
LATER ADOPTED IT. BUT AFTER PUSHING THE NFL, THE BLOOD,
SWEAT AND TEARS OF PARENTS AND FAMILY AND COMMUNITY
MEMBERS TO PUSH THE ENVELOPE TO SEE THAT IT GETS ADOPTED.
I THINK KAMEHAMEHA HAS A ROLE LIKE EVERY OTHER
INSTITUTION SHOULD HAVE A ROLE AND GETTING BACK TO
WHAT KALEHUA SAID, EVERY LANGUAGE SHOULD HAVE
LANGUAGE AT ITS CORE. >> SOVEREIGNTY.
>>MAHEALANI: I'M NOT HAWAIIAN, HOW CAN LEARNING
AND USING THE HAWAIIAN LANGUAGE ENRICH MY LIFE?
>> EVERY EVERYBODY WHO CAME HERE DURING THE KINGDOM ERA
HAD TO LEARN HAWAIIAN. THEN IT BECAME LIKE IN MY TIME,
IT WAS A RARITY, BUT WHAT I WOULD SAY IS LAURIE, JUMP ON
IT. MY LIFE IT'S BEEN A LOT OF WORK AND IT'S THE BEST
WORK I COULD HAVE EVER CHOSEN. MY LIFE IS RICHER
BECAUSE WHEN I LOOK ACROSS, I CAN STAND AT THE PALI AND
LOOK AT THE WHOLE WINDWARD SIDE AND TO ME, IT'S A
COLLECTION OF STORIES AND NAMES AND RESOURCES THAT ARE
RIGHT THERE IN THE PLACE NAMES AND HISTORY OF THE
PLACE, WHATNOT. AND LAURIE MIGHT HAVE TO STAND THERE
AND SHE SEES REAL ESTATE. THERE'S OTHER LAYERS THAT
OPEN UP UNDER THERE. >>MAHEALANI: WHAT
SPECIFICALLY DO YOU THINK SHE SHOULD DO?
>> JUST START TO LEARN THE LANGUAGE. START TO
UNDERSTAND HOW TO ACCESS THE RESOURCES. YOU DON'T HAVE
TO BECOME FLUENT IN THE LANGUAGE TO BE ABLE TO
REALLY START TO APPRECIATE WHAT'S AROUND YOU. THE LADY
WHO FEELS A LITTLE IMPOSED ON BY THE PLACE NAMERS LOOK
UP THOSE PLACE NAMES. THERE'S A STORE IRABOUT
EVERY ONE OF THEM. LEARN HOW TO PRONOUNCE THEM. I
WAS ON THE NEWS AND THEY WERE ASKING ABOUT THE RIGHT
AND WRONG. I SAID THERE ISN'T ANY RIGHT. IF YOU SAY
WAIANAE AND KANEOHE, IT'S NOT THAT IT'S WRONG, IT'S
JUST NOT HAWAIIAN. SO IT DOESN'T CARRY THE
INFORMATION THAT'S IN THAT NAME UNLESS YOU SAY, KANEOHE
AND WAIANAE. THAT CARRIES A LITTLE DIFFERENT ZONE.
REALLY DOESN'T EVEN MATTER HOW YOU SPELL IT.
>>MAHEALANI: I'VE HEARD PEOPLE SAY, YOU KNOW, I
DON'T WANT TO PRONOUNCE HAWAIIAN WORDS CORRECTLY
BECAUSE I CONSTITUTION DO IT AND I DON'T WANT TO PASS
MYSELF OFF AS BEING HAWAIIAN. WHAT DOES THAT
SAY TO YOU KALEHUA. >> I SEEM TO BE POINTING
BACK TO THE PHILOSOPHY. I THINK MAINSTREAM AMERICAN
PERSPECTIVE IS MONO LINGUAL. MONOTHESTIC. WE'RE TALKING
ABOUT LANGUAGE SEPARATE FROM CULTURE. IF WE UNDERSTAND
OUR LANGUAGE, LEARN THE STORY, LEARN WHAT THE
KUPUNA'S PERSPECTIVE ON IT. THEIR FOUNDATION ALLOWED A
LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS INTO THEIR SITES SO. I THINK
THAT THAT ALTHOUGH WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT POLL YTHEISM.
THE HAWAIIAN LENS, WHEREAS THE INDIVIDUALISTIC
CAPITALISTIC AMERICAN LENS, I'M THIS AND I'M NOT GOING
TO EXERT ANY EXTRA EFFORT TO BE THIS.
>>MAHEALANI: YOU TRAVELED TO SPAIN AND YOU STUDIED WHAT'S
HAPPEN WITH THE KATALAN LANGUAGE AND THE BASS REGION
AS WELL. WHAT DO YOU THINK THE NATIVE HAWAIIANS OR
INDIGENOUS LANGUAGE HERE CAN LEARN FROM OTHER INDIGENOUS
LANGUAGES? >> FOLLOW SUIT. FOLLOW
SUIT. SPEAK YOUR LANGUAGE. SPEAK IT. I MEAN, REALLY
GETTING OVER THE HUMP, TOTALLY HONEST WITH YOU. MY
WIFE AND I GOT MARRIED, WE WERE TOGETHER FOR A NUMBER
OF YEARS. WE GOT MARRIED. WE WERE HAWAIIAN EDUCATORS.
GOING ON 20 PLUS YEARS NOW. AND FOR THE MOST PART, WE
WOULD SPEAK HAWAIIAN TO EACH OTHER. WHEN WE HAD OUR
CHILDREN, WHEN THEY COULD TALK BACK TO US, THAT WAS
PURE MAGIC. THAT WAS PURE MAGIC. AND I WOULD WISH
THAT BLESSING ON EVERY FAMILY. EVERY FAMILY. WHEN
YOUR BABY KID TURN AROUND AND SAY,.
(HAWAIIAN LANGUAGE). , AND LEARNING IT AND
KNOWING WHAT THAT IS, PURE MAGIC. SO TO GROW THAT BABY
STEPS, THAT'S ANOTHER WAY. I DON'T KNOW HOW OLD, IF SHE
HAS CHILDREN, THAT'S A WAY THAT OUR YOUNG PARENTS LEARN
HAWAIIAN. THEY GROW WITH THEIR CHILDREN IN THE
PROGRAM. >> CAN I POINT OUT TOO, THE
FEAR OF BEING PERFECT, I CAN'T DO PERFECT. THAT'S
ARTIFICIAL. THE NOTION OF BABY STEPS, IF YOU LIKE, I
STATED, SANWAN, IT WAS PROBABLY ATROCIOUS. THEY
WERE SO ENCOURAGING. I WAS TRYING TO DO IT RIGHT. IF
YOU COME AT IT WITH A GOOD ENGAGEMENT. SO I'VE BEEN
DOING HAWAIIAN LANGUAGE LONGER THAN MOST OF THEM
HAVE BEEN ALIVE. AND I DON'T THINK THAT I MAKE LIKE
THAT MAKES ME PERFECT. I'M NOT DONE. I'M STILL A
STUDENT. I'M STILL AT IT. STILL LEARNING. AND THE
NOTION OF THERE'S NOT A PERFECT RIGHT THAT YOU'RE
GOING TO LEARN, THIS INSIGHT THAT WE TALK ABOUT, IT'S NOT
LIKE YOU STEP INSIDE, YOU GET IT. THAT WAS ALWAYS
LAYERED. YOU WILL CONTINUE TO LEARN, YOU LEARN THE
STORY, THEN YOU RELEARN THE STORY AND THERE'S MORE TO
IT. IT JUST KEEPS UNFOLDING.
>> THE OTHER SIDE OF THE RAINBOW, I THINK, THAT WE
CAN FOCUS ON, MAYBE THIS IS A METAPHORE. I'M NOT
SPEAKING ABOUT CHRISTIAN PRAYER, BUT WHAT I'M GOING
TO SAY IS THE HAWAIIAN STYLE OF CHRISTIAN PRAYER IS GOING
OUT THE DOOR VERY, VERY FAST. VERY FAST. BECAUSE
OUR OLD FOLKS ARE NOT AROUND. IF WE PAY ATTENTION
TO THE LANGUAGE AND HOW LANGUAGE WAS PIECED
TOGETHER, COMPOSITIONS COME OUT MORE HAWAIIAN. SPEECH
MAKING COMES OUT MORE HAWAIIAN. EVERY DAY SPEECH
COMES OUT MORE HAWAIIAN BECAUSE YOU PAY ATTENTION TO
THE STYLISTIC OF THE NUANCES AND THE BREATH OF THE
LANGUAGE RATHER THAN LEARNING IT AND WITH THE
EQUAL SIGN. I ALWAYS TELL MY STUDENTS, HAUMANA DOES
NOT EQUAL RELIGION. GET OVER IT.
>>MAHEALANI: WHAT IS THE EVIDENCE TO INDICATE THE
STATE OF NORMALIZATION OF THE HAWAIIAN LANGUAGE?
>> 24/7 HAWAIIAN LANGUAGE? >>MAHEALANI: ONE DAY MAYBE?.
YOU'RE ASKING ALL OF THOSE QUESTIONS IN HAWAIIAN?
>>MAHEALANI: THERE'S A DICTIONARY ON LINE.
HAWAIIAN DICTIONARY ON LINE. >> RESOURCES ON LINE. I
WANT TO REENCOURAGE PEOPLE. THERE'S SO MANY RESOURCES
TODAY THAT WEREN'T THERE WHEN I WAS LEARNING. WE'RE
GOING DOOR-TO-DOOR AROUND NOW THEY'RE ON LINE. THAT'S
INCREDIBLE. I WOULD ENCOURAGE HAOLE, HAWAIIAN,
ANYBODY WHO LIVES IN HAWAI'I, LEARN HAWAIIAN.
THIS IS A LANGUAGE OF THE LAND. BE THERE.
>> ACTUALLY, TO GIVE PROPS TO THAT, I WANT TO SAY, 2002
WHEN I FINISHED MY THESIS, I THINK WE WERE PART OF THE
LAST GENERATION YOU HAVE TO SIT IN THE LIBRARY AND DO
THIS WITH THE MICROFITCH. ALL OF OUR STUDENTS HAVE IT
AT HOME. JUST AS YESTERDAY'S 2002, I DIDN'T
HAVE ULUKAU AND EVERYTHING ON LINE. HUGE BLESSING.
>>I WANT TO TALK MORE ABOUT YOUR OWN CHILDREN. KALEHUA
YOU HAVE A DAUGHTER. HOW SHE SHE EMBRACED THE
HAWAIIAN LANGUAGE I HAVE TWO DAUGHTERS. MY OLDEST VERSUS
MY YOUNGEST. >>MAHEALANI: WHO ARE THEIR
AGES. >> OLDEST IS 13. YOUNGEST
IS 8. THE WAY THAT THEY INTERACT WITH LANGUAGE,
WHERE I THINK MY OLDEST, HER HAWAIIAN IS METICULOUS
BECAUSE WE SHELTERED HER. AND THAT'S POINTING MORE
BACK TO THAT SIGN OF NORMALCY. I'LL BE HONEST
WITH YOU, IN MY LIFE, THERE'S A LOT OF SIGNS
AROUND ME, I CAN GO DAY AFTER DAY AND I HAVE TO
BRING TOO MUCH ENGLISH WITHIN THE HOME AND AT WORK
BECAUSE THERE ARE PEOPLE WITH THOSE CAPABILITIES.
BUT I THINK FOR MY CHILDREN, IT'S BUILDING THAT PSEUDO
NORMAL ENVIRONMENT FOR THEM TOO THAT I THINK THAT OUR
SCHOOLS AFFORD AND SOME OF OUR CULTURAL PRACTICES
AFFORD THAT WE'RE RAISING HER IN THAT BUBBLE,
GRAMMATICAL BUBBLE TO SAY, AND NOW MY YOUNGEST DAUGHTER
NOT REALLY HAVING TO LEARN HAWAIIAN FROM ME. HAVING TO
LEARN THE OTHERS. >> MY YOUNGEST HAWAIIAN IS
SO MUCH MORE RICH I THINK THE. IT'S SO MUCH MORE REAL
TO HER. I'M NOT SAYING THAT THERE'S LEVELS OF REAL.
IT'S HARD TO DESCRIBE THAT. BUT FOR HER, THE WAY IT
COMES OUT, THE WAY HER ENGLISH COMES OUT, YOU CAN
HEAR THAT HER ENGLISH GRAMMAR STRUCTURE, THEY ALL
DANCE FOR SNOW, BUT HER ENGLISH GRAMMAR COMES OUT
VERY HAWAIIAN. WHEN SHE'S SPEAKING ENGLISH AT THAT
AGE. THE OTHER TWO WERE SIMILAR TO THAT. BUT I
THINK THAT OVER TIME, IT'S GETTING NORMAL TO BE A PART
OF OF THEIR MIND. >>MAHEALANI: FOR YOUR
YOUNGER ONE, THE HAWAIIAN LANGUAGE IS MORE NATURAL?
IS THAT WHAT WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO SAY.
>> NATURAL FOR ALL THREE OF THEM BECAUSE WE DON'T SPEAK
ENGLISH TO EACH OTHERRER IT'S MORE THE TECHNIQUE OR
METHOD THAT I USE. >> BECAUSE I APPROACHED IT
AT FIRST, THE FIRST OUT. WE'RE DOING THIS. THE
SECOND ONE, COMES, DADDY'S MORE TIRED. THIRD ONE
COMES, I CANNOT. PITA, GO TAKE CARE OF IT.
>> HIS YOUNGEST, SHE HAS TWO OTHER ROLE MODELS FOR HER.
>> RIGHT. >> THAT IS WHAT CHANGES, I
THINK, THE INATENESS OF IT. SHE HAS TWO OLDER ONES WHO
HAVE ALREADY GONE THROUGH IT WITH YOU AND SO SHE'LL JUST
JUMP RIGHT IN. BECAUSE IT IS NOT ABNORMAL FOR HER
BECAUSE NOW, SHE HAS MAMA, PAPA, AND HER KAIKUANA AND
HER KAIKUNANI. ALL OF THEM SPEAKING. SO IT WON'T FEEL
HARDER TO DO. >> FORCED.
NOT FORCED AT ALL. >> ARTIFICIAL.
>> YEAH. >> IT'S NOT A GAME. IT'S
REALLY TAKE THE GARBAGE OUT. >>MAHEALANI: PUAKEA, WHAT
WOULD BE YOUR DREAM FOR THE HAWAIIAN LANGUAGE LET'S SAY,
10, 20, 30 YEARS FROM NOW? >> ANYBODY WHO LIVED HERE,
EITHER UNDERSTOOD IT OR SPOKE IT. THAT'S WHAT I
WOULD, TO ME, THAT WOULD BE HEALTHY AND BEAUTIFUL AND
ALL THE PEOPLE WHO DID LEARN IT COULD SPEAK IT. WHETHER
THEY SPOKE IT OR JUST SIMPLY UNDERSTOOD IT, I THINK THEIR
EXISTENCE HERE WOULD BE RICHER. THEY WOULD BE MORE
ENGAGED WITH WHAT DOES HAPPEN. HAWAI'I IS UNIQUE.
THAT WOULD HELP KEEP HAWAI'I UNIQUE. SO DREAM SMALL LIKE
THAT. >>MAHEALANI: HIAPO, IF THERE
WAS ONE WORD THAT YOU WOULD LIKE OUR VIEWERS LISTENERS
TO LEARN. WHAT WOULD THAT BE? ONE HAWAIIAN WORD.
>> HARD TO CHOOSE ONE WORD. WELL, YOU KNOW, HIAPAI OLE.
THE DESIRE TO BE THE BEST THAT YOU CAN BE. NEVER TAKE
SECOND BEST. HIAPAI OLE. >>MAHEALANI: WHAT ABOUT YOU
SNOWBIRD? YOU GIVE NAMES TO CHILDREN. YOU'VE DONE THAT.
>> YEAH. HOOMAU. THAT WE CONTINUE. YOU KNOW, WE HEAR
A LOT ABOUT PEOPLE SAYING, IN THIS YEAR, 20-WHATEVER,
FULL BLOODED HAWAIIANS WILL BE NO LONGER IN EXISTENCE.
NOT TO GO INTO THAT DEBATE ABOUT QUANTUM, BECAUSE IT'S
A NONISSUE REALLY FOR ME ANYWAY, CANNOT SPEAK TO
EVERYONE, BUT THAT WE'RE ABLE TO, I THINK ON MY TUTU
LADY. I THINK ABOUT HER DECISION TO NOT ALLOW HER
FULL BLOODED CHILDREN TO SPEAK HAWAIIAN. BECAUSE SHE
THOUGHT IT'S, I'M GOING TO PROTECT THEM. AND I'M GOING
TO TELL THEM NO, YOU DO THIS BECAUSE IT WILL BE BETTER
FOR YOU. YOU GUYS WILL BE MORE SUCCESSFUL. BUT IN
WHO'S EYES? AND THEN I THINK ABOUT MY LAST TIME
WITH HER AND HER ONLY SPEAKING HAWAIIAN TO ME.
SHE HAD NEVER SPOKEN HAWAIIAN TO ANY OF HER
CHILDREN. ANY OF HER GRANDCHILDREN. SHE WOULD
TELL THEM, NO, YOU DON'T WANT TO LEARN IT. YOU DON'T
WANT TO DO THAT. BUT THEN I COME ALONG AND SHE'S
SPEAKING HAWAIIAN TO ME. WHAT IS THAT ABOUT? SO IN
MY HEAD, THAT'S HOOMAU. SHE CAME TO A REALIZATION THAT
IF SHE DID DIDN'T, THEN THERE WOULD BE NO ONE LEFT
TO KNOW WHAT OUR STORY IS. WHAT OUR MOOLELO IS. IT'S
NOT JUST US AS A LAHUI, AS A PEOPLE, BUT US AS A FAMILY,
AS OHANA. >>MAHEALANI: KALEHUA WHAT IS
THAT ONE WORD? >> LUCKILY WE'RE OUT OF
TIME. I THINK HIAPO BROUGHT IT UP EARLIER. WHEN I HEARD
THE WORD WELO BECAUSE I THINK THE WORD WELO LOOVES
AT THE INHERITED NATURE OF WHAT WE CARRY. SO WE ALL AS
HAWAIIANS WE FEEL SEPARATED SOMETIMES FROM OUR TWO OR
THREE GENERATIONS BACK. WE FEEL SEPARATED FROM OUR
LANGUAGE AND CULTURE BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN BREAD AND TAUGHT
THAT WAY IN SCHOOLS, THROUGH TEXTBOOK, THROUGH THE WAY
THAT WE WERE, OUR EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCES.
WHAT THE TRUTH REALLY IS, IF WE LOOK AT OUR PEOPLE, IF WE
LOOK AT OUR KUPUNA, WE LOOK AT OUR MAKUA, OUR CULTURE IS
THRIVING WITHIN THEM. WE JUST WEREN'T READY TO SEE
IT. AND I THINK WITH THAT CULTURAL AWARENESS, OF, HEY,
THAT'S ME, BECAUSE I THINK AND I ASK SOMEBODY, ONE OF
THE TEACHERS, SPEAKING WITH EARLIER, WHY DO WE DO WHAT
WE DO? THE ANSWER CAME UP. (HAWAIIAN LANGUAGE).
THE LET THE LANGUAGE LIVE. WHAT I TOOK AWAY FROM THAT,
THAT'S ACTUALLY NOT WHAT I'M ABOUT. I'M THAT LET OUR
PEOPLE LIVE. OUR PEOPLE ARE SUCCESSFUL. WELO TEACHES ME
THAT IN MY GENEALOGY, KUPUNA WERE AKAMAI. KUPUNA WERE
SMART SO I SHOULD BE. I NEED TO EMBRACE THAT AND
THAT'S WHAT GIVES ME MY SENSE OF KULEANA AND TEACHES
ME WHAT I DO AND HOW I NEED TO WALK THROUGH LIFE.
>>MAHEALANI: QUICKLY. PEW KAYE A YOU GET THE LAST
WORD. WHAT IS YOUR WORD. I AM A WORD BABY. MAHALO.
BECAUSE PEOPLE REALLY UNDERSTOOD, IT DOESN'T MEAN
THANK YOU AT ALL. IT MEANS APPRECIATION. IN HAWAIIAN,
YOU DON'T SAY SANG THANK YOU. YOU SAY, I AM MAHALO
BECAUSE OF YOU. I AM IN A STATE OF MAHALO OF
APPRECIATION, ADMIRATION, BECAUSE OF YOU. SO YOU SAY,
MAHALO OI. I AM, MY CONDITION IS MAHALO. YOU'RE
THE CAUSE. IT COMES ACROSS AS THANK YOU. BUT IT'S
REALLY I AM APPRECIATIVE BECAUSE OF YOU.
>>MAHEALANI: MOST PEOPLE DON'T KNOW THAT.
>> IF THEY GET A GRIP ON THAT, IT GIVES THEM A WHOLE
EYE INTO THE LANGUAGE. THAT'S A WINDOW INTO THE WAY
THE LANGUAGE FRAMES THE WORLD. I LOVE THE NOTION
YOU MENTIONED, LANGUAGE IS JUST PART OF THE WELO.
>>MAHEALANI: PUAKEA, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU PUAKEA
TONIGHT. KALEHUA, SNOWBIRD AND HIAPO THANK YOU SO MUCH
FOR JOINING US TONIGHT. NEXT TIME ON INSIGHTS,
DESPITE EFFORTS LIKE OPENING SHELTERS AND CLOSING PARKS
AT NIGHT, HAWAI'I STILL HAS THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF
HOMELESS RESIDENTS PER CAPITA THAN ANY OTHER STATE
IN THE NATION. STATE LEGISLATURE IS CONSIDERING
MEASURES PUT MORE AFFORDABLE UNITS ON THE MARKET WHILE
THE COUNTIES GRAPPLE WITH HOW TO GET THE HOMELESS OUT
OF TENTS AND INTO SHELTERS AND MORE PERMANENT HOUSING.
NEXT WEEK ON INSIGHTS, WHAT MORE CAN WE DO TO SOLVE OUR
HOMELESSNESS PROBLEM. NEXT TIME INSIGHTS ON HAWAI'I.
I'M MAHEALANI RICHARDSON. A HUI HO.