Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 14, Number 7, 1 July 1997 — Hawaiian lanauaae publications & new Malo translation [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Hawaiian lanauaae publications & new Malo translation

Children's stories ma ka 'ōlelo Hawai'i For years 'Aha Pūnana Leo, the Hawaiian language immersion preschool organization, has been creating Hawaiian language curriculum items by hand-limiting their availability. They range from educational activities and videos to story books. Some of the stories have audio taDes included with the book.

Curriculum activities consist of matching games. Match the pua with the island and its color. This summer 'Aha Pūnana Leo will publish many of these materials professionally for distribution in the immersion schools. Some will be available for the community to purchase. "We are just wiped out trying to keep up with the interest of these things," said Lilinoe Andrews, the publications coordinator for 'Aha Pūnana Leo. 'Aha Pūnana Leo in conjunction with Hale Kuamo'o recently published Māmaka Kaiao, a Hawaiian language dictionary of new Hawaiian words. This new resource is nearlv sold out and mav need

to be reprinted. Ke Nui A'e Au, (When 1 Grow Up) is the most rprent rhildrpn's J

book printed. All the children in the book are Pūnana Leo students and \ all the professionals in the JMm book actually work in the WĒĒ fields they portray. 'Aha Pūnana Leo has cre- l|j ated a variety of items to help w children and their parents use 1 the Hawaiian language in everyday life. These include flash cards with brief sentences, a sheet with phrases used when on the tele-

phone, and even a sheet to help the loeal banks understand checks writ- «1 ten in Hawaiian language. r Many of the children's publications, tapes and cards ean be found at book stores or ordered through 'Aha Pūnana Leo. For more information on 'Aha Pūnana

Leo eumeulum materials available to the community eall (808) 982-5300. The Kamehameha files Hot off the press is 'Ahahui 'Olelo Hawai'i's first book, Ke Kumu Aupuni, a eompilaūon of Samuel Kamakau's writings on Kamehameha the Great, in Hawaiian. "Kamakau's story in the language he wrote it in and in the sequence he wrote it," described Puakea Nogelmeier, the editor of Ke Kumu Aupuni. Kamakau wrote in the Hawaiian language news-

papers, Kuoko'a and Ke Au 'Oko'a, about Kamehameha's reign and the government whieh he created. These writings have been resurrected and reprinted with 'okina or glottal stop, and kahako or macron, markings to help second-language readers. Gathering the actual text from microfilm was a challenge, Nogelmeier said. Some microfilm is unreadable, and the original is too fragile to photocopy, so certain areas of text had to be hand

copied, he said. NogeImeier credited the many volunteers who helped eompile, edit and re-edit the manuscript. J The task of researching the information to put together Ke Kumu Aupuni took five vears. Kamakau wrote so mueh i

in the Hawaiian language newspapers that a second volume of the Kamehameha reign is planned for 'Ahahui 'Olelo Hawai'i. A third volume of Kamakau's writings on the ruling ,

chiefs, starting before 'Umi, is even possible, Nogelemeier !. said.

||, In the center section of the book are pieces of artwork from the era of Kamehameha the p Great and his son Liholiho.

t Paintings of King Kamem hameha II and Oueen Kamār

■k found in Ireland, possibly done by John Hayter, have never been published before. Permission was required from Russia on works of art by Mikhail Tikhanov, a Russian i artist who painted portraits of

Kamehameha the Great, Chief Boki and his wife Liliha in the early 1800s. Kamakau's level of Hawaiian language and poetry are so good that this book is a good

resource for not only historical value but

grammatical as well, says Nogelmeier. Ka Mo'olelo Hawai'i Hawaiian Traditions Maleolm Naea Chun has finished a long labor of love. For years, Chun has worked to fulfill the plan set in motion 40 years ago by Mary Kawena Pukui and Kenneth P. Emory — a precise translation of Davida Malo's Ka Mo'olelo Hawai'i. Malo's writings are important resources on pre- and post- contact Hawai'i. Malo

was the leading Hawaiian scholar of his time (17951853). His work has been used for more than 90 years, Chun says, by those seeking to understand the period. For more than 10 years, Chun has been working with Malo's words, first transcribing the Hawaiian onto computer, then translating for this work. Chun has translated a number of other works from medicinal practices to biographies to hula.

Malo's work was translated by Nathaniel Emerson at the start of the 20th

^ century, but later scholars, ; T such as Emory and Pukui, found Emerson's translation f filled with error and misinterpretation. The book's jacket contends

"this is the first major and compre- ■ hensive native commentary about Wf traditionaI, pre Euro-American eonW tact and post life covering a range of

m topics from geography, natural sciences to religion and politics. Ka Mo'olelo Hawai'i introduces the reader in

y w* w°rld of the Hawaiian people and their worldview." Chun presents a concise short biography of Malo preceeding the Hawaiian text. The English translation foIlows after the complete Hawaiian text.

The paragraphs are numbered for easier reference.

The book cover, a colorful, jarring interpretation of Malo's work, was created by Brett Graham, a Maori artist who is with the University of Auckland. Ke hoakaka aku nei a'u ma keia moolelo, aole e manao ia keia moolelo, ua pololei loa, no ka mea ma ka lohe mai i ka poe kahiko keia kakau ana, no kamea he manaō wale no ko lakou aole no he pololei loa e like me ka olelo a ke Akua ka pololei loa, Malo wrote in introduction to his work. Emerson translated this as folIows: I do not suppose the following history to be free from mistakes, in that the material for it has eome from oral traditions; consequently it is marred by errors of human judgment and does not approach the accuracy of the word of God.

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