Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 35, Number 3, 1 March 2018 — LASTING IMPRESSIONS [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]
LASTING IMPRESSIONS
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It's overcast and drizzling in Kaka'ako but that does little to dampen the excitement of paint-speck-led haumāna from Ke Kula 'o Kamakau as they leave brightly colored handprints all over the side of Scott Hawai'i's Kona Street wall. "We're here to do a mural and share our aloha," explains fourth grader Vaiti Lopes. The mural the Kāne'ohe public charter school students are working on is the sixth in a series of 10 walls on five islands. Collectively they tell the mo'olelo of Kalapana, as written by Moses Nakuina and serialized in Hawaiian language newspapers in 1902. The mural series is also a celebration of 'ōlelo Hawai'i and Ka Papahana Kaiapuni, the Hawaiian language immersion program offered today in
23 public schools. The mural project is named Ke Kanakolu (30), in commemoration of the kaiapuni program's 30th school year. "Ke Kanakolu is one project celebrating the life and the strides of 'ōlelo Hawai'i from its beginning to today, not only stopping today but also looking at the next 30 years and the next 30 after that and the next 30 after that," explains Kamalani Johnson, the project's Hawaiian language director. The first mural was painted on Hawai'i Island in November and the last wall will be completed in May on Kaua'i. The path mirrors Kalapana's travels across the pae 'āina to master the art of ho'opāpā, a battle of wits, and avenge his father's death by winning a riddling contest on Kaua'i.
The Ke Kanakolu team includes "Prime" Hina, a prominent figure in Hawai'i's urban art scene, who helps students convey both the story of Kalapana and their own kaiapuni experience. Project manager Mahea Akau adds public art experience to the mix. "I knew right away who I wanted to build the team with - it was 808 Urban and Kamalani Johnson," she said. "To commemorate 30 years is huge for our lāhui and for us to have the privilege of being part of that is pretty special." Johnson hopes that those who see the walls will walk away knowing that 'ōlelo Hawai'i is a living language and that the murals are an expansion of the Hawaiian language domain. Using street art to tell the story of Kalapana and the kaiapuni program is a
«dcmonstration that 'ōlelo Hawai'i exists away from education. The wall the Kamakau students are working on focuses on Kalapana's hnal battles with the kānaka makua who first
bested his father in a riddling contest, then executed him. Kalapana wasn't mueh bigger than the Kamakau students when he decided to avenge his father's death. "His tenacity and his love for his family, his 'ohana and his 'āina, his land, really brings him through to the end," said Johnson. The students' mural also tells "their story of Ke Kula *o Kamakau, their namesake Samuel Mānaiakalani Kamakau, their kaiapuni experience and how they view the value of 'ōlelo Hawai'i for them." To third grader Moanakekai Haehae, the reason for the mural is pretty simple. "I want them to know we speak 'ōlelo
Hawai'i," she says. As Johnson points out, the murals also reflect the longevity of the Hawaiian language, whieh nearly went extinct after decades of being banned in public schools. But 40 years ago, 'ōlelo Hawai'i became an official state language, paving the way for the 'Aha Pūnana Leo immersion preschools that in turn created demand for the kaiapuni program whieh now serves more than 2,800 keiki a year. "The tenacity of Kalapana as a small child doing what he needed to do, going up against
adults, it's very, very similar and very comparable to Hawaiian lan- I guage efforts of today in various j domains of 'ōlelo Hawai'i," Johnson said. "We're looking at the grassroots efforts and what it took to go against a system for the lon- | gevity of 'ōlelo Hawai'i." Community members are invited to help paint the remaining walls. i Follow Ke Kanakolu on social media to learn about upcoming j paint days. ■
Ke Kanakolu brings fogether artists, educators, students and community members to celebrate 'ōlelo Hawai'i. Tbe project started on Hawai'i lsland and the last wall will be painted on Kaua'i. Ke Kula 'o Kamakau painted a Kona Street wall in Kaka'ako.
What do you want people to know about Ke Kanakolu, Ke Kula 'o Kamakau and 'ōlelo Hawai'i?
mm Vaiti Lopez 4th grade "I think it's a good idea to do this so people ean actually see the Hawaiian language will never die and when we put our handprints on it it shows we have courage to keep on continuing this beautiful language."
Kaleikoa Cuban 4th grade "I want them to learn about the Hawaiian lslands and Hawai'i... Hawaiian language is important."
Pua Kepoo 3rd grade "We're going to put our handprints on the wall no ka mea we ean show our love and support to our school. The thing I like about my school is that we speak Hawaiian for the whole entire day and we don't want to stop."
'lliwai Maka'ine 2nd grade "I speak it at home, I speak it at Kamakau and when I see my friends sometimes. I speak it sometimes when I go a plaee like hotels and I speak it to my mom and my dad."
Kaleikaumaka Chan Kindergarten "l'm painting wall with different kind of colors. It's going to tell how a boy that's little, he talked to an evil chief." #