Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 33, Number 3, 1 March 2016 — A he leo wale nō e [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

A he leo wale nō e

II A heleo walenōe...simply * ' / \ a voice. This ieonie line /_\ from the tradi- /^\ tional oli komo

# »says that it is the leo, the voice that is the greatest offering. It is the voice that grants access to knowledge and it is the voice that opens up passages to sacred places here on earth and those sacred places that lie within eaeh of us." As noted by Nāpua Greig. In an oral society, the leo was revered as one of the greatest gifts one could offer. As such, 'Ōlelo Hawai'i, as a repository

of 'ike, is integral to our eommunity. Over the years, the use of our language has grown exponentially. In a recent article by Ivy Ashe, Larry Kimura's foresight is honored as a "labor of love" in creating an all 'Ōlelo Hawai'i radio show during a time when Hawaiian was dying out. Nonetheless, with little support and little to show for an audienee, Kimura created "Ka Leo Hawai'i". Larry Kimura continued to host "Ka Leo Hawai'i" for 16 years and later being kept up by Puakea Nogelmeir, producing a total of 417 programs in all. 40+ years later, Kimura will release these recordings online with transcriptions to follow - accessible to all. These informal talk-story sessions would prove to be mueh more than that. This invaluable resource documents the experiences of our kupuna and their leo ma ka 'Ōlelo Hawai'i. It was this very radio show that would host highly respected guests throughout our eommunity, preserving their leo for the coming generations. Haumāna aiming to learn 'Ōlelo Hawai'i used and eonlinue to use "Ka Leo Hawai'i" as means to immerse themselves in the language through our kūpuna's own leo. Today, this audience continues to grow. KTUH, UH-Mānoa's Radio Station, now hosts two weekly radio shows, dedicated to mele Hawai'i and 'Ōlelo Hawai'i "Kīpuka Leo" and

"Kai Leo Nui". See ktuh.org for more information. Today, our language clearly

thrives - accessible through a number of avenues. We have eome a long way from the small audience that Kimura selflessly prepared for. Today, there is an emphasis on 'Ōlelo Hawai'i as a legal language, on the value of leo. February was recognized as "mahina 'Ōlelo Hawai'i", Hawaiian language month. The Merrie Monarch festival, not only awards for the exceptional use of language in hula,

but also broadcasts entirely in 'Ōlelo Hawai'i. Our Pūnana Leo schools thrive, immersing not only the children that they serve, but their mākua as well - pushing them to speak, too. This is critical as our children begin to eoneeptualize the world they live through their language. On the opposite end of the spectrum, students ean now earn their doctorate in Hawaiian and Indigenous Language and Culture Revitalization at UH Hilo. The Legislature is moving to appropriate funds to UH Hilo's Ka Haka 'Ula o Ke'elikōlani, their Hawaiian Language School. Recently, on February 15th, Kumu 'Ōlelo Hawai'i (Hawaiian Language Teachers) gathered at the 2nd annual 'Aha Kumu where they discussed strategies to ensure 'Ōlelo Hawai'i eontinues to live in Hawai'i. Overall, our language continues to make progress, thrive, and encourages others to value leo and 'Ōlelo Hawai'i. This in no way, however, means that it is sufflcient. There is still work to be done. The 2010 Census reports that only 3% of the islands' population speaks the language. Whether this be an aeeurate figure or not, the strides that 'Ōlelo Hawai'i have made must still be supported. We need to again plaee value on our leo and 'Ōlelo Hawai'i as it binds us to the plaee we live in. ■

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Carmen "Hulu" Lindsey Trustee, Maui