Ke Kula ʻo Nāwahīokalaniʻōpuʻu (Nāwahī) is a Hawaiian Medium education K-12 school that was founded in 1994 and is located in Keaʻau, Puna on Hawaiʻi island. Nāwahī is where Hawaiian language and culture thrive in a living community of families united in fostering, through their efforts, the continued contribution to the quality of life for the Hawaiian people and all who choose Hawai’i as their home. Nāwahī is committed to securing a school community built upon culturally rooted principles of the Kumu Honua Mauli Ola that reflect the importance of spirituality, family, language, knowledge, community, land, and people. Students of Nāwahīokalaniʻōpuʻu are educated upon a Hawaiian cultural foundation. This foundation is the basis upon which students are motivated to bring honor to ancestors, seek and attain knowledge to sustain family, contribute to the well-being and flourishing of the Hawaiian language and culture; and contribute to the quality of life in Hawai’i. In this He ʻŌlelo Ola 2021 "Ke Kula ʻo Nāwahīokalaniʻōpuʻu - Hawaiian Medium Education Experiences" special panel discussion, we are joined by current High School students of Ke Kula ʻo Nāwahīokalaniʻōpuʻu who will share their own personal experiences of going to school in a Hawaiian medium education setting. Listen in as these students walk us through a normal day in school, share academic and career goals, and any challenges and success stories they’ve experienced as young Hawaiian language learners and advocates.
About He ʻŌlelo Ola
He ʻŌlelo Ola, also known as the "Hilo Field Study" of the International Conference on Language Documentation and Conservation (ICLDC) has been held biannually since 2009 in association with ICLDC. ICLDC is traditionally held on the campus of the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa on Oʻahu Island, while He ʻŌlelo Ola is held in a consortium of programs coordinated through the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo on Hawaiʻi Island.
In 2021 during the COVID 19 pandemic, He ʻŌlelo Ola and ICLDC were held virtually. He ʻŌlelo Ola 2021 was recorded and we here make that recording available for viewing through Mokuola Honua Center for indigenous Language Excellence. The contents of this recording represent the consortium of entities working together in Hawaiian language revitalization as of March 2021. The consortium is continually growing and adding features and future He ʻŌlelo Ola will include new information and initiatives.
Explore mokuolahonua.com for further information on the Hawaiian language revitalization consortium efforts in Hilo, and to contact He ʻŌlelo Ola organizers.