As a master planned community by Kamehameha Schools, Our Kaka‘ako helps to fund educational programs for Native Hawaiian keiki. To honor this purpose and Mahina ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian Language Month), we collaborated with Kumu Kahanuola Solatorio to share ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi with our community through this live stream.
“E ho‘opili mai,” or, “Repeat after me,” is how Kumu Kahanu began his virtual lesson on Instagram Live with us on Tuesday, February 15. Although he couldn’t hear us, we recited obediently from our couches at home as though he was in the room. It brought us back to our school days, shuffling into the classroom and getting settled for the lesson while the teacher got ready.
E Ho‘opili Mai (Repeat After Me), a lesson series Kumu Kahanu created on his social media platforms, was inspired by casual videos he made with his mother teaching her ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi. E Ho‘opili Mai shares free ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi lessons on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Google Classroom. By teaching ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi through modern technology, Kumu Kahanuola shows how digital platforms make education accessible and provide an innovative approach to sharing and preserving Hawaiian culture and language worldwide.
Here are the words and phrases we learned:
- Ho‘olauna (Introduction)
- Welina (Greeting)
- Aloha mai kākou. (Hello to all of you.)
- Inoa (Name)
- ʻO wai kou inoa? (What is your name?)
- ʻO [Name] koʻu inoa. (My name is [Name].)
- No hea mai ʻoe? (Where are you from?)
- No [Place] mai au. (I am from [Place].)
- Noho ʻoe i hea? (Where do you live?)
- Noho au i [Place]. (I live in [Place].)
- Mahalo nui loa! (Thank you very much!)
- A hui hou! (Until we meet again!)
Mahalo nui loa to Kumu Kahanu for providing this lesson and to everyone who tuned in from around the country and the world! The live stream recording is available above and on our Instagram if you need a refresher.
To keep the learning momentum going, we’re posting an ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi Word of the Day on our Instagram Story every day this month, translated by Kumu Kahanu. The series will continue in the coming months with a Word of the Week. If you’re interested in finding out more about Hawaiian history and culture, check out our history page and Hawaiian history quiz. And don’t forget to visit hulihua.net to try the game that even stumped the kumu.
We hope to hear everyone speaking more ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi around our neighborhood. When practicing, remember what Kumu Kahanu said: ʻAʻa i ka ʻōlelo! Mai paʻa i ka leo. (Dare to speak Hawaiian! Don’t withhold your voice.)
