Mahina ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi- Kaʻiokiaʻi Tolentino-Smith

Kaʻiokiaʻi Tolentino-Smith

Kumu Papa 1

Ke Kula Kaiapuni o Hāna

Wākiu, Hāna, Maui


“Na wai hoʻi ka ʻole o ke akamai, he alahele i maʻa i ka hele ʻia e oʻu mau mākua.” -Liholiho

“Who would not be wise on a path walked upon by my ancestors?” -Liholiho

He poʻe akamai nā kūpuna a pēlā pū nā pua o Hāna. Hānai ʻia ke kama no ʻaneʻi ma ke ʻano he Hawaiʻi. Mākaukau ke keiki Hāna ma nā ʻike kuʻuna like ʻole: ʻo ke aloha ʻohana ʻoe, ʻo ka holoholo ma uka ʻoe, ʻo ka holoholo ma kai ʻoe, ʻo ka hula ʻoe, a pēlā wale aku. Eia naʻe, no nā hanauna ua nele mākou i ka ʻōlelo o ka ʻāina, ka ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi. ʻO ia ke kumu aʻu e ʻauamo ai i kēia kuleana nui ʻo ke kumu kula kaiapuni, i ʻike ʻole nā pua o Hāna i ka nele a ola ka ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi i kēia hanauna a me nā hanauna e hiki mai ana. E ola mau ka ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi.

Our ancestors were a smart people, like them so are our children of Hāna. A child from here is raised Hawaiian. The Hāna child is agile in different Hawaiian practices, whether it be loving their family,  hunting, fishing, hula, among many other things. However, for generations we were deprived of the language of the land, Hawaiian language. That is the reason I take on this big responsibility of a Hawaiian immersion teacher, so our children will never know deprivation and ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi lives in this generation and the generations to come. Long live the Hawaiian language!