Mahina ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi- Kalua Castro

Kaluapiilahaina Castro 

Kumu o ka papa mālaaʻo a me ka papa ʻekahi 

Kindergarten and First grade teacher.

ʻAlo Kēhau o ka ʻĀina Mauna

Puʻukapu, Waimea,  Hawaiʻi

Wahi a kupuna, "ʻO ka ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi ke kaʻā o ka mauli".   No kākou ke kuleana ʻo ka hoʻoulu i ka pikoʻu mauli Hawaiʻi o kēia hanauna i ola nā moʻolelo, nā mele, a me nā loina Hawaiʻi o ka wā ma mua. ʻO ka hoʻōla ʻana i ka ʻōlelo o nā kūpuna a me ka ʻāina ke ala e paʻa ai ko kākou mauli.  Ua lilo wau i kumu ma ka papahana ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi ma Waimea i mea e ola loa ai ka ʻōlelo kanaka o ia ʻāina i nā mamo o ka ua paliloa.  

The elders say, “The Hawaiian language is the fiber that binds us to our cultural identity.”  It is our responsibility to improve upon our Hawaiian identity in this generation through the stories, the songs and the customs of the past.  The revival of the Hawaiian language and the land is the way to engage our spirit.  I became a Hawaiian language curriculum teacher in Waimea so that the language of the descendants of the Paliloa rain will thrive.