Hāwelelani Camara’s hands were shaking as she leaned toward the microphone. Speaking ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi in class at Kamehameha Schools Hawaiʻi was one thing. Sharing a moʻolelo on the radio — knowing anyone in the community could be listening — was another.

“It was kind of scary going in. I was feeling so nervous,” Camara said. “But having kumu and my mom there helped me get into the groove and feel more comfortable.”

Camara is one of several Keaʻau campus haumāna who lent their leo to “Alana I Kai Hikina,” a long-running KWXX radio program that brings ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi and moʻolelo to listeners across the pae ʻāina. For advanced ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi learners, the opportunity opened a door that few classrooms can offer: stepping into the wider Hawaiian-speaking community and taking part in organic back-and-forth conversations.

“Providing an authentic experience for them to engage with other Hawaiian speakers outside of the classroom is super important to their growth,” said Maikalani Glendon-Baclig, the kumu ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi coordinating the collaboration.

For the program, haumāna selected traditional Hawaiian stories and adapted them into shorter versions for broadcast. Camara’s team shared No Ke Aliʻi Haʻanui o Puna, a moʻolelo about a Puna chief known for constantly boasting, while Kilolanipōwehiwehiamoana Smith and her partner chose a moʻolelo about ʻĪwahaʻouʻou, a Kona farmer who could transform into a shark.

The broadcast required quick thinking as well as preparation. “Alana i Kai Hikina” hosts Kaimana Barcarse and Kawehi Hayes asked spontaneous questions, pushing participants to respond in ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi on the spot.

“That helped us learn how to have conversations instead of just going script to script,” Smith said. “We could just talk with each other in Hawaiian.”

The radio program traces its roots to the early 1990s, when it was created through a seminar class at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo. From college students to longtime practitioners, the show continues as a space to share mele, stories, ideas and insights with the lāhui.

For many learners at non-immersion schools, opportunities to hear and speak ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi regularly can be limited. As a former kaiapuni student, Smith was accustomed to using the language throughout the entire school day. Recording the program allowed her a chance to return to that kind of conversation.

“English is not a dying language,” Smith said. “As Hawaiians, it should be our kuleana to keep our [own] language alive.”

That understanding is why Glendon-Baclig requires her classes not only to participate in the program but also to listen to the broadcast each week and keep using ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi beyond school. But keeping that momentum can be challenging as haumāna balance academics, athletics and family life. Still, she believes experiences like the radio program help them see ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi as part of who they are.

For Glendon-Baclig, that realization came through her own journey. Back when she was an ʻōpio, she had to seek out the language herself, long after earlier generations in her ‘ohana had lost it.

“Language isn’t just a class requirement,” she said. “It’s a kuleana to our lāhui. Our language is precious, and it’s a privilege to speak it.”

Through partnerships like this, she hopes haumāna begin to see ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi not simply as something learned in school but something they can carry forward for their ‘ohana, their communities and the future of the language itself.

---

TAGS
ks hawaii, keaau campus, hawaiian language, student experiences, hawaiian culture based education, ʻōlelo hawaiʻi, mahina ʻōlelo hawaiʻi

CATEGORIES
Kaipuolono Article, Regions, West Hawai’i, East Hawai’i, Themes, Culture, Community, E Ola!, Hawaii Newsroom, KS Hawaii Home, KS Announcements, Newsroom, Hawaii, Community Education, KS Kaiāulu, Oiwi Leaders, Hawaii campus

Print with photos Print text only