"He haumana 'ōlelo Hawai'i au!" Today is the last day of UHʻs first summer session. Itʻs been intense, but also super rewarding.
Iʻm about to put the finishing touches on my final for ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi - an audio-visual presentation as I introduce my ʻohana. So many feelings have bubbled up as I delve into studying another endangered language, jeopardized by colonialism and ongoing occupation as is the case by in my beloved 'nmarijima of Loo Choo / #Uchinaa / "Okinawa".... My heart aches but also....each word we speak brings life and gives me renewed hope. It is also ever humbling and inspiring as #Shimanchu / #Uchinaanchu living in Hawai'i to be able to learn from kanaka maoli here in Hawai'i. Thanks to our AMAZING kumu, sign-language and illustrations have replaced the traditional flash cards I typically create with my other language studies... Itʻs proven to be pretty effective strategy to help me begin to "think" in the language rather than simply try to recall the English meaning. For those whoʻve been curious, hereʻs a glimpse... huaʻōlelo hou: moe example usage: ʻIke ʻo Kūkahauʻula iā Poliʻahu. Ua moe ʻo Kūkahauʻula i lalo, no ka mea, kapu ʻo Poliʻahu.