UH Hilo hosts conference, aims to revitalize Olelo Hawaii

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – The University of Hawaii at Hilo is hosting a conference to revitalize the Hawaiian language.

On Monday and Tuesday, UH Hilo is hosting He Olelo Ola, an event that invites indigenous language specialists from around the world, providing a unique opportunity to observe instruction of Olelo Hawaii from preschool to the PhD level.

Experts will discuss the future of the Hawaiian language along with endangered languages worldwide.

This year’s theme, No Anei Ko Kakou Ola (our identity is from this place, connecting back to the homeland), highlights the link between olelo Hawaii revitalization and similar efforts among Native American and Indigenous communities globally.

Panel discussions will focus on supporting Hawaiian speaking communities and connecting with the Native Hawaiian diaspora.

Discussions will also highlight how UH Hilo prepares students to navigate life in communities where Indigenous languages remain minority languages in their own lands, similar to olelo Hawaii.

Known as the Hilo Field Study, participants will explore UH Hilo’s Hawaiian language college which is home to the nation’s only BA to PhD Olelo Hawaii medium program.

The tour will also include a visit to Nawahiokalaniopuu, the largest Indigenous language medium school in the U.S., where students receive a full preschool-through-12th-grade education entirely in Olelo Hawaii.

UH Hilo linguists said Hawaiian speaking communities in Hilo share many similarities with diaspora communities in large cities where families often have mixed racial and linguistic identities in an increasingly globalized world.

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