Traditional Makahiki games, songs part of Hawaiian language month celebration 

University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
Contact:
Dan Meisenzahl , (808) 348-4936
Spokesperson, UH Communications
Posted: Feb 14, 2020

Haumāna play traditional Makahiki games like moa paheʻe.
Haumāna play traditional Makahiki games like moa paheʻe.
Faculty taught haumāna mele or Hawaiian songs.
Faculty taught haumāna mele or Hawaiian songs.

LINK TO VIDEO AND SOUND (details below): https://bit.ly/37rPoRd

WHAT— UH Mānoa haumāna (students) played traditional Hawaiian games and learned mele (songs) at an event organized by the Hawaiian language department. Everyone who attended was asked to speak only in ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian language). 

WHO—UH Mānoa Kawaihuelani Center for Hawaiian Language, Hawaiian language students, faculty and staff 

WHEN— Friday, February 14 - 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

WHERE— Main lawn in front of the university 

WHY— Organizers encouraged students to engage in more conversations in Hawaiian in order to help them retain the language. 


OTHER FACTS:

  • February is ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian language) month. 

  • The first Hawaiian language courses were offered at the University of Hawaiʻi in 1922, with thousands of students taking ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi since.

  • The first bachelor’s degree in Hawaiian language was earned in 1981.

  • 966 haumāna (students) are currently enrolled in ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi at UH Mānoa.

  • This semester, 61 students are on track to earn bachelor's degrees, 15 are set to be awarded master's degrees.  

  • There are 58 Hawaiian language classes offered on campus along with seven online courses. 

  • Free, non-credit Hawaiian language classes are open to the public on the Mānoa campus through May.   

  • At the event, haumāna played traditional Hawaiian games, moa paheʻe and ʻulu maika. 


VIDEO BROLL (3 minutes, 6 seconds )

  • 1:20 Music video, edited

  • 10 shots: students playing Hawaiian games  

  • 4 shots: playing Hawaiian language games, conversing in Hawaiian

SOUNDBITES (In Hawaiian with English subtitles): 

Kahuliali`i Arraujo - UH Mānoa student (11 seconds)

“Ma hope o ka ho`ēmi o nā poʻe ‘Ōlelo Hawaiʻi. Hauʻoil au e ʻike i kēia mau kānaka e ho ʻāʻo ana e ʻōlelo i ka ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi”

(It’s great because before there was a decrease in people who wanted to learn but now everybody’s wanting to learn the language. It just makes me happy.)

Arraujo (7 seconds)

“Ua komo au i ka papa ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi. E hoʻoikaika i koʻu ʻŌlelo a hoʻoikaika i koʻu ʻike o ko mākou kupuna.”

(I joined Hawaiian language to strengthen my language and also strengthen my identity with the knowledge of our kupuna).