March 14, 2008
Kamehameha Schools Song Contest
There was a time when it was illegal to teach the Hawaiian language in public schools except as a foreign language. Many people believe that it was even illegal to speak Hawaiian. That’s not true, but it was greatly discouraged and made an issue of shame for many years after Westernization. Being unable to speak English meant being shut out of business, government and social affairs. The language neared extinction as Hawaiians faced the pressure to fit in by “acting American.” Those days are long gone, but there are still very few people (comparatively speaking) who are fluent in Hawaiian. These days our local schools teach the language and culture, and Hawaiian has now been an official state language for thirty years. The anniversary is the theme of the annual Kamehameha Schools Song Contest this year:
Thirty years after a constitutional convention made Hawaiian one of the state’s official languages, the school is celebrating it’s resurgence and honoring those who struggled to keep it alive through a time when Hawaiians were chastized for speaking their native language.
“We have less than 40 manaleo, native speakers, outside of Niihau. That’s it… This generation of Haumana, students, will see the last manaleo close their eyes. The last one outside of Niihau… Shame, terrible…” said Farden. Hailama Farden is a Kumu Olelo (language instructor) at Kamehameha Schools.
Kamehameha Schools is a school for Hawaiian kids funded by the estate of Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop and has probably done more than any other institution to keep the Hawaiian language and culture alive. One way they showcase the fruit of their labor is through the annual Song Contest. It’s a very big deal here in Hawaii. Tonight the network prime time shows won’t matter. We’ll all be watching the students sing their hearts out. Read the entire story, and make sure you click on the video so you can get an idea of the level of talent that these kids have achieved through hard work, pride and determination. Prepare to be amazed!
Before I sign off, I want to salute KGMB9 News for deciding to make a news broadcast in the Hawaiian language a permanent part of their morning lineup. Way to go, KGMB! It’s a step in the right direction!
[tags]Hawaii, Hawaiian language, Kamehameha Schools Song Contest, KGMB9 News[/tags]
Posted by skeet @ 11:16 am • Hawaii, Society & culture
RSS feed for comments on this post.
TrackBack URI
March 14th, 2008 at 11:59 am, skeet’s stuff » Share Some Good Stuff Says:
[…] be calling my friend to see if she’ll come over tonight to share dinner and watch the Kamehameha Schools Song Contest with me. I’m thinking she’ll say yes, because we both love this annual celebration of […]