'A'ole la! Hawaiian Fluency isn't mandatory at Kamehameha. I personally feel all students should have some prior knowledge to the language, but that's not even required of them. Some of my classmates barely understand basic things/ words. Kaumaha loa kela. From what I know, at Kamehameha High School Hawai'i, Hawaiian Language - the class - is mandatory your first year [as a freshman, or if you come in to the school later, you have to take it then], but if you were in the school before High School - like I was [in Middle School] - they count the little knowledge you learned in Hawaiian I and allow you to pick by your freshman year what language class you want to take.
I dont know if it has changed in the past 20 years but at Kapalama 2 years of ROTC was mandatory for boys as well as 1 year of PE (freshman swim/run)
I ku'u wahi mana'o hiki no lakou ke hana ho'i me ka Papa 'Olelo Hawai'i
Ae. It is mandatory to take two consequtive years of ethier Hawaiian, Spanish, or Japanese. I agree with the others, Olelo Hawaii should be mandatory for graduation.
Then it is time as a lahui to 'oki that kaula and break the mold of thinking. My grandmother used to always speak about na la kahiko and yes like u said would get punished for speaking a language of her own kupuna. She used to tell me that when ever her teacher would hear her 'olelo hawai'i she used to tell her to make her hand into a flower shaped and then would wack the top of her finger tips so her fingers would crumble. My kupuna, Elizabether Ku'ulei Alama Kalawa like all kupuna's was so strong and steadfast, as she got older she never let anyone tell her what to do. As for speaking Hawaiian, she would only speak with my Grandpa Sam and to few of her hoaalohas at Lions Club but never to her kids or her grandkids. When I got older I realized she never spoke to me in Hawaiian and I used to wonder no ke aha mai?Then I understood because of all the punishment she and her classmates used to get as a keiki, that mana'o of speaking your own native tongue was a sin, so it was hidden from us. Since that mana'o dominated how she thought then in her own way she didn't want us to get punished like her if we started to 'olelo Hawai'i.
When I said hawaiian language shouldn't be manditory I pulling more from experience, when I went to hawaiian immersion, of course it was manditory to speak hawaiian everywhere on campus even at play time. If a kumu heard u speak english then u were punished and if u did it enough then u went to the po'okumu. For some students it could be a turn off, where u get scoldings enough u not going to want to do it at all. That's with anything, you pressure someone to do something against their own will then they get defiant against it and they blame and hate the obvious.
I do not mean to press harm or any hukihuki so if I have caused anyone any pilikia with my mana'o please forgive me for that is not my intent.
it's sad that it has to be a papa that we need to take and not something we would already speak at home. I am very blessed that my 'ohana put me through hawaiian immersion before I went to Kamehameha. I'm not sure if it would be wise to make papa 'olelo hawai'i mandatory, purely for that fact that as Hawaiians we need to want to speak and not because we have to.
Except ‘Aha Pūnana Leo started in about 1984 and Ka Papahana Kaiapuni Hawai'i in 1987.
"In 1987, in light of the Hawai'i State Constitution mandate (Article X, Section 4) to promote the study of Hawaiian culture, language and history and the persistent requests of parents and Hawaiian community leaders, the Department of Education established the Hawaiian Language Immersion Program, Ka Papahana Kaiapuni Hawai'i."
Before then for those of us less fortunate we did not have a chance and/or a choice. That is why Kamehameha Schools can give those who are not as fortunate to have been accepted into a Hawaiian language school and I would hope that some people are aware that Hawaiian language immersion schools started in the 1980s. Even then not all Hawaiians are fortunate to be able to attend these schools.
Even before the 1980s some of our kupuna have had it the worse. Being scolded. Being hit. Being made to feel ashamed so the question of wanting to speak it is irrelevant for some especially some KS grads that came before us. Some did not have the opportunity. Some Hawaiians still do not have an opportunity.
With all the scandals some people brought shame to the school too. Makes me wonder about some things. Well I noticed you have Kalani M. on your friends page too. He make me laugh so much.
When I attended Kamehameha Schools (from 1981 through 1985)... no it wasn't mandatory just as it's still not mandatory at all Kamehameha Schools' campuses now. The counselor at the time specifically Myron Arakawa told me that we should learn a foreign language so I took French and Japanese. Like Pauahi above... they strongly urged that I study a foreign language that I can use and that is "more practical." I chose two: French and Japanese which I also studied in college. Big lie. Big mistake.
He also told me that I will never be able to attend the University of Washington because my family was poor but I found a way. Now I have heard he is a counselor at Punahou. I am not sure if it's the same way but I have seen and read that some things are changing. Some for the better. Some for the worse but in my opinion olelo makuahine should have always been a required language but I understand why they never did that because to know our mother tongue would make it more difficult for some to brainwash us against our kupuna.
Fortunately some of that has changed in that more students are studying the language at the Kamehameha Schools and beyond which I think is great but over all... I don't think that Hawaiian language is mandatory throughout the Kamehameha Schools' campuses... but it should be. I highly doubt it will happen though because the closer we are to our mother tongue the less likely they can brainwash us against our kupuna which I think some (still) try to do. Just my mana'o.
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I ku'u wahi mana'o hiki no lakou ke hana ho'i me ka Papa 'Olelo Hawai'i
When I said hawaiian language shouldn't be manditory I pulling more from experience, when I went to hawaiian immersion, of course it was manditory to speak hawaiian everywhere on campus even at play time. If a kumu heard u speak english then u were punished and if u did it enough then u went to the po'okumu. For some students it could be a turn off, where u get scoldings enough u not going to want to do it at all. That's with anything, you pressure someone to do something against their own will then they get defiant against it and they blame and hate the obvious.
I do not mean to press harm or any hukihuki so if I have caused anyone any pilikia with my mana'o please forgive me for that is not my intent.
me ke aloha,
Ka'ula
Aloha,
Ka'ula '02
"In 1987, in light of the Hawai'i State Constitution mandate (Article X, Section 4) to promote the study of Hawaiian culture, language and history and the persistent requests of parents and Hawaiian community leaders, the Department of Education established the Hawaiian Language Immersion Program, Ka Papahana Kaiapuni Hawai'i."
Before then for those of us less fortunate we did not have a chance and/or a choice. That is why Kamehameha Schools can give those who are not as fortunate to have been accepted into a Hawaiian language school and I would hope that some people are aware that Hawaiian language immersion schools started in the 1980s. Even then not all Hawaiians are fortunate to be able to attend these schools.
Even before the 1980s some of our kupuna have had it the worse. Being scolded. Being hit. Being made to feel ashamed so the question of wanting to speak it is irrelevant for some especially some KS grads that came before us. Some did not have the opportunity. Some Hawaiians still do not have an opportunity.
Aloha,
Lana KS '85
He also told me that I will never be able to attend the University of Washington because my family was poor but I found a way. Now I have heard he is a counselor at Punahou. I am not sure if it's the same way but I have seen and read that some things are changing. Some for the better. Some for the worse but in my opinion olelo makuahine should have always been a required language but I understand why they never did that because to know our mother tongue would make it more difficult for some to brainwash us against our kupuna.
Fortunately some of that has changed in that more students are studying the language at the Kamehameha Schools and beyond which I think is great but over all... I don't think that Hawaiian language is mandatory throughout the Kamehameha Schools' campuses... but it should be. I highly doubt it will happen though because the closer we are to our mother tongue the less likely they can brainwash us against our kupuna which I think some (still) try to do. Just my mana'o.
Aloha,
Lana KS '85
Aloha kakou. Just wanted to add that 'olelo Hawai'i is mandatory on the KS-Hawai'i campus. Just one year, tho. mahalo!
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