What is Hawaiian? Why does it Matter?

What is Hawaiian?  For me in particular I’ve learned that Hawaiian is more than just a language, it’s a way of life, its history, culture, heritage, and traditions that were passed down from generation to generation.  Being in the Hawaiian Immersion Program all my life, and leaving at age 16, I felt a strong pull towards all things Hawaiian.  In Immersion we were immersed in everything Hawaiian, speaking it at all times while in class and practicing it when we could.  Makahiki was my favorite time of year, playing the traditional games that were played in ancient Hawaii, doing oli’s, and dancing hula, they were the things that stuck with me most.  Then when I left the Hawaiian Immersion Program I lost sight of what being Hawaiian was all about.  I struggled the first year when I noticed that being Hawaiian and knowing Hawaiian was no longer the main role that was being played in my life, so I tried to reconnect with the one thing that I’ve known all my life, which was Hawaiian. They American society may play a huge role in our life styles today, and they may have labeled our people and our traditions as savaged, but we as Hawaiians know who and what we are, we are a people who have been oppressed, a people who have given freely and have gotten nothing in return.  So why does it matter?  I would say that it matter because Hawaiian should be something very important to those who are Hawaiian.  We need to know where we came from, because without that, what type of future do we have?

 

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