Hawaiian Language Conservation

Is Hawaiian culture and language worth saving?

UH Manoa to Host the 2nd Annual International Conference on Language Documentation and Conservation

It is believed that a language dies every 14 days, and with it, a history, heritage and traditions. The story of an entire people is lost.

Thanks to indigenous language immersion programs such as ‘Aha Pūnana Leo, the Hawaiian language is not currently facing this fate. But this has not always been the case. Just as recently as 30 years ago, the death of the Hawaiian language was a very real concern. Years of political and linguistic repression and a ban on teaching in Hawaiian in public schools left few speakers of the language. The Star Bulletin reported that less than 50 of these native speakers were under the age of 18, chiefly living on Niihau. As John Heckathorn expressed in his 2008 article, “Hawaiian ‘language nests’ mark 25 years”, “When the next generation doesn’t
acquire a language young, it’s on its way to a silent goodbye.”

Hawaiian language immersion schools have proven just what can happen when the next generation does have the opportunity to acquire their native language. More families are speaking Hawaiian at home and thousands of students across the Aloha state, from preschool to graduate school, have quite literally breathed new life into the language. And now others are looking to Hawaii as one of the most successful examples of language revitalization.

Hawaiian culture and the Hawaiian language are still represented in many state events.

This week the University of Hawaii at Manoa will host it’s second annual International Conference on Language Documentation and Conservation, entitled “Strategies for Moving Forward”. The conference brings together researchers, students, teachers, and community members interested in sharing strategies for supporting and implementing language documentation and revitalization efforts. Optional pre-conference technical workshops will be held from February 9th – 10th and short films about endangered languages will be screened in the evening February 10th, from 6:30-9:30. The screening will take place at UH Manoa’s Center for Korean Studies and is open and free to the public. Over 160 presentations and three plenary talks (including one specifically on Hawaiian language revitalization efforts, given by co-founder of ‘Aha Pūnana Leo, Larry Kimura) will be offered from February 11th-13th,
followed by a working session for the Smithsonian’s “Recovering Voices” project will take place in the afternoon of February 13th. An optional post-conference trip to the Big Island February 14th – 15th will allow participants a chance to visit and learn about some of the immersion schools that have been so successful here in our great state.

On-site registration is still available. More information on the conference, talks, presentations, and events can be found online at http://nflrc.hawaii.edu/ICLDC/2011/index.html.