Ola ka ʻŌlelo: A Hawaiian Language Session on Language and Culture in Conservation (at the 2019 Hawaiʻi Conservation Conference)

Wahi a kūpuna, i ka ʻōlelo nō ke ola a i ka ʻōlelo nō hoʻi ka make. I loko nō o kēia makahiki kauʻāina o nā ʻōlelo ʻōiwi, e hoʻoholo ana mākou i pānela ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi i mea e hōʻike aku ai he ʻōlelo ola kēia, a he waiwai nō i ka pōʻaiapili mālama ʻāina. E noi ana mākou i mau ʻelele o nā lālā mālama ʻāina like ʻole o ka Paeʻāina e kūkā kamaʻīlio ai no kā lākou hana, a pehea i kia ai ko lākou manaʻo ma o ka ʻōlelo, moʻomeheu, me ka ʻike kuʻuna Hawaiʻi. Kono ʻia ke anaina nānā e kaʻanalike a kūkākūkā pū me mākou ma o ka ʻike aku, ʻike mai.

Ancestral teachings tell us that language is an enabling factor of our ability to prosper.  Like the ʻaʻaliʻi kū makani, language revitalization has become a way to demonstrate strength and resilience.  In this, the 2019 UN Year of Indigenous Languages, we will convene the first-ever Hawaiian Language panel at the Hawaiʻi Conservation Conference to celebrate our ancestral language and culture, to demonstrate their important role in conservation efforts, and to situate ancestral teachings in present-day conservation contexts.  Panelists from various conservation groups across Hawaiʻi will share about their work and ways language and culture have guided and shaped their efforts. Through large group discussions, we will create opportunities to share and discuss together with audience members experiences, lessons learned, and recommendations for future action. We welcome all to attend.  Simultaneous translation will be provided for those who require support.