Synopsis: With the Star- Bulletin and the Advertiser under one owner, opportunities to expand the domains of Hawaiian in the mainstream media increase. A work force at these bureaus that is literate in Hawaiian is needed.

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Hō'ike 'o Helen Chapin ua pani 'ia ka nūpepa 'ōlelo Hawai'i hope loa i kū'ai laulā 'ia, 'o Ka Hōkū o Hawai'i, i ka MH 1948. Ma ia manawa, ua emi maila ka nui o ka po'e akamai i ka 'ōlelo Hawai'i, a no laila, 'a'ole nō paha i lawa ka nui o ka po'e kū'ai e lako ai ia hui pa'i nūpepa i ke kālā puka, no laila, pani 'ia nō. Mai ia manawa mai, 'a'ohe hui pa'i nūpepa i 'ike hou 'ia, a i ia wā ho'okahi nō, ua emi loa mai ka mana'o o ka lehulehu o Hawai'i nei i ka mea nui o ka 'ōlelo Hawai'i ma muli o ke koikoi 'ia o ka 'ōlelo Pelekānia ma nā kula a ma waena ho'i o ka lehulehu. Ua 'ike 'ia kekahi mau palapala pōkole i kekahi mau manawa me kekahi 'ōlelo Hawai'i ma loko, akā, 'a'ole he nūpepa kū lā a kū pule paha.

Ma nā makahiki kanawalu, ho'okumu 'o Ilei Beniamina i kekahi kolamu kū pule ma loko o ka nūpepa 'o ka Garden Island Newspaper ma Kaua'i i kapa 'ia 'o Nā Nū Hawai'i. 'O ia paha ka manawa mua i 'ike 'ia ai he kolamu 'ōlelo Hawai'i kū mau mai ka wā o Ka Hōkū o Hawai'i.

Ua nui nō ka mahalo 'ia o ia kolamu e ka po'e 'ōlelo Hawai'i o Kaua'i a me nā mokupuni 'ē a'e o ka pae'āina nei, akā, he kū'aki ia i ka na'au o kekahi po'e o ka lehelehe 'eu'eu o Kaua'i i hoihoi 'ole i ka 'ike 'ia o ka 'ōlelo Hawai'i ma loko o ka Garden Island. Ua pa'i pū 'ia i loko o ia nūpepa nā mana'o 'ōhumuhumu o kekahi po'e 'ōlelo Pelekānia he waiwai 'ole ka 'ōlelo Hawai'i a no ke aha mai 'a'ole i pa'i like 'ia he kolamu 'ōlelo Kepanī, Pākē, a Kelamānia paha i loko o ia nūpepa. Ua 'oi aku ka nui o kēia 'ano mana'o 'ōhumuhumu ma mua o ka po'e i hō'ike i ko lākou kāko'o, a no laila, 'a'ole nō i lō'ihi loa a ho'opau 'ia 'o Nā Nū Hawai'i.

Hele loa mai a kēia mau makahiki hope nei a ke 'ike nei kākou ua pi'i ka nui o ka nānā 'ia o ka 'ōlelo Hawai'i he mea kūpono loa ke 'ike nui 'ia i kēia wā, no ka mea, 'o kēia ka 'āina makua o ka 'ōlelo Hawai'i a ua pi'i ka heluna o ka po'e i 'ike i ka 'ōlelo Hawai'i. Mana'o ka lehulehu he 'oi a'e ka 'ōlelo Hawai'i ma mua o kekahi 'ōlelo 'ē ma ka pae'āina nei. He māhele mea nui loa ka 'ōlelo Hawai'i i ke 'ano kū ho‘okahi o kēia 'āina. Mai ke kanaka nui a ke kanaka iki o ke kūlana o Hawai'i nei i kēia wā, he hō'ike 'a'ole i like ke kūlana o ka 'ōlelo Hawai'i ma kēia 'āina me nā 'ōlelo 'ē. Ua 'oi a'e ka mea nui o ka 'ōlelo Hawai'i i 'ane'i.

No laila, he pono loa nō e paipai 'ia nā hui pa'i nūpepa o kēia wā e apo i ka 'ōlelo Hawai'i ma loko o nā 'ao'ao o ko lākou mau nūpepa a e ho'olako 'ia ko lākou mau ke'ena i ka po'e i 'ike i ka heluhelu a me ka ho'omaopopo i ka 'ōlelo makuahine o kēia 'āina. Na ka po‘e akamai i ka ‘ōlelo e kīkēkē ma nā puka o nā hui pa'i nūpepa e waiho ai i ka noi i hana ma ko lākou mau hui; 'a'ole ho'i e noho mālie a kali iā lākou na lākou e hele e 'imi i ka 'ike i ka 'ōlelo Hawai'i.

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E ho'ouna 'ia mai nā leka iā māua, 'o ia ho'i 'o Laiana Wong a me Kekeha Solis ma ka pahu leka uila ma lalo nei:

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a i ‘ole ia, ma ke kelepona:

» 956-2627 (Laiana)

» 956-2624 (Kekeha)

This column is coordinated by the Hawaiian Language Department at the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, supported by the Initiative for Achieving Native Hawaiian Academic Excellence.