Fifth Annual ʻAha Aloha ʻŌlelo – Hawaiian Language Competition

Pūnana Leo o Kona invites the entire ʻohana to the Fifth Annual ʻAha Aloha ʻŌlelo on Saturday, Jan. 13, 2018, at the Old Airport Makaʻeo Pavilion. Festivities will go from 9 a.m. through 7 p.m. and will feature their annual Hawaiian language competition, live entertainment, vendors, food booths, silent auction, a keiki land and petting zoo.

The Hawaiian language competition will consist of speech, memorization, singing, chanting and writing and well over 200 entrants. ʻAha Aloha ʻŌlelo will also feature some of Hawai‘i’s best musicians, including Mololani, Kalehua Krug and Sean Naʻauao. This event is free.

The theme of this yearʻs event, “Ua Mau Ke Ea O Ka ʻĀina I Ka Pono,” brings to light different perspectives of the meaning of this phrase. Ua mau ke ea o ka ʻāina i ka pono “is a phrase most people in Hawaiʻi are probably familiar with; however, it is also a phrase that most people in Hawaiʻi do not fully understand,” said ʻAha Aloha ʻŌlelo Director Kahoʻokahi Kanuha.

To Kanuhaʻs point, most people in Hawaiʻi familiar with the phrase recognize it as the motto of the illegitimate state of Hawaiʻi. The state of Hawaiʻi, however, did not adopt this phrase as itʻs motto until its last constitutional convention in 1978. The phrase was first proclaimed by King Kamehameha III, Kauikeaouli in front of a large crowd on Lā Hoʻihoʻi Ea, July 31, 1843. The Kingʻs proclamation became the national motto of the Hawaiian Kingdom, beloved and endeared by its people.

This year is by far the largest field of competitors in ʻAha Aloha ʻŌlelo history. Pūnana Leo o Kona, ʻAlo Kēhau o ka ʻĀina Mauna, Ke Kula ʻo Nāwahīokalaniʻōpuʻu, Ke Kula ʻo ʻEhunuikaimalino, Kamehameha Schools Hawaiʻi and Pūnana Leo o Waimea will be the schools representing Hawaiʻi island while Ka Papahana ʻo Māʻilikūkahi, Ke Kula ʻo Kamakau and Pūnana Leo o Waiʻanae will be the schools representing the island of Oʻahu.

Here is a breakdown of the competition:

• Oli & Hīmeni: All songs and chants must contain the words “ea o ka ʻāina” and half of the songs and chants being performed in the competition are pulled from Hawaiian language newspapers while the other half are new songs and chants composed by competing groups. Divisions range form pre-school through adults.
• Haʻiʻōlelo & Kākau: Entrants compete in speech and essay competitions. The topic questions are 1. What is the ea o ka ʻāīna? and 2. What is the pono that perpetuates the ea o ka ʻāina? Divisions range from 4th grade through adults.
• Hoʻopaʻanaʻau: Entrants compete in competitions of memorization. Each memorized piece includes the phrase “Ua mau ke ea o ka ʻāina i ka pono.” Texts for memorization come from speeches and articles printed in Hawaiian language newspapers, including some by Joseph Nāwahī, W. H. Uwelealea, S. Kapu and D. Kahāʻulelio. Divisions range form pre-school through adults.

If you are interested in volunteering for the ʻAha Aloha ʻŌlelo, donating, having a vendor booth or want more information email [email protected] or by calling (808) 936-4249.

E ola ka ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi i mau ai ke ea o ka ʻāina.

In Hawaiian:

Ke kono aku nei ka Pūnana Leo o Kona i ka ʻohana holoʻokoʻa i ka ʻelima o nā ʻAha Aloha ʻŌlelo ma ka Pōʻaono, lā 13 o Ianuali ma ka hale pāʻina nui ʻo Makaʻeo. Hoʻomaka ka ʻaha ma ka hola 9 o ke kakahiaka a pau ma ka hola 7 o ke ahiahi. Aia ma ka ʻAha Aloha ʻŌlelo ka hoʻokūkū ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi, nā puʻukani leo nahenahe, nā kālepa, ka meaʻai, ke kūkālā hāmau, ka pā leʻaleʻa, ke kahua hamohamo holoholona a pēlā wale aku. He ʻelima māhele o ka hoʻokūkū ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi o ka makahiki nei, ʻo ia hoʻi ka haʻiʻōlelo, ka hoʻopaʻanaʻau, ke kākau, ka hīmeni a me ke oli a he 200 a ʻoi aʻe poʻe i komo i ka hoʻokūku. No ka poʻe e hīmeni ana ma ka ʻaha, ua kaulana nō hoʻi ko lākou mau inoa a puni ka ʻāina. ʻO Mololani kekahi hui, ʻo ia hoʻi ʻo Kainani Kahaunaele, Ānuenue Pūnua me Mahina Paishon. E hīmeni ana ʻo Kalehua Krug me Bulla Kaʻiliwai a na Sean Naʻauao me kāna hui e pani aku i ka ʻAha Aloha ʻŌlelo.

ʻO “Ua mau ke ea o ka ʻāina i ka pono” ka mākia o ka makahiki nei. Hoʻākāka ʻia ka manaʻo o ua ʻōlelo kaulana nei ma loko o nā māhele like ʻole o ka hoʻokūkū. Wahi a ke alakaʻi o ka ʻAha Aloha ʻŌlelo, ʻo Kahoʻokahi Kanuha, “Ua kamaʻāina ka nui o ka poʻe o Hawaiʻi nei i kēia mākia nei, ʻaʻole naʻe ʻike ka nui poʻe i ka ʻoiaʻiʻo a me ka moʻolelo kumu o kēia ʻōlelo kaulana.” Maliʻa ua pololei ʻo Kanuha, ua kamaʻāina paha ka nui o ka poʻe i ia ʻōlelo kaulana no kona lilo ʻana i mākia no ka mokuʻāina kolohe o Hawaiʻi. ʻAʻole naʻe i hoʻolilo ka mokuʻāina i ia ʻōlelo i mākia a hiki i ka mālama ʻia ʻana o ka ʻaha ʻelele hana kumukānāwai i ka makahiki 1978. Ua kūkala mua ʻia ua ʻōlelo nei e Ka Mōʻī Kamehameha III, Kauikeaouli, i mua o ke anaina nui ma ka Lā Hoʻihoʻi Ea i ka lā 31 Iulai 1843. Ua lilo ia ʻōlelo kuahaua a ka mōʻī i mākia lāhui no Ko Hawaiʻi Paeʻāina a i mākia aloha nui ʻia e ka lāhui.

ʻO kēia ka makahiki i komo nui loa ai ka poʻe i ka hoʻokūkū ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi o nā makahiki a pau i mālama ʻia ai ka ʻAha Aloha ʻŌlelo. ʻO ka Pūnana Leo o Kona, ʻAlo Kēhau o ka ʻĀina Mauna, Ke Kula ʻo Nāwahīokalaniʻōpuʻu, Ke Kula ʻo ʻEhunuikaimalino, Ke Kula ʻo Kamehameha Hawaiʻi a me ka Pūnana Leo o Waimea nā kula o ka Moku o Keawe e komo ana i ka hoʻokūkū ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi. ʻO nā kula mai Oʻahu mai, ʻo ia ka Pūnana Leo o Waiʻanae, Ka Papahana ʻo Māʻilikūkahi a me Ke Kula ʻ Kamakau. Eia ma lalo iho nei ka wehewehena o ka hoʻokūkū:

Ke Oli a me Ka Hīmeni: E hīmeni a oli ʻia ana nā mele me nā huaʻōlelo ea o ka ʻāīna. ʻO kekahi hapa o nā mele, ua ʻohiʻohi ʻia mai ka nūpepa ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi kahiko mai, a ua haku ʻia kekahi hapa o nā mele e nā hui i komo i loko o ka hoʻokūkū. No nā pae Kula Kamaliʻi a hiki i ka pae Lehulehu kēia hoʻokūkū.
Ka Haʻiʻōlelo a me Ke Kākau: Hoʻokūkū nā moho ma ka haʻiʻōlelo a me ke kākau. Pane akula nā moho i kēia mau nīnau hoʻokele ʻelua: he aha ke ea o ka ʻāīna a he aha ia pono e mau ai ke ea o ka ʻāina? No nā pae Papa 4 i ka pae Lehulehu kēia hoʻokūkū.

Ka Hoʻopaʻanaʻau: Hoʻokūkū nā moho ma nā haʻiʻōlelo hoʻopaʻanaʻau. Ma loko o nā haʻiʻōlelo hoʻopaʻanaʻau a pau nā huaʻōlelo mākia “Ua mau ke ea o ka ʻāina i ka pono.” Mai loko mai o nā ʻatikala a me na haʻiʻōlelo o nā nūpepa ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi kahiko nā haʻiʻōlelo hoʻopaʻanaʻau a ʻo Iosepa Nāwahī, W.H. Uwelealea, S. Kapu me D. Kahāʻulelio. No nā pae Kula Kamaliʻi i ka pae Lehulehu kēia hoʻokūkū.

Inā hoihoi ʻoe i ke kōkua ma ka ʻAha Aloha ʻŌlelo, ka hāʻawi manawaleʻa, ka mālama ʻana i wahi kālepa a i ʻole ka ʻikepili hou aku, e ʻimi aku i ka ʻAha Aloha ʻŌlelo ma Facebook, Instagram a i ʻole Twitter. A i ʻole hoʻi, e leka uila aku iā [email protected] a i ʻole e kelepona aku i ka helu kelepona 808-936-4249. E ola ka ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi i mau ai ke ea o ka ʻāina.