Hale Kuamoʻo (Hawaiian Language Center)

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Kalena Silva, Director of Ka Haka ʻUla O Keʻelikōlani College of Hawaiian Language
(808) 974-7342
www.olelo.hawaii.edu/dual/orgs/hk/

The University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo is acknowledged as a leader in the revitalization of the Hawaiian language, one of two official languages of the state of Hawaiʻi. Ka Haka ʻUla O Keʻelikōlani College of Hawaiian Language houses two divisions: the Mokuna Haʻawina Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian Studies Division) and the Hale Kuamoʻo (Hawaiian Language Center), which was established by the Hawaiʻi State Legislature in 1989. Through federal, state, and private funding, the college has been able to develop an extensive P-20 education system recognized as the U.S. model in indigenous language and culture revitalization.

The Hale Kuamoʻo encourages and supports the use of Hawaiian as a medium of communication in education, business, government, and other contexts of social life, both in the public and private sectors of Hawaiʻi and beyond. Toward this end, the Center focuses on the following areas:

1. The development of instructional materials for use in the state’s Hawaiian medium schools;
2. Research of the Hawaiian language;
3. The creation of new vocabulary, dictionaries, and grammatical terminology;
4. The production and distribution of literature for radio, newspaper, television, computer technology, telecommunications, and other related arts and media;
5. Teacher in-service;
6. The development of K-12 Hawaiian medium laboratory schools;
7. Outreach to other nations & people interested in language & culture revitalization.
8. The connection of communities through internet-based services such as the Kualono, Leokī, and Ulukau.