Mahina ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi! ʻŌlelo Resource of the Month: A timeline of significant milestones for Hawaiian language

In recognition of Mahina ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian Language Month), UH Hilo Director of Native Hawaiian Engagement Pele Harman shares a timeline of significant milestones for Hawaiian language.

---

This is the second in a new monthly column by Pelehonuamea Harman, director of Native Hawaiian engagement at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo. The series shares Native Hawaiian protocols on the use of ōlelo Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian language), cultural traditions, traditional ways of Indigenous learning, and more.

Aloha Mahina ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi! (Happy Hawaiian Language Month!)

Pepeluali (February) in Hawaiʻi has become synonymous with the Hawaiian language. (For a growing number of people, every month is mahina ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi.) You may have attended a festival or a concert this month where you heard people speaking in Hawaiian. The State of Hawaiʻi is one of three states that have officially recognized languages besides English. (The other two being South Dakota and Alaska.)

Here is a timeline of significant milestones in Hawaiian language in Hawaiʻi, with key events related to the University of Hawaiʻi System.

1820: Introduction of Written Hawaiian

• Protestant missionaries introduced the Latin alphabet to Hawaiʻi, creating the foundation for written Hawaiian. This marks the beginning of Hawaiian language preservation in a written form. Citation: Hawaiian Mission Houses.

1834: First Hawaiian-Language Newspaper Published

• The first Hawaiian-language newspaper, Ka Hoku o ka Pakipika, was published. It helped promote literacy in Hawaiian.

1841: Public School System and Hawaiian Language

• King Kamehameha III established the first public school system in Hawaiʻi, conducted in Hawaiian, emphasizing the language’s role in education.

1896: Language Ban in Schools

• The Republic of Hawaiʻi passed Act 57, an English-only law that banned Hawaiian as a medium of instruction in public schools. This marked the beginning of a significant decline in the use of Hawaiian.

1919: The Hawaiian Dictionary Published

• 

  Mary Kawena Pukui and Samuel Elbert published Hawaiian Dictionary: Hawaiian-English English-Hawaiian (University of Hawaiʻi Press), the first comprehensive dictionary of the Hawaiian language. It was crucial in preserving the language in its written form.

1921: Hawaiian Language Courses at UH Mānoa

• The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa began offering Hawaiian language courses, signaling the start of formal efforts to teach Hawaiian at the university level.
  

1983: ʻAha Pūnana Leo

• The founding of ʻAha Pūnana Leo was a key milestone in the revival of Hawaiian immersion education, starting with preschool programs aimed at revitalizing Hawaiian.

1985: Establishment of Hawaiian Studies Department at UH Mānoa

• The Department of Hawaiian and Indo-Pacific Languages and Literatures was established at UH Mānoa, offering a Bachelor of Arts in Hawaiian.

1987: Kula Kaiapuni Program

• The Hawaiʻi Department of Education launched the Kula Kaiapuni program, which focused on Hawaiian language immersion education.

1991: The Revised Hawaiian Dictionary

• The revised edition of the Hawaiian Dictionary (UH Press) by Mary Kawena Pukui and Samuel Elbert was published, updating the original 1957 version and including more entries and cultural context.
  

1997: Ka Haka ʻUla O Keʻelikōlani at UH Hilo

• Ka Haka ʻUla O Keʻelikōlani, the College of Hawaiian Language, was established at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo, making it the first college in the world to offer higher education in an Indigenous language.

1999: First Hawaiian Language Immersion Graduates

• The first class of K–12 Hawaiian language immersion students graduated, marking a significant achievement in the revitalization of the language.

2006: Hawaiian Language Dissertation

• The first dissertation written entirely in ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi was completed at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, highlighting the language’s academic capability.

2007: Doctoral Program in Hawaiian Language at UH Hilo

• UH Hilo began offering a doctoral program in Hawaiian language, advancing the language’s use in academia and scholarly research.

2011: Hawaiian Language Supreme Court Case

• The Hawaiʻi Supreme Court ruled in favor of a Hawaiian language immersion school receiving state funding, ensuring continued support for Hawaiian immersion education. Citation: Hawaiʻi State Judiciary.

These milestones demonstrate the ongoing effort to revitalize and maintain the Hawaiian language both within Hawaiʻi and at the University of Hawaiʻi. The publication of the Hawaiian Dictionary and its subsequent revisions has been essential in preserving the language for future generations.

---

Pele Harman joined UH Hilo’s Office of the Chancellor in June 2024 as part of the Hawai’i Papa o Ke Ao team being established throughout the statewide 10-campus UH System. The group is working in concert to develop, implement, and assess strategic actions to make UH a leader in Indigenous education.