HR120 HD1

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.R. NO.	120
THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025		H.D. 1
STATE OF HAWAII

HOUSE RESOLUTION

ENCOURAGING THE KAWAIHUELANI CENTER FOR HAWAIIAN LANGUAGE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII AT MANOA TO FURTHER PROVIDE LEARNING RESOURCES AND OPPORTUNITIES THAT PROMOTE HAWAIIAN LANGUAGE AND CULTURE.

WHEREAS, article XV, section 4 of the Hawaii State Constitution recognizes both Hawaiian and English as the official languages of Hawaii; and

WHEREAS, the Department of Education supports Hawaiian language fluency through Kula Kaiapuni Hawaiian language immersion schools across the State; and

WHEREAS, Kamehameha III established the first public education system in the Kingdom of Hawaii in 1840, making ʻOlelo Hawaii the first and only language of instruction at the time; and

WHEREAS, the Republic of Hawaii passed section 30 of Act 57 in 1896, which made English the medium and basis of instruction for all public schools and private schools, effectively removing Olelo Hawaii from the classroom and the school system; and

WHEREAS, children who spoke ʻOlelo Hawaii in school were verbally and physically reprimanded and made to feel ashamed of their native tongue; and

WHEREAS, a group of Hawaiian language educators established the Punana Leo Preschool in 1984 to provide an immersive experience for preschool-aged children and their families to learn ʻOlelo Hawaii and adopt the language as their primary means of communication; and

WHEREAS, section 30 of Act 57 was repealed in 1986, allowing for the establishment of the first Kula Kaiapuni in 1987; and

WHEREAS, although the growing participation in Kaiapuni education has been unmatched, the Kula Kaiapuni face struggles, such as teacher shortages, insufficient facilities, and limited support for curriculum development; and

WHEREAS, Kaiapuni students and their families encounter limited access to activities, materials, and learning opportunities that they can do together to promote use of ʻOlelo Hawaii in the home; and

WHEREAS, the Kawaihuelani Center for Hawaiian Language of the University of Hawaii at Manoa strives to revitalize Hawaiian language and culture through quality Hawaiian education by creating and providing materials, curricula, and resources that promote the use of Hawaiian; and

WHEREAS, the Kawaihuelani Center for Hawaiian Language of the University of Hawaii at Manoa created and implemented the I Hoa na Moolelo Project in 2021 to publish a quarterly children's magazine written in the Hawaiian language, for the enjoyment of Kaiapuni and charter school students in grades 2-6 on Oahu; and

WHEREAS, this body recognizes the value and importance of the practice and preservation of the Hawaiian language and culture; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Thirty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2025, that the Kawaihuelani Center for Hawaiian Language of the University of Hawaii at Manoa, through its I Hoa na Moolelo Project, is encouraged to provide Kaiapuni students and families with Hawaiian language and literacy resources and to create opportunities for ʻOlelo Hawaii to flourish in homes and communities; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a certified copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the Director of the Kawaihuelani Center for Hawaiian Language of the University of Hawaii at Manoa.