HONOLULU (HI Now) - Larry Kimura, a founding board member of ʻAha Pūnana Leo, has dedicated more than 40 years to teaching Hawaiian language at the University of Hawaiʻi and continues his work at Ka Haka ʻUla o Keʻelikōlani College of Hawaiian Language at UH Hilo. Long before any organization existed to do so, Kimura took it upon himself to record native Hawaiian speakers — manaleo — knowing that if no one captured their voices, the language would be lost forever. That archive became one of the most vital resources in the Hawaiian language revitalization movement.
Now, as the Merrie Monarch Festival marks its 63rd year drawing tens of thousands of visitors, viewers and vendors seeking connection to Hawaiian culture, ʻAha Pūnana Leo CEO Kaʻiulani Laehā is carrying that legacy forward with renewed urgency. Laehā credits Kimura and the founding team for paving the road and says it is now up to the current generation to approach the work with the same determination and commitment.
Laehā is calling on the community to take action in everyday ways — enrolling keiki in Hawaiian language preschool, supporting pathways to Kaiapuni immersion schools and using Hawaiian phrases at home, with ʻohana and even in restaurants and banks. The message is simple and powerful: E Ola Ka ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi — Let the Hawaiian Language Live.
To learn more or apply, visit ahapunanaleo.org.
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