Aloha Ambassadors Students of Molokais Hawaiian Language Program Need Help



's8220;When you think of Hawaii, do you smile When you think of leis, hula, pupu platters, lomi massage and soft utterances of aloha, how can one not smile's8221;

Mary Baker, co-owner of Dover Canyon Winery in Paso Robles, California, advocates support for students enrolled in Molokai High School's8217;s Hawaiian Language Immersion Program. Baker authors a blog called Molokai, Hawaii, at http://dovercanyon.typepad.com/molokai/.

's8220;These students are like starship ensigns; they are a generation of aloha ambassadors that will rescue -- and propel into the future -- the Hawaiian language and its culture of love and wisdom within American and global society.'s8221;

's8220;Molokai is a special place, and its residents are determined to maintain their identity, heritage, and language. Molokai is the birthplace of true hula, and the mystical arts of the kahuna. However, unlike the larger Hawaiian islands, Molokai is still very rural and agricultural. There is little funding for important educational programs that enjoy community support on the more populated islands. Molokai has one of the largest densities of native Hawaiian speakers, and a deep concern with perpetuating their Hawaiian heritage and wisdom.'s8221;

's8220;You must meet these kids first hand to be inspired,'s8221; says Molokai High School teacher, Manuwai Peters. 's8220;We have something real golden here and we could use the support.'s8221;

's8220;There are several annual events that we travel to which need funding such as the Na Mele o Maui song contest in December, and a hula competition in May on Oahu. This November, we have been invited to Tahiti, French Polynesia, to attend a cultural festival. This is our greatest need right now. Fifteen students are traveling and they each need to raise $1,000, which is a total bargain. We would really appreciate any support for this important opportunity for our students.'s8221;

On the Molokai blog, Baker encourages readers to support HLIP students by contacting the State of Hawaii Board of Education, and by making small donations to support the HLIP curriculum and students. A question-and-answer discussion addresses many of the basic elements of HLIP instruction.

's8220;Students in HLIP study an approved state curriculum in the Hawaiian language until grade four. At that point they begin studying English for one hour per day. However, for many of these students, English is already their primary language,'s8221; she explains. 's8220;Essentially all the students and their teachers are speakers of Hawaiian as a second language. That's8217;s why this is referred to as an 's8220;immersion's8221; program. It is, in essence, taking the students back to a language they's8217;ve forgotten, and which is in danger of disappearing forever.'s8221;

's8220;My experience with Molokai students is that they are respectful, polite, and proud of their heritage. As the home of the Kalaupapa leper colony, and as residents of a strongly agricultural society, Molokai students in particular have a heritage of local kindness and indigenous identity that runs deeply within them.'s8221;

Molokai does not have a tourism infrastructure or a large population, so fundraising is more difficult. Many parents are Hawaiian homesteaders, and as part of the Hawaiian Homestead Act, recipients must farm their land or lose it. As one concerned parent put it, 's8220;How many bake sales can we have's8221;

Professional photographer Richard A. Cooke, whose work has been featured in National Geographic, returned to his childhood island home to capture its magnificence in an Earthsong Collection edition book of photography. In Molokai, An Island in Time, Cooke says:

's8220;I had never photographed the patients at Kalaupapa before . . . the patients exemplify for me a basic truth about the generous spirit of the people of Moloka's8217;i: when they have the most, they give the most; when they have the least, they give the best they have. In retrospect, I can see that my own philosophy was gaining new shadings as I trusted myself more, and saw the trust come back to me in the photographs. It was in this year that I realized the depth of my connection with the people of the island; I also realized that is possible to photograph a human emotion called love.'s8221;

Donations may be made payable to:
Molokai High School, HLIP
P.O. Box 158
Hoolehua, HI 96729

Readers can also leave a small Paypal donation in the 's8220;Tip Jar's8221; of the Molokai blog, where they will find stories, tips and vacation links.

http://dovercanyon.typepad.com/molokai/





Aloha Ambassadors Students of Molokais Hawaiian Language Program Need Help