ʻŌLELO NA ABSOLUTELY WANTED
ʻŌlelo means language in Hawaiian. “Na” means by. Absolutely Wanted is what I choose to type over and over to remind myself and yourself how Absolutely WANTED we are in this world.
I am blessed with the privilege of being able to speak ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian language).
I started learning institutionally in Kindergarten and continued thru second grade. I then got into Kamehameha Schools Hawaiʻi campus. Since the first day of third grade until today- the trauma surrounding a lack of skill and understanding of Hawaiian language, culture, and history is traumatizing. SAYING THINGS THE WRONG WAY (pronunciation), SAYING THINGS THE WRONG WAY (word order), SAYING THINGS THE WRONG WAY (sentence structure), SAYING THINGS THE WRONG WAY (intonation), SAYING THINGS THE WRONG WAY (cultural appropriateness). WRITING THINGS THE WRONG WAY (spaces). WRITING THINGS THE WRONG WAY (ʻokina/glottal stop). WRITING THINGS THE WRONG WAY (kahakō/macron).
ʻŌlelo na Absolutely Wanted was created to shove all of the “WRONG WAYS” aside. Love this language of our kūpuna, my kūpuna if you are an ally. It is meant to heal us and within it are so many treasures waiting to ABSOLUTELY LOVE on you!
In 2009 I started a journey knowing that Iʻd be headed straight into the trauma that gets elicited when Iʻm told that I say and write my first “written language, and that of my ancestors” the WRONG way. Since then, Iʻve attained a BA in Hawaiian studies and Linguistics & an Indigenous Teacher Certificate in the Hawaiian language from The University of Hewa at Hilo. I am a skip away from completing my thesis in Hawaiian Language and Literature from said University and whatʻs keeping me back is the trauma that said Uni is inducing DAILY here in Hawaiʻi, so I chose to spend my time creating this space instead. I am done with the bullshit narrative that we are not enough.
I ABSOLUTELY WANT our people to know HOW WANTED we are, and how much we can achieve. I am imperfect, but this space, itʻs created for you, for you to be able to learn the Hawaiian language wherever you may be, and feel worthy of it & ABSOLUTELY ENOUGH. The truth is love, you donʻt just NEED to learn the Hawaiian language, you WANT to learn the Hawaiian language, and the LANGUAGE ABSOLUTELY WANTS you too! Welcome. Letʻs push the narrative aside together & rise!