HomeMy WebLinkAboutResolution No. 2012-15COUNTY COUNCIL COUNTY OF KAUAI P$O~Utl01l ~~,o„„RESOLUTION DESIGNATING FEBRUARY 2012 AS `OLELO HAWAII MONTH IN THE COUNTY OF KAUAI WHEREAS, `Olelo Hawaii, or the Hawaiian language, is the native language of the Native Hawaiian people;- and WHEREAS, once spoken throughout Hawaii by Native Hawaiians and foreigners alike, `Olelo Hawaii was considered to be nearly extinct by the 1980s,when fewer than fifty (50) fluent speakers under the age of eighteen (18) were left;and WHEREAS, a major reason for the deterioration of the Hawaiian language was an 1896 law that required English instruction in Hawaii schools. This law functioned to "ban" students from speaking `Olelo Hawaii at their schools; and WHEREAS, to save the Hawaiian language, a number of historic initiatives were launched, including the `Aha Punana Leo Hawaiian language immersion preschool programs, the Department of Education's Hawaii language immersion program, and the Hawaiian language programs of the University of Hawaii System; and WHEREAS, in 1978, the Hawaii Constitution was amended to recognize the Hawaiian language as one of the two official languages of the State of Hawaii; and WHEREAS, in 1995 a gubernatorial proclamation, written in both Hawaiian and English, was issued recognizing February 1995 as "Hawaiian Language Month in Hawai`i." The proclamation urged people to participate in Hawaiian language activities held in February, including La `Ghana, La Kukahekahe, and O`ahu's Ho`omau concert; and WHEREAS, the following year, another gubernatorial proclamation was issued that recognized 1996 as "Year of the Hawaiian Language"; and WHEREAS, while the Hawaiian language revitalization movement has made major strides in the last thirty (30) years, for `Olelo Hawaii to not just survive, but to thrive, more people need to speak Hawaiian; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Kauai County Council hereby designates February 2012 as "`Olelo Hawaii Month" to celebrate and encourage the use of the Hawaiian language.BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that a copy of this Resolution. be forwarded to Mayor Bernard P. Carvalho, Jr. and the Office of Hawaiian Affairs.INTRODUCED BY:i i 3 KIPUKAI KUALI`I CSOFFICE FILES/RESOLUTION 2010-2012 TERM/ Olelo Hawaii Month SS ds ac cwned A R J~.utiGi,~i x J g x 6 0 1 0 e ~. ~'\~:o,~ukia.~nJJ ~. 2012-15 .~,, ~.dha. (.on~.cU, a~ fie, l,~,awr~",y, ~ .J1.aM.a,~ti, C~J.rq.~',e ,~ Jl.an~an.`a, ~i~hu`e,3anuary 25, 2012.w J .January 26, 2012