Indigenous educators learn from Hawaiian language renewal
SILS 2014 - The 21st Stabilizing Indigenous Languages Symposium
Wednesday, January 15th to Sunday, January 19th, 2014
Hilo Hawaiian Hotel & University of Hawai‘i at Hilo Campus
Hilo, Island of Hawai‘i
He waʻa ke kula; na ka ʻōlelo e uli (schools are canoes; language steers them)
SILS 2014 took place on Wednesday, January 15th to Sunday, January 19th, 2014, hosted by the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo in its newly completed Hawaiian language building, Hale ʻŌlelo.
Hawaiʻi State, and the district of Hilo in particular on Hawaiʻi island, has one of the highest concentrations of young Native American language speakers anywhere. Yet, fifty years ago no children spoke Hawaiian in Hilo. The change is the result of aligning school programming with an official language status.
Visits to language immersion programs from preschool to the doctorate were central to SILS 2014, as will be post-visitation discussion groups. Challenges such as government testing, developing curricula, and parent involvement received special attention.