Kupa'a

Aloha mai e nā hoaaloha o ke kakahiaka! E ola mau ka 'ōlelo Hawai'i. We are celebrating the 20th anniversary of Hawaiian Language Immersion here on Maui. In honor of this milestone, I will introduce a new word each day for us to ponder. Today's word is kūpa'a, which means steadfast, firm and immovable. It also can mean loyal, faithful and determined. When we think of the Kula Kaiapuni program and its early, humble beginnings, kūpa'a is a word that fits well. Parents had to be steadfast and immovable as they faced legal challenges, set backs and many obstacles as the program was first being established. Just think, they had to change the law that had been in effect for over 90 years that banned the Hawaiian language from being used in public schools. With limited supplies, mākua and kumu worked together, creating their own curriculum and literally, 'oki a tuko, cutting and pasting books together in Hawaiian. For some, the challenges were too much and we lost members of our Kaiapuni 'ohana through the years. But many remained kัpa'a, loyal and faithful to the mission, the revitalization of our native language. The challenges were not limited to mākua and kumu alone, even the keiki had to be kūpa'a as progressed each year, with little resources to assist them. Now, twenty years later, we see the fruits of our labor. We see the blessings of mākua, kumu and keiki who have exemplified the quality, kūpa'a. Some keiki have now returned to immersion as kumu, continuing the legacy, fulfilling the dream. In the song Kaulana Nā Pua we hear the line, kūpa'a ma hope o ka 'āina, ever loyal to the land. Today we can say, kūpa'a ma hope o ka 'ōlelo, we are loyal to our langauge. 'Ae, e ola mau nō ka 'ōlelo Hawai'i, indeed, the Hawaiian language lives! Aloha nō, a hui hou!

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