KAULUMAIKA LCC
Within Kaulumaika LCC we house Ka Alala, our Hawaiian language division. As a family-owned and operated company our mission is to "Redefining the world's perspective of Hawaiian culture through creative expression, community building, and progressive education."
Where It All Began
I've always been fascinated by languages, and that fascination has shaped my life in more ways than I can count. Growing up, I spoke both standard English and Hawaii Pidgin. I later found out that I was a code-switching, moving effortlessly between the two language depending on who I was talking to.Â
- Code Switching: is the practice of shifting between different languages, dialects, or speech styles depending on the social context, audience, or situation.
We never had cable, so my siblings and I watched the same movies on VHS over and over again. One of us would call out a random quote and see who could name the movie it came from. What made our version of the game special was that we always attempted an impression too. I personally loved trying any line spoken with an Irish accent.Â
In 1st grade we moved to Utah, where I had a Spanish-speaking teacher. She made a point of teaching us the Pledge of Allegiance in Spanish. I can't remember this myself, but I'm told my family was both proud and shocked at how quickly I memorized it and how fluently I spoke it.
Even as a boy, I always found myself being niele (inquisitive) with people who had an accent. I'd ask them, "How do you say this in your language? What does this word mean?"
I still do it today. My older brother has a German friend, and whenever we see each other she teaches me a bit of German and I teach her some Hawaiian. It's become our thing.
Long story short: I can't help myself. I want to learn more about my own language and about every other one I come across.
Learning Amharic in Ethiopia
Life later led me to Ethiopia, where I lived as a missionary for two years. I became fluent in Amharic, their national language, and it was extremely challenging. I had to learn a completely new alphabet, make sounds with my mouth I had never heard before, and put up with locals laughing at my poor attempts to speak.
Then one day, it clicked. All those months of grinding away with no end in sight finally paid off. I still remember the first time I made a local laugh in his own language. What a breakthrough!
At the time, I had no idea how that immersive experience would shape me as a teacher of Hawaiian later on. When I returned home, the warm memories of the gracious Ethiopian people got me reflecting on my own heritage. They were so rooted in their native tongue and customs, and it made me realize how disconnected I had become from my own Hawaiian culture.
Learning Hawaiian
Shortly after getting married, my wife expressed a desire for our future children to speak Hawaiian. At the time, neither one of us could speak fluently, so we committed to making it happen. We had no clue how big a commitment that really was.
Within nine months we reached a conversational level, but we knew we needed mentors. A fortuitous friendship with native speaker Tuti Kanahele of Niihau quickly accelerated my ability to speak. I asked her to never speak English to me, and she did just that.
Over the next couple of years I found Tuti's cousins, Ipo Wong and Kahea Faria, who were also native speakers. They graciously and patiently let me niele them and learn directly from them.
Later I found two kupunakane (elderly men) from Hawaii island who were also native speakers of Hawaiian, though in a style slightly different from Niihau. These three women from Niihau and two kupunakane from Hawaii have had an immense influence on how I speak, think, and teach Hawaiian. As time passed, I passed on to my wife and kids what I was being taught.
Eventually I found myself in a classroom setting at UH Manoa and got a BA in Hawaiian Language. This is where my grammar and my writing really improved. I was surprised by how differently my teachers and classmates spoke. It took a whole semester for me to get used to it.
He Ohana Olelo Hawaii
It's been 10 years since my wife and I started learning, and we're still at it! Since then we've had three kids and speak only olelo to them. They've picked up English from family and from going to school. Even our dog takes commands in Hawaiian. Bringing Hawaiian back to our family was our entire goal... or so we thought.
After becoming fluent, I took to social media and created Ka Alala (all my wife's idea, by the way). Ka Alala is dedicated to giving kanaka the opportunities to learn that they never had. Haole (non-Hawaiians) are welcome too, and in fact many of my students are.
My courses, subscription, tutoring, consulting services, and free resources on this site are here for all kinds of learners. If you're reading this, I hope you take the time to explore what's available.
Have You Learned Hawaiian Before?
Put yourself to the test and take my assessment to see what you know.
Take the Assessment