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Learn Hawaiian with Ocean Explorer Malanai

 

Science Communication Fellow Malanai N. Kāne Kuahiwinui is ready to teach us some important ‘Ōlelo Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian language) terms related to ocean exploration and our expeditions within Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument (PMNM). ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi is a vibrant, growing language which is essential to Hawaiian knowledge of the world and of the Pacific. 

As we visit Papahānaumokuākea, the ancestral homeland of the Native Hawaiian people and the largest marine conservation area in the US, we gratefully acknowledge generations of indigenous Hawaiians and today’s stewards of these waters. OET is working closely with PMNM collaborators to inform research priorities at sea and from shore, ensure culturally-grounded collection protocols, and connect with local communities through ship-to-shore connections and the development of education resources in ‘Ōlelo Hawaiʻi.

Special thanks to our collaborators from the Papahānaumokuākea Native Hawaiian Cultural Working Group facilitated by the Office of Hawaiian Affairs in developing this vocabulary including Jacob Hauʻoli Lorenzo-Elarco, Kalamaʻehu Holden Takahashi, Hōkū Pihana, Dr. Alyssa Anderson, Kanoelani Steward, Kanoe Morishige, and Kalani Quiocho.

Interested in learning more? Dive deeper with this online education resource.