College Park, MD.—National History Day® (NHD), with the support of the National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI), and the Smithsonian’s Asian Pacific American Center (APAC) are pleased to announce the world premiere of nine student historical research projects presented in ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian) language, to be featured in the online showcase, “In Language There Is Life: I ka ‘ōlelo nō ke ola.” This brand-new showcase is available to view beginning Monday, June 13 on National History Day’s Smithsonian Learning Lab site.
In this special “In Language There Is Life: I ka ‘ōlelo nō ke ola” Showcase, middle and high school students from Hawai‘i who completed a National History Day project in ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi were invited to submit their projects, which were screened and selected by NMAI and APAC staff. This year’s showcase invites a national audience to experience these student projects in a language that offers perspectives and understanding vital to their culture, and supports these larger community efforts that perpetuate and give life to indigenous languages. These student projects also reflect the 2022 NHD theme, Debate & Diplomacy in History: Successes, Failures, Consequences.
The Language Revitalization Showcase is a new showcase for NHD this year and joins the roster of student websites, performances, papers, exhibits, and documentaries showcased in cultural institutions in Washington, D.C.
“During the last two years, we have all seen the dedication and perseverance of students who have adapted to extreme circumstances,” shares Executive Director Cathy Gorn. “Yet, we are heartened to see that they continue to excel and innovate, learning about the past through deep research and expressing their arguments in such meaningful ways. We are also very grateful that our partners the National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) and the Smithsonian’s Asian Pacific American Center (APAC) have shared their time and resources to showcase the stellar work of these history students.”
“It is so important for national institutions to take a stand and be a part of healing our history. Over one hundred years ago the Hawaiian language was banned from use in education and law as part of efforts to colonize and Americanize Hawaiʻi. Thanks to the work of many over multiple generations, today ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi is seeing a resurgence in music, literature, art, in families, on canoes, farms, and fishponds, in universities and immersion schools . . . and now honored in National History Day,” shares Aiko Yamashiro, Executive Director of Hawaiʻi Council for the Humanities.
“ʻO ka ʻōlelo ka mea e ʻiki ʻia ai kekahi lāhui. I ka ʻōlelo nō ke ola, i ka ʻōlelo nō ka make. Although language distinguishes a people, it also brings people together. During student historical inquiry, I have witnessed the force of generations being united as youth learn the stories of their grandparents, and parents get better acquainted with their children through this process. It’s exciting to be a part of the growth in language communities nationally and internationally,” shares Māhealani Lono, Kumu Pilikanaka of Ka ʻUmeke Kāʻeo PCS.
“I want to commend and thank NEH’s partners, National History Day and the Hawaiʻi Council for the Humanities, for their support for students conducting and presenting original historical research in Native Hawaiian,” said NEH Chair Shelly C. Lowe (Navajo). “Indigenous languages are fundamental to regional identity, history, and traditions. Efforts such as the Language Revitalization Showcase are important contributions toward maintaining and revitalizing endangered languages and fostering a sense of pride among new generations of speakers in their community’s unique stories and perspective.”
The projects will be available to view online exclusively at the website beginning Monday, June 13 on National History Day’s Smithsonian Learning Lab site.
The following projects and students have been selected for this showcase:
Category: Documentary
Title: Nā Haʻi’ōlelo Hoʻopāpā Kulanui o ka Hoʻohui ʻĀina ʻo Hawaiʻi
Student(s): Kainalu Cox, Kekoa Froning, Josie Ann Gouveia
Teacher(s): Daina Enabe
School (City, State): Kamehameha Schools – Kapālama Campus (Honolulu)
Category: Exhibit
Title: Ka Hala ʻAna ʻo Vincent Chin: Ke Komo ʻAna o nā Kānaka ʻAmelika Asia Ma Ke Kānawai Pono Kīwila
Student(s): Kylee Johnson
Teacher(s): Daina Enabe
School (City, State): Kamehameha Schools – Kapālama Campus (Honolulu)
Category: Exhibit
Title: Ka Hōʻike Holoholona
Student(s): Lani Dudoit
Teacher(s): Māhealani Lono
School (City, State): Ka ʻUmeke Kāʻeo – PCS (Hilo)
Category: Exhibit
Title: Ke Kākā’ōlelo a me Ke Kūkākūkā: Palila DLNR
Student(s): Lukia Lozar
Teacher(s): Māhealani Lono
School (City, State): Ka ʻUmeke Kāʻeo – PCS (Hilo)
Category: Exhibit
Title: Ke Koho Pāloka o Nā Wāhine
Student(s): Kawika Asejo
Teacher(s): Māhealani Lono
School (City, State): Ka ʻUmeke Kāʻeo – PCS (Hilo)
Category: Exhibit
Title: Nā Palapala Kūʻē
Student(s): Kaniaulono Hapai
Teacher(s): Māhealani Lono
School (City, State): Ka ʻUmeke Kāʻeo – PCS (Hilo)
Category: Exhibit
Title: Nā Pō Pilikia o Nā Ukali
Student(s): Kaopualani Puniwai-Ganoot
Teacher(s): Māhealani Lono
School (City, State): Ka ʻUmeke Kāʻeo – PCS (Hilo)
Category: Paper
Title: ʻO ka ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi, ʻo ka ʻŌlelo Pelekania, he Paio no nā Kau a Kau
Student(s): Kaimana Campbell
Teacher(s): W. Kalae Akioka
School (City, State): Kailua High School (Kailua)
Category: Performance
Title: Ke Kahua
Student(s): Kaipo Akioka, Kilinahe Naluai, Pahonu Coleman
Teacher(s): W. Kalae Akioka
School (City, State): Kailua High School (Kailua)
About National History Day® (NHD)
NHD is a non-profit organization based in College Park, Maryland, which seeks to improve the teaching and learning of history. The National History Day Contest was established in 1974 and currently engages more than half a million students every year in conducting original research on historical topics of interest. Students present their research as a documentary, exhibit, paper, performance, or website. Projects compete first at the local and affiliate levels, where the top entries are invited to the National Contest at the University of Maryland at College Park. NHD is sponsored in part by HISTORY®, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the National Park Service, Southwest Airlines, The Better Angels Society, Jacqueline B. Mars, and BBVA. For more information, visit nhd.org.
About Hawaiʻi Council for the Humanities (HIHumanities)
Hawaiʻi Council for the Humanities is the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, and is dedicated to connecting people with ideas that enrich lives, broaden perspectives, and strengthen communities. HIHumanities has been proudly running Hawaiʻi History Day for 34 years, and began building an Indigenous language NHD contest in 2019. Learn more at hihumanities.org or @hihumanities.
About the National Museum of the American Indian (NAMI)
In partnership with Native peoples and their allies, the National Museum of the American Indian fosters a richer shared human experience through a more informed understanding of Native peoples. The museum in Washington, D.C. is located on the National Mall at Fourth Street and Independence Avenue S.W. The museum in New York City is located at One Bowling Green. Connect with the museum on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and AmericanIndian.si.edu.
About Smithsonian’s Asian Pacific American Center (APAC)
The Asian Pacific American Center promotes the appreciation, inclusion, and understanding of Asian Pacific American history, art, and culture through exhibitions, collections, research, and public programs. The Center works in partnership with museums, galleries, and centers throughout the Smithsonian, across the country, and around the world. For more information, please visit smithsonianapa.org.
About the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH)
Created in 1965 as an independent federal agency, the National Endowment for the Humanities supports research and learning in history, literature, philosophy, and other areas of the humanities by funding selected, peer-reviewed proposals from around the nation. Additional information about the National Endowment for the Humanities and its grant programs is available at www.neh.gov.
About Smithsonian Learning Lab
Smithsonian Learning Lab is a free, interactive platform for discovering millions of authentic digital resources from across the Smithsonian’s museums, research centers, libraries, archives and more. The site allows teachers and students to create and adapt personalized interactive instructional materials with online tools and share in the Smithsonian’s expansive community of knowledge and learning. Prepackaged collections contain lessons, activities and recommended resources made by Smithsonian museum educators and thousands of classroom teachers across the country. For more information about the Smithsonian Learning Lab, visit learninglab.si.edu, follow @SmithsonianLab on Twitter, or email learninglab@si.edu.
