Sociohistorical Influences on the Development of Papahana Kaiapuni, the Hawaiian Language..

Abstract

Papahana Kaiapuni is a K-12 indigenous language immersion program in selected public schools in the State of Hawai'i. Instruction in Kaiapuni classrooms is conducted in the Hawaiian language. Program goals include students' development of a high level of proficiency in both the Hawaiian and English languages (Department of Education, 1994). For nearly a century, policy banning the Hawaiian language from the public schools and other government activities contributed to the decline of the language's usage. Papahana Kaiapuni is an effort to revive the indigenous Hawaiian language, now the second official language of the State. Supporters of the program believe that the program may also serve to promote the achievement and cultural identity of the native Hawaiians it serves. In this article, wedescribe the sociohistorical influences on the development of the Kaiapuni program, drawing from a literature review of articles written about the program, interviews with individuals involved in early program development, and an analysis of selected Board of Education and Department of Education documents.