Celebrate the relationship of ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi and biodiversity with us

by Sharde Mersberg Freitas, Chapter Organizer | Reading time: 1.5 minutes

I ka ʻŌlelo nō ke Ola! E Ola Kākou!
In the language there is life! Life to us all!

February is celebrated in Hawaiʻi as ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi month! There are endless reasons to celebrate and express our appreciation for Hawaiʻi’s native and state-recognized language, that is ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi, and one aspect that we’d like to explore further underscores the importance of ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi for our sustainability and climate resilient future in Hawaiʻi.

Hawaiʻi place names are often a simple way to better understand the connection between ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi and ʻike kūpuna (ancestral wisdom) that has been transferred over generations that sustained upwards of 1 million Native Hawaiians over two centuries ago. As an example, what is the name of where you live, or the waters that feed you? These names may also describe the vitality of being able to cultivate kalo (taro) or ʻuala (sweet potato). You can also look to the name of the rain and winds of where you live to better understand your surroundings.

Scientific literature has also shown various positive associations and correlations between the use and variety of native languages with biodiversity. Isn’t this simply beautiful? This is yet another display of the symbiotic and Indigenous relationship acknowledging ʻāina (inclusive of land, water, and more general surroundings) as an elder. And on a related note, this seems to further remind us of how plants (or our environment, more broadly) thrive when we talk to them. Globally, this also speaks to the importance of Indigenous Knowledge and traditional ecological knowledge as part of our equitable and livable climate future.

Join us on social media (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter) as we continue to celebrate ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi highlighting the importance of native languages, Indigenous knowledge, and our environmental sustainability.