Pukaiki kula maniania no Niihau, na ka Niihau

Abstract

Hawaiian was once the common language spoken by Native Hawaiians and foreigners alike throughout Hawaii; however, the language nearly became extinct. The privately owned island of Niihau is the last remaining community of native speakers of Hawaiian anywhere in the world. The isolation of the island and the landowners' decision to learn Hawaiian and to encourage the residents to continue to speak it is a major reason why the language was able to survive on the island to this day. Access to the island is strictly limited; therefore, the few English books that have been published by "outsiders" about the island contain erroneous information and exaggerated myths. This dissertation features the voices of Niihau people, many whom are my family members, telling their island's rich history from their own perspective and in their native language. The language spoken by Niihau people is sometimes referred to as the "Niihau dialect" of Hawaiian because of their use of the letter t that was once standard in Hawaiian but was excluded by the majority of Hawaiian speakers in the nineteenth century. Thus, not much has been written about this subject and I offer some explanations on the usage of the letter "t." Other topics dealing with language in respect to Niihau discussed within this dissertation include: pronunciation, distinctive vocabulary, writing style, riddles, proverbs, stories, and coded language. Furthermore, due to Niihau's remoteness, residents were nurtured in specialized disciples to address the needs of the community. In the area of medicinal practices, I introduce my grandfather, Ernest Enoka Kaohelaulii, who was a medicinal expert who specialized in medicine for postpartum mothers and assisted in the child birthing process. The indigenous transmission of knowledge collected herein may further enhance the learning process of students via the Manaleo Program at the Hawaiinuiakea School of Hawaiian Knowledge's Kawaihuelani Center for Hawaiian Language and transcend the University of Hawaii at Manoa.