Hawaiian language church services?

[hawaiideborah]

We have visitors coming who are linguists. They are wanting to find a church service on the Big Island that is conducted in Hawaiian.
Does anyone know of one?

Anyone know about the church services at the Tongan Church in HPP on Kaloli?
Thanks for your help.

[ericlp]

One part of the early Hawaiian religion was the "hula." The word itself means "dance," and that's exactly what the hula is. With musical accompaniment (a chant or a song), the dancer moves the arms, hands, and the hips. The hand gestures tell a story.

The movements of the hula praised gods or chiefs, described long canoe voyages, described forces of nature or the scenery of Hawaii, for example.

Both men and women performed this dance until it was time for temple services. At that point, it was "men only." There the hula dancer would act out events they hoped would happen in the future. In that context it would be a prayer, speaking to the gods through the dance.

The hula was described as "creating beauty" and "combining poetry of the chant and dance movements into a great artistic experience."

When the elements of the old religion were outlawed in the 1820s, the hula was included. Missionaries believed the dance was a form of idolatry and lobbied the king to prohibit its practice. Around 1890, it made a comeback.

Then in 1915, a group of Hawaiian dancers performed the hula in San Francisco. People in the audience liked it, and soon it was popular all through North America. During the Great Depression, several movies featured the dance.

After World War II, Hawaiian resort hotels began using a version of the hula to entertain tourists. Soon it was an important symbol of the Islands, and it remains. The hula also continues to be studied seriously and performed by scholars of art and national culture. An annual "Hula Festival" is held every August in Honolulu.

How about a Hula Show?

[hawaiideborah]

quote:

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Originally posted by ericlp

How about a Hula Show?

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They have been to Merrie Monarch.
Not looking for hula, but thanks.

anyone know Sunday service performed in Hawaiian on Big Island?
Anyone know anything about the HPP Tonga church?
Thanks again.

[Carey]

The Catholic Church in Keakaha - Maila Puka Kalani - may be your best bet for your guests:
http://www.maliapukaokalani.com/
Haili Christian Kuhio Chapel in Keakaha has some services in Hawaiian, and was the church of the Royal Family
http://hailichurch.org/
Holy Apostles Episcopal does parts of some services esp. during birthday celebration of Queen Emma:
http://www.holyapostleshilo.org/

[SandyS]

Ohihikao Church on 137 (The Red Road) does part of the service in Hawaiian. The sermon is in English but many of the hymns an prayers are in Hawaiian. Music is played on ukuleles. This is a small friendly and welcoming church. The church is an old historic Hawaiian church, one of the first in the area. Services are at 11 Sunday mornings.

[whalesong]

This is one in HNL.
http://kareninhonolulu.wordpress.com/201...lu-church/

You might be able to find it here, you'd have to call around
http://search39.info.com/searchw?qkw=churches+in+hawaii+that+have+their+sermon+in+Hawaiian&ocmp=4089&qcat=web&q=churches+in+hawaii+that+have+their+sermon+in+Hawaiian&qhqn=churches+in+hawaii+that+have+their+sermon+in+Hawaiian&KW=churches+in+hawaii+that+have+their+sermon+in+Hawaiian

[Kelena]

I can't answer your question, but you raise a very important issue. The Hawaiian language lives, for the most part, in song and dance (hula and oli) and hangs on by a thread otherwise. Seems to me if the goal is to hear Hawaiian, that your guests should go where Hawaiian is spoken, whether that is in a church or at the edge Halema'u ma'u. Kalapana is the place in Puna where the language is best remembered, I think. It is very, very diluted and is on life support, although there are sincere efforts to revive it. For a blast of Hawaiian, witness the chants when they do hula and teach basic Hawaiian in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. The oli go back forever and are no mere entertainment.

For my blast of Hawaiian, I listen to nothing but KAPA radio on the weekends.

As a side point, I find that we are living in a very interesting linguistic pocket with a very distinct accent. It is sing-song, sort of like Swedish. It is very, very charming, fetching. It is delicate and every syllable is enunciated while the "tune" of the sentence goes all over the place...up, down and with an unusual emphasis, especially when a question is involved. So, instead of "Did you find everything you were LOOKING (tone goes up) for?" It is "Did YOU (goes up) find ev-uh-re-ting you were looking (tone lowers) for?" It is not Hawaiian, but there is a very clear regional accent (I am not talking about so-called Pidgin). If I were a credentialed linguist, I might tune into that as well. Check out at a Long's or a KTA and tune into it.

This is a very interesting linguistic pocket of the US. My wish is that it become like cajun country, when I first visited it in the late 70's: you would go into a store and people were speaking Cajun French.

We can aid in the preservation of the Hawaiian language by learning as much of it as we can. My focus is on learning Hawaiian song, and learning the language that way. That is how I learned French (aside from studying it!): I listened to Edith Piaf until my friends ran screaming from the room. By the time I arrived in Paris, I understood what she was saying. Got new friends. A hui hou.

[ericlp]

Kelena, that's a great post. I'm an atheist at heart. But I love culture and learning about the different religions. I find religion fascinating. I'm not into "western religion" the boring ones that I grew up with. Unless were talking about native American religion. Find Hawaiian and Native American to be more interesting. Always wondered if one could go watch a "REAL" linguist Hawaiian experience. Not the transplanted religion of today.

[Carey]

Deborah, I am sure that your guest knows, but another very real place to go is the campus of UH-H, truly the epicenter of keeping the Hawaiian language alive. With their degree programs (all the way to PHD) they are not only leading the progression of Hawaiian as a living language, but also leading the path for ALL indigenous languages! Plus, it is soo interesting to see the diversity within the program, people do come to Hilo from around the world to be a part of the very unique linguistic program.

[Orchidlandguy]

My wife is Hawaiian and her family attends Ka Uhane Hemolele Oka Malamalama in Hilo.

Haili Church does only the scripture in Hawaiian.
The sermon is in English.

Holy Apostles Episcopal does not do services in Hawaiian.
On some holidays there are Hawaiian songs.


In Hilo there are 2 churches that do services in Hawaiian.

Catholic service:
Malia Puka O Kalani Church
326 Desha Ave,
Hilo, Hi 96720


Ka Uhane Hemolele Oka Malamalama
316 King Ave
Hilo, HI 96720