HI SCR202

Requests the University of Hawaii to establish an Olelo Hawaii (Hawaiian language) educational pathway specifically concentrating on the Niihau dialect

Niihau community members have maintained continuous use of Hawaiian as their primary language, preserving a dialect significantly distinct from Hawaiian taught in immersion schools and mainstream educational settings

State agencies already recognize Olelo Niihau as a distinct dialect by providing live interpreters for Niihau speakers when interacting with health providers, schools, and other institutions

Expresses concern that pressure to adopt newly invented vocabulary from Hawaiian language revitalization initiatives risks eroding the traditional Niihau dialect learned from kupuna (elders)

Directs a certified copy of the resolution be transmitted to the President of the University of Hawaii System