ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi Play & Storytime: Ka Manawa Pāʻani & Moʻolelo ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi

ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi Play & Storytime: Ka Manawa Pāʻani & Moʻolelo ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi

E komo mai (come) and join us for Ka Manawa Pāʻani & Moʻolelo ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi - a time for families with children 0-5 years old to play together, hear a story, and do an activity in ‘Ōlelo Hawai’i (the Hawaiian language). Together, as a community of Native Hawaiian families, we will learn together and practice our language and culture while helping our keiki (kids) with their early literacy.

Activities are geared towards 0-5 years old but the whole ‘ohana is welcome. No ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi experience needed; Kumu Kamalei is only 2+ years into her own journey and we will be supporting each other.

Organized by .

About the Kumu: Kamalei Brandon

Kamalei Brandon is the Pilimakua Family Connections Program Manager at Hummingbird Indigenous Family Services as well as a Kanaka Maoli Doula and Indigenous Lactation Counselor. As a Kanaka Maoli/Native Hawaiian makuahine (mother), she has a strong passion for early childhood education and perinatal mental health rooted in culture/language reclamation and sustainability work for our Indigenous communities. Kamalei works at the Native Family Learning Lodge as a Teaching Aunty, specifically working on supporting Indigenous families in integrating our Indigenous languages into a classroom setting. She has been working diligently for over 2 years to reclaim ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi in her own ʻohana after a two-generation removal of the language. She is still building her own fluency, but loves supporting other Kānaka Maoli ʻohana in their journeys while practicing herself. Kamalei hopes to help other Indigenous parents preserve their language/culture despite being disconnected from their 'āina (land).

Host or Publisher Mālama i Ka ʻOhana