Kalikoaloha Martin, Instructor of ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi, UH-Mānoa
Title: “Ho, I Neva No Dat Waz ʻŌlelo”: Re-membering and Re-claiming Pidgin: Pidgin identity in the Classroom
As a result of indoctrination and cultural genocide, Pidgin speakers have been oppressed by colonial discourse, erasing the rich Pidgin culture and replacing it with “American” language to culturally assimilate to the colonial power. In a ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi classroom, Pidgin speakers, who have experienced firsthand oppression of their language in an academic setting, are heavily relied on as the backbone of the ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi classroom. In this presentation, I will argue that Pidgin speakers quickly align HCE syntax and worldview to ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi syntax and worldview which generates a bridge for Pidgin and non-Pidgin speakers alike. This engages deep Pidgin and ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi understanding in an academic sphere that has been pervasive to the Pidgin language for some time.
Bio: Kalikoaloha Martin is a student of hula, an aloha ʻāina advocate, a staunch supporter of Pidgin, and an instructor at Kawaihuelani Center for Hawaiian Language at UHM. He received a Master of Arts degree in 2016 studying the Hawaiian Language. Kaliko is a devoted student of the Hawaiian language and conducts his research in the Hawaiian Language newspapers and archival repository. He is currently working on a journal article documenting anti-annexation newspaper editors. He also enjoys writing creative Hawaiian language literature and studying race theory and its applicability to the peculiar case of Hawai’i.
