Hawaiian Airlines
‘Olelo Hawaiʻi
Normalizing the Hawaiian language
History is often preserved in tradition, dance, story & art,
but it is in the native language of a people that identity is most prominent.
It is a privilege to tell the culturally significant stories in our English language, but recently, we were given the challenge in not only capturing people speaking in the Hawaiian language, but producing micro-documentaries exclusively in ‘Olelo Hawai’i (Hawaiian language).
Capturing the stories of fluent Hawaiian speakers without compromising the quality of how we tell stories was a challenge. We leaned into and trusted our natively fluent clients to help us conduct interviews in Hawaiian, which we then pre-edited by Mauna Burgess, who has been casually speaking ‘Olelo Hawai’i most of his life, but more recently became a student of the language. This stretched every Hawaiian language muscle in his body and we couldn’t be more proud of the way these stories ended up.
It was an honor to work on such a meaningful project.
Ryan Roback
I ka ‘olelo no ke ola | In our words, there is life
In celebration of mahina ‘Olelo Hawai’i (Hawaiian Language Month), Hawaiian Airlines followed three employees to share their journey in learning and implementing ‘Olelo Hawai’i into their everyday lives. This video features Ryan Roback, who serves as one of Hawaiian Airlines’ SOCC (System Operations Control Center) Managers. Ryan reflects on the beginning of his ‘Olelo Hawai’i journey in college, its importance and its role in his and his family’s lives.
Malia Kruger
Ka Moemoea: A Dream Come True
Flight attendant, Malia Kruger, shares how ‘Olelo Hawai’i (Hawaiian language) has been an essential pillar in her life, her family’s lives and her community. From children’s book author, specializing in storytelling through our Islands’ native tongue, to becoming a flight attendant, Malia continues to pursue her passion and mission of normalizing ‘Olelo Hawai’i throughout the world.
Jason Ryuseki
Ma ka Hana ka ‘Ike: Through the Work Comes Knowledge
Cargo Chief Agent, Jason Ryusaki, shares how his love for music piqued his interest in learning ‘Olelo Hawai’i. We invite you to listen to his story of how fishing and farming (and the lessons it taught him) helped him in his journey of learning and speaking the Hawaiian language.