Hawaiian Airlines gives nod to Hawaiian language month

HONOLULU — Employees across Hawaiian Airlines are joining hands this February to perpetuate mahina ‘olelo Hawai‘i (Hawaiian language month).

This year, through their collective actions, from organizing surprise ‘olelo Hawai‘i flights to partnering with native Hawaiian designer Keola Naka‘ahiki Rapozo, we are proud to share Hawaiian language and culture with our guests and the communities we serve.

Mathew “Manako” Tanaka, senior specialist of community and cultural relations at Hawaiian Airlines, shared his pride for his colleagues:

“Pomaika‘i ka Hui Mokulele ‘o Hawaiian i ke koho ‘ana o na kanaka make‘e ‘olelo Hawai‘i ia kakou ‘o ia ko lakou wahi e lawelawe ai i ka hana,” Tanaka said. “Lei papahi kakou i ko lakou kuana‘ike Hawai‘i. He kokua pu ia i ke kako‘o ‘ana i na limahana ‘e a‘e i hoihoi e ho‘omau i ko lakou ‘onipa‘a ‘ana i ka ‘imi na‘auao ma na mea Hawai‘i.”

“We are fortunate at Hawaiian Airlines that those with a passion for Hawaiian language have chosen us as their place of work,” Tanaka said. “Their world view contributes to a diverse lei with which our company adorns itself. They are also an invaluable resource for those employees who are steadfast in their quest for knowledge about Hawaiian things.”

This month on Mana‘o, we’re featuring mo‘olelo (stories) of employees who dedicate themselves to sharing ‘olelo Hawai‘i with others. Mana‘o readers can also join us in our celebration by visiting our Instagram channels and participating in our weekly social media sweepstakes, which encourage followers to learn ‘olelo Hawai‘i from employee-created videos and share a clip of themselves speaking the phrases for a chance to win a prize.

For more info go to hawaiianairlines.com.