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Should Scientific Discoveries Made in the Islands be Given Hawaiian Names?

'Oiwi TV

Hawai?i is at the center for scientific research from the oceans to the skies. But when it comes to scientific discoveries made in the islands; there’s a question that’s getting more attention: should they be given Hawaiian names. HPR’s Ku?uwehi Hiraishi has more on the story.

A pilot program is allowing students to give Hawaiian names to astronomical discoveries made on Mauna Kea and Haleakal?. Ka?iu Kimura is Executive Director of ?Imiloa Astronomy Center and leads the program. She says it just makes sense.

Credit 'Oiwi TV
Hawaiian language students contemplate the final series of name choices for two new astronomical discoveries.

KIMURA: No ka mea in? n? ?ane?i k?ia ?ike in? ?imi ?ia a loa?a ia ?ike ma Hawai?i, he mea nui ka hiki ke ho?ano a mahalo i kahi i loa?a mai ai k?l? ?ike.

She says if discoveries are being made in Hawai?i, it?s important to honor that sense of place.

The program kicked off with a gathering of Hawaiian language experts, astronomers, and students to produce names for two newly-discovered asteroids.

Doug Simons, Executive Director of the Canada-France-Hawai?i Telescope, was there. He says prior to this program, the naming protocol could be pretty dry.

Credit 'Oiwi TV
Doug Simons, Executive Director of the Canada-France-Hawai'i Telescope, give Hawaiian language students a tour of the telescope.

“Basically they’re given alphanumeric labels basically that kick off one after another as the discovery is made,” says Simons, “A lot of the times objects are labeled by their astronomical coordinates in the sky and maybe a few letters to distinguish them.”

And it’s often an ambiguous mouthful like 1I/2017U1.

“So the idea of just sort of shattering all of that and providing Hawaiian names that are unique to the properties of the object is completely new,” says Simons.

Credit 'Oiwi TV
Astronomer Heather Kaluna gives Hawaiian language experts and students an astronomy lesson.

At the gathering, astronomers did their best to teach Hawaiian speakers about the scientific properties of the asteroids. ??lelo Hawai?i experts then delved into the art of naming objects from a native Hawaiian perspective.

KIMURA: K?ia ?ano k??ikahi ?ana me ka po?e ?epekema e ?imi nei i ka ?ike hou ma Hawai?i, he h?nuanua hou loa k?ia no k?kou ka po?e ??lelo a no ko k?kou ho?onui ?ana i ka ho?ohana ?ia ?o ka ??lelo Hawai?i.

Kimura says this collaboration with Hawai?i astronomers is a very new platform for speakers and an opportunity to normalize ??lelo Hawai?i.

Credit 'Oiwi TV
Hawaiian language students delve into the art and craft of naming objects.

The group voted on the names Kamo?oalewa and Ka?epaoka??wela. Both have to do with the nature of the objects---and the direction of their orbits. Those names are currently before the International Astronomical Union, tasked naming astronomical discoveries.

“You know, don’t be surprised when you see more Hawaiian names coming up on the world news and you’ll know where they came from just because they’re Hawaiian. It’s very simple,” says Simons.

Credit 'Oiwi TV
Telescopes atop Mauna Kea on Hawai'i Island. Hawaiian language students chosen to participate in this program hailed from Hawai'i Island as well as Maui - both home to telescopes.

KIMURA: He mana?olana ko m?kou e hiki ana ke ho?omau ?ia k?ia hana a?ole ma ke kilo h?k? wale n?, ak? ma n? ?ano noi?i ?epekema like ?ole e m?lama ?ia nei ma Hawai?i no.

Kimura says the group hopes to expand its work beyond astronomy to all sorts of scientific discoveries being made here in Hawai?i. 

Kuʻuwehi Hiraishi is a general assignment reporter at Hawaiʻi Public Radio. Her commitment to her Native Hawaiian community and her fluency in ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi has led her to build a de facto ʻōiwi beat at the news station. Send your story ideas to her at khiraishi@hawaiipublicradio.org.
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