Produced for ‘Aha Pūnana Leo, this video is a call for teachers to help revitalize the Hawaiian language, which was saved from the brink of extinction by the extraordinary efforts of those who established the Hawaiian language immersion preschools in the 1980’s.
Includes scenes of pre-school children enrolled in the Punana Leo (language nests) at Honolulu, Waiau, Wailuku, Puhi, Hilo and Keaukaha in 1990.
NĀ MAKA O KA ʻĀINA
We are Joan Lander and Puhipau (1937-2016) of Nā Maka o ka ‘Āina (“The Eyes of the Land”), an independent video production team that, since 1981, has focused on the land and people of Hawai‘i and the Pacific.
We exist to document and give voice and face to traditional and contemporary Hawaiian culture, history, language, art, music, environment and the politics of independence and sovereignty. Our over 100 documentary and educational programs have been seen on PBS, Hawai‘i public and commercial television stations, public access cable channels, and broadcast/cable networks in Canada, Aotearoa (New Zealand), Japan, Mexico and Europe.
Our award-winning productions have been used by teachers and scholars in classrooms in Hawai‘i and throughout the world, and our iconic footage of the Hawaiian sovereignty movement has been featured in numerous documentaries by other producers.
