Neʻepapa

Neʻepapa is an outreach program which includes providing technical assistance to Native American groups interested in the revitalization and survival of their traditional languages.  The outreach for Native American languages technical assistance began in September of 2001. The program targets indigenous community leaders and educators interested in visiting us.

After working to remove the ban on the use of Hawaiian in Hawai‘i’s school system, the ‘Aha Pūnana Leo joined with Native Americans to reverse federal policy to remove Native American languages from Native American communities.  Since the passage of the Native American Languages Act in 1990, there have been increased efforts throughout the United States to save the some 200 remaining Native American languages from extinction.  Many of these languages have only a handful of speakers and only twenty still have fluent children speakers.  The ‘Aha Pūnana Leo is the nationally recognized model for Native American language revitalization programs in the United States.

Through donations and grants, other indigenous groups visit ‘Aha Pūnana Leo model sites and programs.  These visitors also meet with key individuals responsible for the success of our programs. 

The ‘Aha Pūnana Leo is the nationally recognized model for Native American language revitalization programs in the United States. We are a partner of the National Native American Language Resource Center led by University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo's Hawaiian Language College, the University of Alaska Southeast and Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe University a tribal college.

School Year 2024 – 2025

Visitations continue with safety protocols in place. Face masks will be required in classrooms.
Scheduled morning campus visits September 3, through May 7, 2025 from 7:45am – 10:30am.

Schedule of school breaks and holidays:
4 – 11 October
5; 11;  27 – 29 November
20 December – 7 January
20 January
17 February
14-21 March
26 March
18 April
23 – 25 April

To learn more, please watch the Hoʻokipa video here.