No Nā ʻŌpio ʻŌiwi
ʻO ka poʻe Ainu (pela ʻia me ka “y” e ka poʻe Aynu akā ma ka ʻōlelo ʻē, e like me ka ʻōlelo Kepanī, ʻo Ainu nō ia) ka poʻe ʻōiwi o ka ʻāina ʻo Hokkaido. Ua hoʻohui ʻia o Hokkaido me Iāpana mā. Ua huakaʻi mākou i ka ʻāina huʻihuʻi ʻo Sapporo, Shiraoi, a me Nibutani ma Biratori e aʻo ai e pili ana i ka moʻomeheu, ka mōʻaukala, a me ka ʻōlelo Ainu.
E like me kākou, ka poʻe Hawaiʻi, ka lāhui ʻōiwi o Hawaiʻi, ʻaʻole nui ka poʻe Ainu ʻōlelo i ka ʻōlelo kupuna. A e like hoʻi me kākou, ua loaʻa dka wā i pāpā ʻia ai ka ʻōlelo a me ka moʻomeheu Ainu ma waena o ka poʻe e ke aupuni. Ua noi ʻia nā haumāna i hele i kēia huakaʻi e noʻonoʻo a kālailai i nā mea like a me nā mea ʻokoʻa ma waena o kākou, a me kekahi mau haʻawina i pā ai ko lākou naʻau ma ka hele kino ʻana i kēia mau wahi.
Summary: The Ainu are the indigenous people of Hokkaido. In June of 2026, we took 7 youth from Hawaiʻi to Hokkaido on a cultural exchange to share our language, culture and history with them and to learn about theirs. The participants presented at Shiraoi Elementary, Nibutani High School, Sapporo University, Hokkaido University and at Upopoy Nationaal Ainu Museum.
