The introduction of Punanaleo or language nests in Hawaii 20 years ago, has gone some way towards the preservation of the mother tongue.
The comments come from Hawaiian linguist A'ia A'ia Bello, who's currently touring New Zealand with the Na'hanona Ku'liki'pi'lani culture group.
She says the future of the Hawaiian language looks safe with the Punanaleo
"People who are 25 years younger than me whose knowledge of the language and the culture are where mine is at 50-years old so you can imagine when they're 50 years old how much more of the cultural knowledge they will have and again for me it's very hopeful and gives me a glimpse into the future."
