Papahana Kaiapuni is a K-12 indigenous language immersion program in selected public schools in the State of Hawai'i. Instruction in Kaiapuni classrooms is conducted in the Hawaiian language. Program goals include students' development of a high level of proficiency in both Hawaiian and English. For nearly a century, policy banning the Hawaiian language from the public schools and other government activities contributed to the decline of the language's use. Papahana Kaiapuni is an effort to revive the Hawaiian language, now the second official language of the state. Supporters of the program believe that the program may also serve to promote both the cultural identity and the academic achievement of the Native Hawaiians. Social and historical influences on the program's development are outlined, drawing from literature about the program, interviews with individuals involved in early program development, and an analysis of selected board of education and federal documents. Interview questions are appended. (Contains 49 references.) (Author/MSE)