This is one of those things Im throwing out there for the sake of manao. Many of my posts particularly on the tourism industry and the New Age fantasy of the Hawaiian religion known as Huna deals with cultural (mis)appropriation. But what happens when a Kanaka Maoli appropriates from another Polynesian group? For example, I know of Maori students at UH Manoa who absolutely hate the haa that UH does and I know of Maoris who complain that Hawaiians and Tahitians take too much from their culture. At the same time, I also know of Maori who dont mind if Hawaiians pick up elements from Maori language or culture because were a related people and Maoris traditionally viewed Hawaiians as an older sibling. Of course this process of adopting from different cultures particularly Polynesian cultures is a very ancient one. The pahu originated from Tahiti but eventually we made it our own and now the Hawaiian pahu is very different from the pahu in Tahiti and Nukuhiva. Lono was a new god from Borabora and he was embraced within the Hawaiian pantheon and eventually there developed very uniquely Hawaiian rituals and moolelo. Same with Pele. Io too is not an indigenous Hawaiian god but a Maori one that spread to Hawaii in the 20th century. Then theres instruments like the ukulele. As much as people complain about the ukulele, it is a Hawaiian instrument. Hawaiians adopted it from the Portuguese but the tuning and size are different now from its original Portuguese origins. Ki hoalu or Hawaiian slack key is something that is Hawaiian yet the guitar came from Mexican cowboys. The Hawaiian ipu, uliuli, hokio and the puili are indigenous to Hawaii--yet funny enough none of them are being considered as a state instrument. So Hawaiians weve adopted elements, food, instruments, music, and symbolism (i.e. Iolani Palace) from all over the world and somehow made them Hawaiian in our own way over time. So when is appropriation pono (right) or hewa (wrong)? Is it also wrong for Hawaiians to take from other Polynesian cultures? To me, its a matter of how it was appropriated and how it was transmitted. I think taking for example Maori cultural elements without getting permission is as wrong as shamans who take Hawaiian and Native American elements I think if Maoris complain about the haa etc we should listen..Likewise other Polynesians should respect Hawaiian traditions and not claim them as their own either but rather give credit to the source. E nānā i ke kumu. Just my opinion.
Posted on: Tue, 20 Jan 2015 10:39:54 +0000
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