To start off my first blog, it is simply this, "A Hawaiian Man". For the past few years of my life I have contemplated what it is like to be native Hawaiian in today's world where you have two extremities of Hawaiʻi. On one end you have the stereotypical "Kūʻē Protester" and on the other you have the completely Westernized native Hawaiian who, unfortunately, is disconnected from his ʻāina and doesn't even realize that Hawaiʻi was a thriving nation with its own native people that excelled in areas, such as law, navigation, and composition that are unheard of today.
(Photo: Kaipo Tam/Kūʻē March in Waikīkī/01.17.09)
In this blog, I want to show people the observations I make of our people. The differences between me and other observers are that I am indeed a native Hawaiian by ancestry, I am born & raised and currently living in Hawaiʻi, and I am from the next generation of budding "Kānaka Maoli" that will hold the future of our people soon.
And this blog is directed toward anyone interested in Hawaiʻi and its people. This is to you, my peers, my kūpuna, my mākua, my moʻopuna, my educators, my people, and my friends of the past, present and future. Whether you are Hawaiian, Hawaiian-by-heart, or out to look for trouble,-Yes, you know who you are. The ones that want to disprove every blog and article they see out there with your uneducated thoughts.)-this blog is to give you the "upgrade" as a dear professor I had would say. Before I end this post, I will constant remind you that this is the opinion of just me and none of any organization or institution. If you would like to give me the "upgrade", by all means, I am more than welcome to other ideas. Manaʻo pū kākou.
ʻO au iho me ka haʻahaʻa,
Kaipo
This is an interesting spectrum youve laid out of the types of native Hawaiians ranging from
ReplyDelete"the stereotypical "Kūʻē Protester" and on the other you have the completely Westernized native Hawaiian who, unfortunately, is disconnected from his ʻāina and doesn't even realize that Hawaiʻi was a thriving nation with its own native people that excelled"
Im interested to explore these thoughts
I agree that there is a vast spectrum of "Hawaiian" people out there. As a Native Hawaiian myself, I feel a great responsibility towards the perpetuation of my culture. However, I have consciously made a decision to stay away from picket lines and demonstrations depicting the historical inequitable treatment of the Hawaiian people. While the extremist supporter of the Hawaiian culture may scoff at this decision, the extent of my involvement in cultural perpetuation is pono - right - for me and no one else. I've learned the language to some extent, I've danced the dances and sung the songs. I've learned about plants, animals and the mythical, ecological and cultural value of some of these items. Does this make me any less a supporter of cultural revitalization? Some may feel my actions are meager - and by comparison to organized protests, maybe they are. But I feel that what really matters is having the heart genuinely and attentively engrained in whatever it is that is being learned or practiced, no matter how miniscule the action may be.
ReplyDeleteIt is my decision to enjoy the great things that the American lifestyle has given me, and I choose to accept that change is inevitable. However, this does not mean I will forget. Change does not necessarily mean "loss," but maybe change can be seen as an opportunity for adaptation.
Mahalo for sharing your thoughts with us all!