M.A. - Hawaiian Studies
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Item Paradise Isle: How Hollywood Created An Imaginary Hawaiʻi(2024) Kini, Emilia K.; Drexel, April A.H.; Hawaiian StudiesItem RECONNECTING TO WAIKĪKĪ’S PAST: THE ROLE OF HISTORICAL, PLACE-BASED KNOWLEDGE TOWARD A FUTURE OF FLOOD RESILIENCE(2024) Medeiros, Emily; Kikiloi, Scott Kekuewa; Hawaiian StudiesItem “Ke Aupuni: He Aha Ia?”: Using Joseph Nawahī’s Conception Of The Aupuni Body As A Framework To Hoʻohawaiʻi(University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2023) Hart, Kyle Brandon; Puniwai, Noelani; Hawaiian StudiesJoseph Nawahī’s conception of the aupuni body can be seen as an ancestral knowledge-based framework used to understand the construction of space between and around us in 21st century Hawaiʻi. Operating on the premise that aupuni is not some magical, esoteric concept, I explored the four mahele of the aupuni – ʻāina, lāhui, kānāwai, and waiwai. Mālama Puʻuloa workday participants were sampled to understand how we perceived aupuni at Kapapapuhi, along the shoreline of Honouliuli. The aupuni body framework was a viable guide for constructing a bridge in understanding how aupuni is perceived. The aupuni at Kapapapuhi is, at its core, community-based stewardship and education guided by aloha ʻāina. As members of a lāhui, this framework enables us to be intentional in our endeavors as we navigate away from American Imperialism and the Western ideologies of nationhood and instead strive to hoʻohawaiʻi Kapapapuhi and beyond.Item On The Standard of Being “Hawaiian Enough” Native Hawaiian Lateral Violence and Contemporary Hawaiian Language Acquisition(University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2023) Moniz, Hauolihiwahiwa; Kuwada, Bryan K.; Hawaiian StudiesThis master’s thesis explores the troubling concept of being “Hawaiian enough” within the contemporary Native Hawaiian community as a pervasive form of Native HawaiianLateral Violence that negatively impacts contemporary Hawaiian language acquisition by Kānaka Maoli. “Hawaiian enough” refers to the set of stereotypical, legal and social expectations placed upon Native Hawaiian people that are primarily foreign in origin and function in a way that attempts to undermine and invalidate Native Hawaiian people and their claim to their ʻŌiwi identities. Using a mix of ethnographic and autoethnographic methods to understand this particular type of social violence, this thesis examines how the internal and external perception of “not being Hawaiian enough” negatively affects Hawaiian Language learning and engagement, community relationships, cultural self-efficacy, and the worth and worthiness of many Hawaiians today. This thesis features primary data collected from 50 Native Hawaiian community members gathered through a series of Hawaiian Language Acquisition and Engagement surveys that detailed personal experiences with learning, attempting to learn, or avoiding altogether, Hawaiian language and its related acquisition opportunities as well as their reasons and perspectives while doing so. Survey responses were analyzed for expressions of shame and shaming, peer judgement, defensive failure, the Hawaiian Language Hierarchy, and the fear or avoidance of speaking Hawaiian, especially with peers, each rooted in some way in Native Hawaiian Lateral Violence. Three social phenomena unique to the Native Hawaiian community that are significant contributing factors to Native Hawaiian Lateral Violence will also be introduced, those being Reactive Skepticism, Aloha Fatigue, and Triggering Whiteness. By documenting the psychosocial challenges to Hawaiian language reclamation experienced by Kānaka today, a currently under-researched topic in academic literature, this project hopes to serve as a catalyst for future investigations into this community issue so that Hawaiian language acquisition might be more accessible and equitable for all Kānaka ʻŌiwi.Item Hoʻolaukanaka I Ka Leo O Nā Manu(University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2022) Dinwiddie Kala, Kellie Kaleilehua; Drexel, April A. H.; Hawaiian StudiesIt is the goal of this qualitative grounded theory research to analyze the way Hawaiians used Hawaiian honeycreepers as metaphors in mele and why the birds were used to represent what they did. Much of the scholarly material found on the topic of manu mūkīkī Hawaiʻi has been written from a western perspective, with little to no documentation as to what the birds represent. The way the manu mūkīkī Hawaiʻi are utilized in mele is of particular interest, and if Hawaiians fail to recognize this potential loss now and take steps to remedy it, they will not be able to pass down this invaluable ʻike to future generations. This qualitative study examines the usage of Hawaiian honeycreepers as literary devices in mele. After the initial gathering of mele, the Papakū Makawalu methodology of deconstructionism will be applied to allow readers to see the different layers of meaning. In order to aid the Hawaiian language revitalization efforts, it is important for Hawaiians to recognize the significance of manu mūkīkī Hawaiʻi in mele. The aim of this inquiry is to present Hawaiians with one more way to understand and engage with the mele that were left for us by older generations.Item Wahi Pana Aloha ʻĀina: Storied Places of Resistance As Political Intervention(University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2022) Ioane, Keahialaka Leiuʻiowaikaʻalulu; Puniwai, Noelani; Perry, Wendell K., Jr.; Hawaiian StudiesWahi pana aloha ʻāina, storied places of resistance, is a historical and political research device that perpetuates contemporary Hawaiian sovereignty history, and can serve as a political intervention between Kanaka (Hawaiian people) and the State of Hawaiʻi. Wahi pana aloha ʻāina are places where movements and resistance in the name of aloha ʻāina occur. Aloha ʻāina is a founding quintessential concept to a Hawaiian worldview and epistemology. The genealogy of aloha ʻāina traditions equipped generations of Kanaka with environmental keenness through a deep love for and connection to the land. During the illegal overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi in the 1890s, aloha ʻāina became the political identity of Kanaka in the struggle for sovereignty of Hawaiʻi during the illegal encroachment by the United States. In the 1970’s during the Hawaiian renaissance (cultural re-awakening), leaders of the Protect Kahoʻolawe ʻOhana (the group who organized the first contemporary resistance by Kanaka against the U.S.) re-discovered and reclaimed aloha ʻāina to re-awaken the Hawaiian consciousness after decades of imposed American indoctrination. The Hawaiian renaissance led to a series of land movements that arose in opposition to America’s control of Hawaiian lands and became the basis for the Hawaiian Sovereignty Movement, or the current Hawaiian political movement for better self-determination and the return of Hawaiʻi’s sovereignty to Kanaka. This legacy of storied places of resistance has been effectively written over by colonial historiography and the State of Hawaiʻi’s legacy of American expansionism. This has manifested into a legacy of prejudice in the State of Hawaiʻi judicial system that favors non-Kanaka entities, initiatives and agendas, while disapproving and discrediting Kanaka self-determination initiatives and sovereignty agendas. Due to this, there is no concern from the State of Hawai’i in remedying the political conflicts that arise between Kanaka and the State. I argue that the normalization of wahi pana aloha ʻāina can assist Kanaka in overcoming the negative impacts of the colonial footprint of the State of Hawaiʻi over Kanaka ancestral legacies and land histories, and be used to reclaim Kanaka land rights. In this paper, I lay out the research behind the theory of wahi pana aloha ʻāina, and how it functions as a research tool in the field of Kanaka land struggles, with a specific focus on historical colonial resistance. Second, I exemplify the use of wahi pana aloha ʻāina through telling the story of the wahi pana aloha ʻāina of my own moʻokūʻauhau (genealogy) in Keaukaha on the Big Island of Hawaiʻi, and how my family and community maintain our moʻokūʻauhau and kuleana (rights / privilege / responsibility) through the practice of perpetuating wahi pana aloha ʻāina.Item Hiding In Plain Sight: Kekahi Loko I‘a ma Pu‘uloa(University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2022) Borden, Anika; Perry, Wendell Kekailoa; Hawaiian StudiesThe physical characteristics of Puʻuloa, the surrounding land areas, and the water resources available provided the ideal habitat and resources for the construction of fishponds and fish traps by the native Hawaiian peoples, who strive to utilize the natural environment around them to its full potential. In the entire island chain, no moku, or centralized water area contained more fishponds and fishtraps than Puʻuloa. This fact is little known today as both the physical presence and historical knowledge of many of these fishponds and fish traps have been destroyed and forgotten. To ensure the future and perpetuity of the remaining fishponds, as well as the traditional knowledge, history, and cultural connection of the Hawaiian people to Puʻuloa, it is necessary to renew interest in the current and previous existence of those fishponds. By looking at the history of Puʻuloa and ʻEwa through a traditional lens, addressing the history of Loko Paʻaiau, and taking a closer look at the history of the sugar industry and reciprocity, as well as the effects of militarization on Puʻuloa’s fishponds, I hope to put forth a narrative that will rekindle interest and encourage discussion in Puʻuloa and ʻEwa, and the fishponds located there.Item Hana Loʻi: Building An Ecology Of ʻōiwi Thought An Approach To Cultural Resource Management Exploring The Environmental And Cultural Ecology Of Loʻi Systems Through Akua, Kinolau, And ʻāina(University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2021) Lee-Agcaoili, Renee Kalena K.; Drexel, April A. H.; Hawaiian StudiesEcology, the study of relations between living organisms and their surrounding environment is the composition for which this research study encompasses. The thesis topic presented in this narrative, draws attention to the ecology of ideas inspired by the ecological system of wet-land taro cultivation, referred to as loʻi kalo. Speaking primarily to an ʻŌiwi point of view, the ecology of ideas foregrounds the basis of this work in an exploratory study to understand how and in what ways we connect to and rationalize our unique sensibility to the natural world. This thesis uses the metaphor of loʻi as a framework for understanding a Hawaiian worldview. It emphasizes the epistemological bases of Hawaiian identity and ancestral intellect as it relates to the holism of environmental well-being and human experience. This study engages its readers in a process that introduces the concept of Hawaiian deities and their elemental manifestations eminent in loʻi kalo and highlights the agency these akua and their kinolau have within the functionality of loʻi and the broader ecosystem. This study layers two lenses: (1) an environmental understanding of loʻi and (2) an honoring of cultural beliefs and ancestral consciousness. These layered lenses construct a holistic understanding into ‘Ōiwi thought that draws parallels between Hawaiian thought systems and that of loʻi. This thesis offers an approach for cultivating best practices to restore and maintain ʻāina in its cultural integrity. It is consistent with ʻŌiwi philosophy in cooperation with the functionality of the natural environment from which our cultural practices stem. This approach is culturally grounded and encourages a heightened competency of our natural surroundings and relationship to them. The symbol of loʻi presented in this thesis narrative serves as a microcosm of the kind of world that can be achieved, should we try.Item Lāʻau Lapaʻau: A Study Of Treatments For Anaphylaxis(University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2021) Brumblay, Jackson Konane; Drexel, April A. H.; Hawaiian StudiesWhat is the Hawaiian understanding of anaphylaxis and what is used to treat it? Anaphylaxis is a generalized allergic reaction that at times is so severe it may result in death. The Hawaiian understanding of a life-threatening kind of severe allergic reaction has a spiritual component. Some anaphylactic reactions that are not life-threatening, however, are recognized more simply as asthma or generalized swelling. Our traditional healing practices have had thousands of years of experimentation to determine which treatment will be most effective for certain conditions. If we rely solely on the knowledge that a particular plant or treatment works best for a certain ailment, we will lose the part of our practice that involves traditional understanding of pathophysiology and various therapies. This study looks into the Hawaiian pathophysiology, therapies, and pharmacology of anaphylaxis by using qualitative data such as Hawaiian literature, interviews, and first-hand experiences.Item He aliʻi komo mua: a glimpse into the life of King William Charles Lunalilo(University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2013-05) Renaud, Kapualokeliʻiliʻokalani; Armitage, James Kimo; Hawaiian StudiesThis thesis was created to establish one of the largest archival repositories regarding one of Hawaii's nineteenth century rulers. King William Charles Lunalilo (January 31, 1835-February 3, 1874) was an intriguing young man who excelled in poetry, and song writing. He was known for writing the Hawaiian Kingdom's national anthem, E Ola Ke Aliʻi Ke Akua and ʻAlekoki. Not only was Lunalilo talented, he was "immensely popular among the kānaka (Hawaiian people)" (Osorio 147).