Nā Hua Ea and Building Decolonial Community: Writing Poetry with ʻĀina and Each Other

Date
2020
Authors
Yamashiro, Aiko
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Santos Perez, Craig
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English
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This dissertation explores decolonial community building through writing and performing community-engaged poetry. It is written from the perspective of a lead organizer of the annual Hawaiian sovereignty poetry, music, and community teach-in event, Nā Hua Ea. Through interviews with writers, artists, and activists, I share a range of insights on decolonial love, ea (Indigenous life, sovereignty), and the creative writing process as a way to build decolonial community across diverse peoples of Indigenous and settler ancestries. These key interviews are with Ellen-Rae Cachola, Noʻu Revilla, Reyna Ramolete Hayashi, Bryan Kamaoli Kuwada, Lyz Soto, Grace Alvaro Caligtan, Justin Takaha White, Dawn Mahi, Logan Narikawa, Joy Enomoto, Jamaica Heolimeleikalani Osorio, Mehanaokalā Hind, and Noelani Goodyear-Kaʻōpua. In conversation with critical ethnic studies, Asian settler colonial theory, and feminist-led demilitarization activism, I describe a multiethnic solidarity counter to one based on shared plantation struggle. This “huakaʻi solidarity” is a practice of genealogizing and traveling to connect different experiences of colonization and sources of strength, and to increase our capacity for kuleana. In conversation with theory from queer Third World women and Indigenous studies, I maintain that love is central to community building, and focus on “decolonial love,” honoring the wisdom of Indigenous queer love, desire, the erotic, and the worldmaking power of aloha ʻāina. In conversation with histories of local literature in Hawaiʻi and the study of community-engaged poetry, I also discuss the methods and poetics of three Hawaiʻi-based community-engaged poetry groups—Poets in the Schools, Hoʻomoʻomoʻo (an anthology by Women’s Voices Women Speak), and Pacific Tongues—and the rich models of community-building they offer. The final chapter shares creative writing prompts and journal entries from Nā Hua Ea, in hopes that they inspire more community-engaged poetry projects.
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Literature, Ethnic studies, Creative writing, community poetry, creative writing, decolonial love, ea, Hawaiʻi, Indigenous
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245 pages
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