Early identification with another group is only the first phase of group identity formation. Adolescents engage a developmental process by which they examine, learn and often engage in other ethnic groups, explore and try out new possibilities. Adapting to another culture can be stressful, however a sense of identity is constructed in endless ways. A research done by Dr. Rezentes often iterated the importance of feeling connected to one’s culture . How ethnically connected are you to the Hawaiian culture?
When I was growing up, I heard Mr. Lonoaia teach Hawaiiana - songs and dances. I remember the pohaku was the first Hawaiian word heard in school in third grade. I had Mr. Claton Hee as my Hawaiiana teacher too. I participated in May Day and lei contest in elementary. In high school, I don’t recall any even or activities that I participated. However, I was able to walk the up the waterfalls with the visiting tourist. After heavy rains, my brother and I had to go to the intake and clear the streams. We walked the trails of our ancestors into the mountain to gather medicinal plants my grandfather taught us about. We also fished for o’opu and gathered opae. I didn’t like much and gave that task to my brother - long pinchers.
As a community the nets were laid, and the po’e in the valley came to the beach to take the fish out of the net. Afterwards, every kanaka and non kanaka took fish home to feed their ’ohana. The rest of the fish was sold to the market and other families in town. Wow, that was a lot of fish. I went with my brother to gather opihi and often heard about my father from my mother about how quickly he maneuvered on the rocks. He was a great fisherman well respected and a mountaineer that moved swiftly across the ‘aina. Some people say that saw him in Halawa and yet when they visit the hale, auwe, he was there!
One night in Wailau, the lights can be seen along the trails. We got off the pathway and let the visitors pass by. Most families who traveled to Wailau gathered hi’iwae to eat. The cold water to bathe and the ocean to surf or play with other ‘ohana.
At Kamehameha Schools, there was Hoike and Song Contest. I took a class that was required for Hawaiian History and never took the language course, I wish I did. When I boarded at the dorm, I became more Westernized and fascinated by the “city lights.” I wanted to hele all ova da place!
As an adult, I was mesmerized by going to college and getting an education. In the process of exploring myself and culture, I had become more confused and often questioned my own ethnic identity. I traveled to Kaua’I to find out more about my father’s side. That’s the best thing I ever did. I learned more about who my ‘ohana was and researched with my mother. Did I run up the phone bill talking to ‘ohana on Maui and Big Island! I traveled to different places on Kauai and that special places was Anahola and Wainiha! These were the places they lived. At the Kauai Community College, I took ‘Olelo Hawaii and participated in Hawaiian activities and was a class senator. I enjoyed the Hawaiian club. My kumu was haole who taught ‘Olelo Hawaii - she was pono!
After moving back to O’ahu in August 1995 to attend the University of Hawaii, I seemed separated from my culture. I was so busy getting to school and caring for the ‘ohana. I lost tough with my own heritage until I started to do genealogy again in 2001. I spend many years searching for myself again! When I started to do research again, I felt good about myself. My eldest daughter name is simple. The second daughter and third daughter carries the tutu inoa and the last have the father’s side. It’s okay, my daughters know where their inoa come from. Although I spent more time in western schools after high school, I still took my children to Hawaiian events in the community or talked about our own history.
Oh , the Hawaiian food. Ono! My famili brought the Hawaiian food for my second child to Kauai. David Bettencourt flew the food over from Molokai. Luckily, my mother ocean front had opihi for this event! I think I ate to much as a child and don’t like to waster. Kalua pig and lomi salmon! Ono!
The march was a significant event that gave me peace even though thousands marched along side. I recognized hoaaloha from college and high school too. These are some events and activities that help me keep connected to my culture.
Please share your mana’o about how you connect with your children/'ohana. How connected are you because we all engage differently with our Hawaiian culture.
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I was born and raised in Kentucky. My grandmother died when my dad was very young and with her everything I should have learned at an early age. My father and his brothers and sister were left in a very racial place where you were either black or white. I can't really recall the first time I felt different than everyone else, but it as always there. I remember in 6th grade a teacher in my social studies/geography class was talking about Hawaii and mentioned my Dad and grandmother. She was a teacher and apparently had taught my teacher and this was the first of many stories I would hear of how she touched so many people. Even though I never met my grandmother her spirit led me to discover the things she couldn't tell me. Of course school books gave little information, wrong info if any at all which I would say has left me still a bit angry inside. It was my persistence however that started to get my dad and uncles to slowly remember where they came from.
For me, there is still so much I need and want to learn, so I feel my connection is still such a work in progress, but it has been that soul searching of "who am I" that has brought me to where I am today.
Yes, so much to learn about our own history. Think my post to you was deleted when it was upgraded. However, I'm glad to do it again. School book gave little or no information - YOU ARE RIGHT! All the lies keep piling up and po'e are more intuned to what is going on!
Sometimes when away for so long, no one remembers until it is consistently prompted - great job doing that. They will not live for ever yet they can leave a legacy of peace and comfort of the mind at little more at ease!
I hope all is well in your family. Sending a ray of sunshine to your 'ohana!
Hope is all is well. It doesn't matter where you are born, as a kanaka maoli, you'll always have ties to Hawaii nei. I'm sure if your last name has fifteen letters, the po'e there would be utterly confused. Anyhting that sounds or looks different often analyzed as "out of the box." I have this all the time with my name. Even at the airport, I get pulled aside consistently, whats new. I had paid for a flight to Las Vegas the day before, and wow I knew I would be searched. However, I barely made it to the plane, but I'm glad I did.
Ahh."Who Am I"...A good questionwe all must ask oursleves.....
Yes, I work in progress. Similar instances, different places yet we all feel the same way. I embrace my culture stronger every day and feel proud to share it. Before I was hesitant, especially when I was Leihoku Elementary School. I taught for about 4-5 years there and felt out of place. Perhaps two kanaka maoli teachers and dominant Japanese teachers. When I used drama in my class as a means of communication or story telling, the kamalii could understand. They took interest in the work and guided when they needed extra help. I worked with special needs children who slower, but akamai. They just needed to develop stonger literacy skills.
A Japanese male teacher came down to my classroom and asked what I was doing because the students were all excited about the Three Bill Goats and the Hawaiian Troll. I acted as the troll, it was funny and we all had a good time!
As I mentioned before, the current research on genealogy has a "door open" at this time. By far, it has helped me understand myself as I self reflect about my own life at this time. Hope this is an inspiration to all!
You had Clayton Hee as your teacher too? We had...Mr. Wallace was the first one I remember, then Mr. Lonoaia, and I think also Mr. Barcarsi(sp?). I thank them, that program in general, plus Aunty Kauwila for all that I learned at that younger age that eventually got me interested in the culture, particularly the language later.
As for how we engage in our Hawaiian culture, I guess that was the catalyst for me. I grew up with my father and my paternal grandmother. My grandma was from the PHilippines and was only 19 when she arrived in the islands. She was very old fashion. It didn't help with the fact that my parents never married, and my grandma just despised my mom and used the whole "kanaka" thing against me only b/c she was so hateful against my mom. Sure, my other Filipino-Hawaiian mixed cousins were nothing but her great-grandchildren (just me & my brother are her only kanaka grandchildren), but I was the one who got the mixed signals about being Hawaiian. Typical for mixed people I think though what I experienced. I had my kanaka cousins (on my Filipino side) who teased me for being too Filipino or was very Filipino or not Hawaiian while my grandma help to fuel the stereotypical Hawaiian. I strongly believe it was all of that, plus the fact I wanted to know more about my mother that made me aware of my heritage, my ancestry. But this is not to say that I was absent in the culture growing up. Hell, I think my dad and his siblings were more exposed to Hawaiians and their lifestyle than I was growing up. Luckily for my cousins' grandma (Aunty Kauwila) and others like her as I mentioned, I learned a lot.
Although unlike yourself, I never made it to Kamehameha Schools (b/c of my grandma) I did go to Hoomakaikai. It was an eye opener for me b/c there, the only thing I had in common was our ethnicity, so that was a first for me.
In high school I had already taken an interest in the language and tried to learn it on my own. Later Aunty Kauwila started a class, I took it for a couple of yrs but that was just beginning. I moved to Los Angeles & realized how people here are more in touch w/ their identity than we are back home. It made me sad I couldn't really converse in the language of our ancestors so after learning other languages, I tried more w/ Hawaiian. I made it to a decent, basic conversational level, but got lazy and here is the level I'm at now. :)
The music, Hawaiian music is something my aunt (dad's sister) loved. I never cared for it. Same with hula, never cared for it. Although I began going to hula competitions here on the mainland, that was an eye opener for me. People would encourage me to dance but I never cared to. I was interested in oli...and with good reason. It was the language that helped me appreciate the chants and esp. Hawaiian music. So now I like the music, all b/c of the language.
And of course genealogy, wanting to know about my mom's side helped me understand a lot about the alii, Hawaiian culture in general and most importantly Hawaii's political history.
Seeing your tags "identity", I remember an ex co-worker said something to me about how I was so into my culture. I told him that I wasn't into my culture, it's just a part of who I am. I don't choose to turn it on & off. And that had to do with the food (if I remember correctly) that I was eating, although I believe he said that only b/c I mentioned some Hawaiian issues to him of which he knew I was passionate about.
But that holds true today for me. What I do now, it's who I am. Sure I've learned things about my culture I didn't know of, my ancestors and how they lived, but the rest of me pretty much stayed the same and now I am only enriched w/ the knowledge. Other than that, I always was kanaka. Luckily for us, we grew up on an island well known for their old ways!
Namaka'eha > KaapuikinaeaJanuary 28, 2009 at 12:34pm
Ah. We are blessed to have teachers along the way, kanaka maoli or not. To me was like taking a piece of the puzzle and putting the pieces together since we didn't have consistent exposure to the culture. Although I was accepted, I refused to go. My aunty Barbara Hanchett, such a wonderful person insisted. I've always had ear problems since birth and blessed to hear today. Many surgeries on both ears.
Oh, I remeber going to Lanikaula, the sacred place for this kahuna of Molokai. My grandfather was the caretaker, beautiful, but we weren't allowed to go in. We hear of stories of how the bull dozer goes in to smooth out the land, broke the machine. Hah!. Like the mo'o who lives across the neighborhood store. A crane was hauling dirt and turned over. The mana is strong Mana'e side and all over the island.
Did you hear about the whispering stone. My mother says there are two. She tells of my father hunting and how the po'e (mahiai) frommauka to the po'e (lawai'a) communicated. The stone near the ocean was removed, the next day or so, it was back in its original place. Ohh. Chicken skin just talking about this. I'm thinking of the heiau near Kilohana school. Do you remember that near Casternara or Petro. Beautiful.
Yes, Clayton Hee, the senator. He was once married to L. Grady, principal at one time at Moloka'i High and Intermediate School.
Maoli world had provided an opportunity to learn from others too.
Kaapuikinaea > Namaka'ehaJanuary 29, 2009 at 3:09am
The whispering stones I read about. I've never been to the kukui grove though. The story that I remember growing up that did kinda freak me out (back then) was the moo one and the big bull dozer. You remember hearing of that too? It is written down in a small, thin book that I have. I remember my classmate, Sam Castanera (sp?).
I remember when Mr. Hee was the VP...or was he the principal? I guess the principal and Miss Grady was our homeroom teacher I think, in the 8th or 9th grade. And when they began dating, I specifically remember Godwyn P. saying, "oh, 'she' became a 'Hee'." LOL Stupid yeah us kids. So funny!
Namaka'eha > KaapuikinaeaJanuary 29, 2009 at 8:39am
Yeah, it was a crazy time, but alright. What happened to Godwyn? In the meantime, I'm still working on the translation. Last night was awesome, the tutus inoa was appearing left and right. Coincidence, not a chance. I was using Kamakau - Ruling Chief as a resource. I need to locate a book that has Chiefs of Kaua'i. I had one several years ago and a haumana borrowed it, and never saw it again! Now that inoa is pono, I can recognize and put tutu in the right place.
On thing noted for Hawaiian newspaper, I see more about alii info/genealogy. It appears that if you had status, your inoa shows up way after you passed or even years. At least, we had a Hawaiian newspaper back then. I wonder if someonen is working on English translation?
There is a rock beyond neighborhood store, a sharp corner before a fancy house with blue tiles. At this corner rock, it is referred to as a hee rock. My mother would talk about my father going out sideof the fish pond where there are many. Luckily for those who love he'e, for myself, a'ole.
I remebmber my grandfather had me clean the limu and lomi the he'e. Perhaps from doing this, my preference for eating he'e is no more. I used to go onto the roof and dry akule under the net. I guess had to make sure the mangoose don't come looking for food. My grandffather lived in front of a trail that was used from po'e long ago, we just use it for take the trailt to catch the bus. Kaui was our bus driver. Do you remember Butchie or Moana.
Great memories and priceless!
Kaapuikinaea > Namaka'ehaJanuary 29, 2009 at 12:04pm
I last saw Moana when my dad died b/c we were at her shop, getting flowers/wreath for my dad's funeral. She's classmate w/ my aunty.
I didn't touch the translations last night, only the day that I got your msg. :) I've been doing other genealogies, trying to piece the Peeluas one and joining in the Nakagawas and Negrillos into that one, and that started b/c I got bored, ended up doing the Cooke family. hahaha Oh, plus working on the Pawn, Townsend/Rodrigues and....I think that's it. Oh yeah, looked up some of the Kaalekahi since I had a few of them and some are Pawns.
I dunno whatever happened to Godwyn, I should ask my cousin to find out. I thought i was told that he was on the big island, but I could be wrong about that. I came in contact w/ his eldest brother, Kawehi whom I've never met, but met him online and he lives in FL. The others, dunno where they're at.
Thank you for sharing your mo'olelo. Altough I have attended and boarder three years at KS, it behooves me to believe that the lack of learning about our true Hawaiian history was not iterated often or taught per se. I learned more about the Hawaiian culture from friends.
Just thinking about your response prompted a time when I wrote and English paper on Kalo at Chaminade and for a Science course at Kaua'i Community College. My mother had about five lo'i in her back yard with a powerhouse that generates electricity. Small kind, but doable! Imagine yourself on the North Shore of Moloka'i, Pelekunu District below the ridge of Ha'upu Kele. You may see her hale from the plane if you travel backside of the island.
Unlce Imu and aunty Lahela worked the taro a patches in my yonder days. As we passed by on the school bus, I can see her face and long white hairs. She was strong and a beautifuk women. When I saw her picture at U.H.Manoa, she looked the same with a picture of my brother bare bottoms on the rocks. Keanae is another place that brings back memories too. The kalo and the ocean where my grandfathers ashes were scattered.
Just blogging helps us to remember about our culture. We experience life differently, yet we have ties that connect us to our culture. How Hawaiian are you? It doesn't matter where you live, your ties will always be back to Hawaii nei!
Kaapuikinaea > Namaka'ehaJanuary 28, 2009 at 8:40am
How Hawaiian are you? It doesn't matter where you live, your ties will always be back to Hawaii nei!
A oia! We are a product of our ancestors, as a Nish girl once said to me. We are the piko of our ancestors.
Replies
For me, there is still so much I need and want to learn, so I feel my connection is still such a work in progress, but it has been that soul searching of "who am I" that has brought me to where I am today.
Sometimes when away for so long, no one remembers until it is consistently prompted - great job doing that. They will not live for ever yet they can leave a legacy of peace and comfort of the mind at little more at ease!
I hope all is well in your family. Sending a ray of sunshine to your 'ohana!
xxLOLxx
Hope is all is well. It doesn't matter where you are born, as a kanaka maoli, you'll always have ties to Hawaii nei. I'm sure if your last name has fifteen letters, the po'e there would be utterly confused. Anyhting that sounds or looks different often analyzed as "out of the box." I have this all the time with my name. Even at the airport, I get pulled aside consistently, whats new. I had paid for a flight to Las Vegas the day before, and wow I knew I would be searched. However, I barely made it to the plane, but I'm glad I did.
Ahh."Who Am I"...A good questionwe all must ask oursleves.....
Yes, I work in progress. Similar instances, different places yet we all feel the same way. I embrace my culture stronger every day and feel proud to share it. Before I was hesitant, especially when I was Leihoku Elementary School. I taught for about 4-5 years there and felt out of place. Perhaps two kanaka maoli teachers and dominant Japanese teachers. When I used drama in my class as a means of communication or story telling, the kamalii could understand. They took interest in the work and guided when they needed extra help. I worked with special needs children who slower, but akamai. They just needed to develop stonger literacy skills.
A Japanese male teacher came down to my classroom and asked what I was doing because the students were all excited about the Three Bill Goats and the Hawaiian Troll. I acted as the troll, it was funny and we all had a good time!
As I mentioned before, the current research on genealogy has a "door open" at this time. By far, it has helped me understand myself as I self reflect about my own life at this time. Hope this is an inspiration to all!
As for how we engage in our Hawaiian culture, I guess that was the catalyst for me. I grew up with my father and my paternal grandmother. My grandma was from the PHilippines and was only 19 when she arrived in the islands. She was very old fashion. It didn't help with the fact that my parents never married, and my grandma just despised my mom and used the whole "kanaka" thing against me only b/c she was so hateful against my mom. Sure, my other Filipino-Hawaiian mixed cousins were nothing but her great-grandchildren (just me & my brother are her only kanaka grandchildren), but I was the one who got the mixed signals about being Hawaiian. Typical for mixed people I think though what I experienced. I had my kanaka cousins (on my Filipino side) who teased me for being too Filipino or was very Filipino or not Hawaiian while my grandma help to fuel the stereotypical Hawaiian. I strongly believe it was all of that, plus the fact I wanted to know more about my mother that made me aware of my heritage, my ancestry. But this is not to say that I was absent in the culture growing up. Hell, I think my dad and his siblings were more exposed to Hawaiians and their lifestyle than I was growing up. Luckily for my cousins' grandma (Aunty Kauwila) and others like her as I mentioned, I learned a lot.
Although unlike yourself, I never made it to Kamehameha Schools (b/c of my grandma) I did go to Hoomakaikai. It was an eye opener for me b/c there, the only thing I had in common was our ethnicity, so that was a first for me.
In high school I had already taken an interest in the language and tried to learn it on my own. Later Aunty Kauwila started a class, I took it for a couple of yrs but that was just beginning. I moved to Los Angeles & realized how people here are more in touch w/ their identity than we are back home. It made me sad I couldn't really converse in the language of our ancestors so after learning other languages, I tried more w/ Hawaiian. I made it to a decent, basic conversational level, but got lazy and here is the level I'm at now. :)
The music, Hawaiian music is something my aunt (dad's sister) loved. I never cared for it. Same with hula, never cared for it. Although I began going to hula competitions here on the mainland, that was an eye opener for me. People would encourage me to dance but I never cared to. I was interested in oli...and with good reason. It was the language that helped me appreciate the chants and esp. Hawaiian music. So now I like the music, all b/c of the language.
And of course genealogy, wanting to know about my mom's side helped me understand a lot about the alii, Hawaiian culture in general and most importantly Hawaii's political history.
Seeing your tags "identity", I remember an ex co-worker said something to me about how I was so into my culture. I told him that I wasn't into my culture, it's just a part of who I am. I don't choose to turn it on & off. And that had to do with the food (if I remember correctly) that I was eating, although I believe he said that only b/c I mentioned some Hawaiian issues to him of which he knew I was passionate about.
But that holds true today for me. What I do now, it's who I am. Sure I've learned things about my culture I didn't know of, my ancestors and how they lived, but the rest of me pretty much stayed the same and now I am only enriched w/ the knowledge. Other than that, I always was kanaka. Luckily for us, we grew up on an island well known for their old ways!
Oh, I remeber going to Lanikaula, the sacred place for this kahuna of Molokai. My grandfather was the caretaker, beautiful, but we weren't allowed to go in. We hear of stories of how the bull dozer goes in to smooth out the land, broke the machine. Hah!. Like the mo'o who lives across the neighborhood store. A crane was hauling dirt and turned over. The mana is strong Mana'e side and all over the island.
Did you hear about the whispering stone. My mother says there are two. She tells of my father hunting and how the po'e (mahiai) frommauka to the po'e (lawai'a) communicated. The stone near the ocean was removed, the next day or so, it was back in its original place. Ohh. Chicken skin just talking about this. I'm thinking of the heiau near Kilohana school. Do you remember that near Casternara or Petro. Beautiful.
Yes, Clayton Hee, the senator. He was once married to L. Grady, principal at one time at Moloka'i High and Intermediate School.
Maoli world had provided an opportunity to learn from others too.
I remember when Mr. Hee was the VP...or was he the principal? I guess the principal and Miss Grady was our homeroom teacher I think, in the 8th or 9th grade. And when they began dating, I specifically remember Godwyn P. saying, "oh, 'she' became a 'Hee'." LOL Stupid yeah us kids. So funny!
On thing noted for Hawaiian newspaper, I see more about alii info/genealogy. It appears that if you had status, your inoa shows up way after you passed or even years. At least, we had a Hawaiian newspaper back then. I wonder if someonen is working on English translation?
There is a rock beyond neighborhood store, a sharp corner before a fancy house with blue tiles. At this corner rock, it is referred to as a hee rock. My mother would talk about my father going out sideof the fish pond where there are many. Luckily for those who love he'e, for myself, a'ole.
I remebmber my grandfather had me clean the limu and lomi the he'e. Perhaps from doing this, my preference for eating he'e is no more. I used to go onto the roof and dry akule under the net. I guess had to make sure the mangoose don't come looking for food. My grandffather lived in front of a trail that was used from po'e long ago, we just use it for take the trailt to catch the bus. Kaui was our bus driver. Do you remember Butchie or Moana.
Great memories and priceless!
I didn't touch the translations last night, only the day that I got your msg. :) I've been doing other genealogies, trying to piece the Peeluas one and joining in the Nakagawas and Negrillos into that one, and that started b/c I got bored, ended up doing the Cooke family. hahaha Oh, plus working on the Pawn, Townsend/Rodrigues and....I think that's it. Oh yeah, looked up some of the Kaalekahi since I had a few of them and some are Pawns.
I dunno whatever happened to Godwyn, I should ask my cousin to find out. I thought i was told that he was on the big island, but I could be wrong about that. I came in contact w/ his eldest brother, Kawehi whom I've never met, but met him online and he lives in FL. The others, dunno where they're at.
Just thinking about your response prompted a time when I wrote and English paper on Kalo at Chaminade and for a Science course at Kaua'i Community College. My mother had about five lo'i in her back yard with a powerhouse that generates electricity. Small kind, but doable! Imagine yourself on the North Shore of Moloka'i, Pelekunu District below the ridge of Ha'upu Kele. You may see her hale from the plane if you travel backside of the island.
Unlce Imu and aunty Lahela worked the taro a patches in my yonder days. As we passed by on the school bus, I can see her face and long white hairs. She was strong and a beautifuk women. When I saw her picture at U.H.Manoa, she looked the same with a picture of my brother bare bottoms on the rocks. Keanae is another place that brings back memories too. The kalo and the ocean where my grandfathers ashes were scattered.
Just blogging helps us to remember about our culture. We experience life differently, yet we have ties that connect us to our culture. How Hawaiian are you? It doesn't matter where you live, your ties will always be back to Hawaii nei!
A oia! We are a product of our ancestors, as a Nish girl once said to me. We are the piko of our ancestors.
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