Extensive research on Ethnic Identity has indicated that it is a "powerful tool in the development of identity." The research further delinates that "cultural struggle" is present because the dominant culture has a constant threat to traditional values and language therefore affects the socialization process.
Yes, I do agree it is a challenge and often overwhelming since it happened to kanaka maoli. The historical injustice such as the overthrow of Hawaiian monarchy has negatively impacted our lives. In all aspects when examining similarities of what happned to Native Indians too. There is displaced anger and resent towards the United States. Unresolved issues and pilkia that has hurt the kanaka maoli in ways that no one can feel the pain unless walked the path themselves.
WHAT CAN WE DO?
Stay connected and support our efforts for a better future for OUR KEIKI! Perpetuate the language and teach the values of na kupuna and our cutlure will STAND STRONGER every day!
Our ethnic identity is part of who we are and it is OUR KULEANA to take a stand and KEEP THE MANA ALIVE! We encourage all kanaka and non kanaka maoli to strengthen in unity as we confront the issues of CEDED LANDS! Hold your banners high! Smile and be proud you are kanaka maoli.
This is our culture they almost decimated. This is our LANDS that WERE STOLEN. LET US SHOW THEM we stand together. LET US STRUGGLE NO MORE...
To the po'e across the seas and to the 'aina of our ancestors, Let us make history this year. KU 'E.
In my opinion, it was never a cultural struggle, it was how we were treated by those who made their wealth from the 'aina of our ancestors!
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That is similar to what my Hilo Grandma used to say, "What can you do?" LOL I know that there will always be some drama with oiwi but I am sure we can all agree that ALL of us who POST here at Maoliworld with good intentions are pro-oiwi and/or pro-iwi. Personally I FULLY support those oiwi women especially who fight for title and thus for land but it is a struggle or can be to survive without forgetting about the past and without forgetting about our kupuna. They are why we are here. I hope *we* never forget that or forget about them.
In my experience while the dominant culture is well... dominant that does not necessarily conflate to us slapping our kupuna in their face. It's on an individual basis. How one was raised. What values were instilled in them. If one's kupuna instilled pride in who they are and/or where they come from it will show in their mo'opuna.
That is a beauty of places like Keaukaha. While I wasn't born there I was raised there since my Hilo Grandma lived in Hilo and my aunt lives in Keaukaha. In a world full of turmoil there is STILL peace in the Oiwi community like at Keaukaha.
Smile and be proud I agree... but I hope we don't forget about our kupuna. IMHO the title and thus the land is nothing without our kupuna. We are here because of them.
I think we may need to look to them in order for us to put aside our differences. I know that the Feds love it when we argue/fight/put each other down but I fully support those oiwi women who fight for the title and thus for the land. It's very difficult for me to overlook some things. One of them being how we treat our kupuna collectively. I hope that all of us can remember them first before we think of ourselves. That can be extremely difficult to do.
I still have hope though that we can at least agree that once ONE oiwi loses their land WE lose some of our roots. Further and I think more importantly once we lose our land WE lose our roots. Enough said... so yeah I can and do overlook a lot. Not for me but for ALL kupuna... ali'i or makaainana. No mattah to me.
IMHO once we put our egos aside THEN we will be able to fight the MONSTERS so to speak where "monsters" LOL includes but is not limited to "OHA" "the Akaka Bill aka the Native Hawaiian LAND Reorganization Act" and "the "state" of Hawai'i." The putting aside of one's ego for the sake of our kupuna and thus for our mo'opuna is EXTREMELY difficult to do. Can we do it? I don't know. It remains to be seen and IF we do not then it will be MUCH worse for our keiki and for our mo'opuna. Just a thought.
Na kanaka maoli have survived turbulent changes in aspects of their lives. They to seek comfort and peace to resolve the UNSPOKEN truth of how they really feel. REAL EMOTIONAL PAIN that is the weight on their shoulder. We were AMERICANIZED with little or no cultural reinforcement, thus created a wall to BLOCK our the negative stereotypes that were constantly repeated for decades. POLITICAL CONTROL is a good word to use for the ANGER we feel. Some will hate and others will have nothing to do. DO WE BLAME OUR OWN PO'E? It is no the Caucasian today who did had no part in it, however there are some po'e such as LINDA LINGLE AND HER BANDITS trying to sell seized lands and others will do their best to DESTROY the Hawaiian race!
We must perpetuate OUR HAWAIIAN CULTURE CONTINOUSLY AND CONSISTENTLY MORE OFTEN THAN JUST A FEW TIMES A YEAR. NOT ONLY AS A FUND RAISER, BUT IT PROVIDES EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCES, BUILDS FAMILY UNITY AND ENCOURAGES OTHERS TO SHARE THIER TALENTS TOO.
Our ETHNIC IDENTITY is easily understood if and when we examine ourselves. What is my "HAWAIIAN NESS?"
What am I doing to foster and teach the values of my culture?
Have I taken my children to events that celebrate my Hawaiian culture?
Do I read to my children about the Hawaiian culture?
What foods do I eat is from my Hawaiian culture?
What stories do I know about my culture that I share with my keiki?
Have I taken a Hawaiian language?
Did I march?
Will I be at the next sign waving?
Did I sign the petition against the AKAKA BILL?
Did I share my genealogy with my 'ohana.
Did I talk story about where I live and the stories that come from that 'aina.
These are few suggestions, yet our culture is also perpetuated with songs, dances, musics, etc.
Yes, we do this for our mo'opuna and kupuna! We are connected to our own culture when teach and empower our KEIKI what is unique about our heritage.
We are faced with many challenges and the bottle is not half way full. We can fill it to the top only when all kanaka maoli do it together in unity! We drink from it faster than contribute to filling it ourselves!
It is our KULEANA which includes every kanaka maoli. My bones will not be displayed at BISHOP MUSEUM because I didn't do my part.
A very sensitive topic and by addressing these issues that impact our "ethnic identity,' we empower others to continue to perpetuate our HAWAIIAN CULTURE regardless.
To all th po'e from across the sea to the islands of our ancestors, right here in HAWAII, you do not have to be of our race to perpetuate the culture and we do thank you for it!
You are not alone, we stand together. You have contributed endlessly whether others appreciate or not, but your MANA is PONO. Yes, we can do it!
Our ethnic identity is simply as we know...HAWAIIAN...we are definately not american...They just refer to us as a such identity...But they're wrong because we are forced to live by their ways...WE ARE HAWAIIAN...AND THAT"S THAT...
Auwe! SO TRUE! I've lived stateside and hear people tell me I'm American, yet, they will distinguish themselves as their immigrating forefathers. I am treated with a mild disdain because I don't acknowledge myself as an American, but HAWAI'IAN. Also I have found what kills them the most, is I never forget where Im from. how I was raised and how ohana was everything. For me its the perpetuation of passing everything I was taught from my na kupuna to my keiki or who ever wants to learn. "Spread Aloha! Not Hate!," Jenny Kama-Awai.
Very descriptive word...Forced..Yes, by no means of our choice.
I'm very proud to be kanaka maoli and celebrate our culture. We all can agree that our roots are in HAWAII NEI no matter how or where we perpetuate our culture! BE A STRONG HAWAIIAN!
Replies
That is similar to what my Hilo Grandma used to say, "What can you do?" LOL I know that there will always be some drama with oiwi but I am sure we can all agree that ALL of us who POST here at Maoliworld with good intentions are pro-oiwi and/or pro-iwi. Personally I FULLY support those oiwi women especially who fight for title and thus for land but it is a struggle or can be to survive without forgetting about the past and without forgetting about our kupuna. They are why we are here. I hope *we* never forget that or forget about them.
In my experience while the dominant culture is well... dominant that does not necessarily conflate to us slapping our kupuna in their face. It's on an individual basis. How one was raised. What values were instilled in them. If one's kupuna instilled pride in who they are and/or where they come from it will show in their mo'opuna.
That is a beauty of places like Keaukaha. While I wasn't born there I was raised there since my Hilo Grandma lived in Hilo and my aunt lives in Keaukaha. In a world full of turmoil there is STILL peace in the Oiwi community like at Keaukaha.
Smile and be proud I agree... but I hope we don't forget about our kupuna. IMHO the title and thus the land is nothing without our kupuna. We are here because of them.
I think we may need to look to them in order for us to put aside our differences. I know that the Feds love it when we argue/fight/put each other down but I fully support those oiwi women who fight for the title and thus for the land. It's very difficult for me to overlook some things. One of them being how we treat our kupuna collectively. I hope that all of us can remember them first before we think of ourselves. That can be extremely difficult to do.
I still have hope though that we can at least agree that once ONE oiwi loses their land WE lose some of our roots. Further and I think more importantly once we lose our land WE lose our roots. Enough said... so yeah I can and do overlook a lot. Not for me but for ALL kupuna... ali'i or makaainana. No mattah to me.
IMHO once we put our egos aside THEN we will be able to fight the MONSTERS so to speak where "monsters" LOL includes but is not limited to "OHA" "the Akaka Bill aka the Native Hawaiian LAND Reorganization Act" and "the "state" of Hawai'i." The putting aside of one's ego for the sake of our kupuna and thus for our mo'opuna is EXTREMELY difficult to do. Can we do it? I don't know. It remains to be seen and IF we do not then it will be MUCH worse for our keiki and for our mo'opuna. Just a thought.
Just my mana'o.
Aloha~~~ Lana
We must perpetuate OUR HAWAIIAN CULTURE CONTINOUSLY AND CONSISTENTLY MORE OFTEN THAN JUST A FEW TIMES A YEAR. NOT ONLY AS A FUND RAISER, BUT IT PROVIDES EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCES, BUILDS FAMILY UNITY AND ENCOURAGES OTHERS TO SHARE THIER TALENTS TOO.
Our ETHNIC IDENTITY is easily understood if and when we examine ourselves. What is my "HAWAIIAN NESS?"
What am I doing to foster and teach the values of my culture?
Have I taken my children to events that celebrate my Hawaiian culture?
Do I read to my children about the Hawaiian culture?
What foods do I eat is from my Hawaiian culture?
What stories do I know about my culture that I share with my keiki?
Have I taken a Hawaiian language?
Did I march?
Will I be at the next sign waving?
Did I sign the petition against the AKAKA BILL?
Did I share my genealogy with my 'ohana.
Did I talk story about where I live and the stories that come from that 'aina.
These are few suggestions, yet our culture is also perpetuated with songs, dances, musics, etc.
Yes, we do this for our mo'opuna and kupuna! We are connected to our own culture when teach and empower our KEIKI what is unique about our heritage.
We are faced with many challenges and the bottle is not half way full. We can fill it to the top only when all kanaka maoli do it together in unity! We drink from it faster than contribute to filling it ourselves!
It is our KULEANA which includes every kanaka maoli. My bones will not be displayed at BISHOP MUSEUM because I didn't do my part.
A very sensitive topic and by addressing these issues that impact our "ethnic identity,' we empower others to continue to perpetuate our HAWAIIAN CULTURE regardless.
To all th po'e from across the sea to the islands of our ancestors, right here in HAWAII, you do not have to be of our race to perpetuate the culture and we do thank you for it!
You are not alone, we stand together. You have contributed endlessly whether others appreciate or not, but your MANA is PONO. Yes, we can do it!
Namaka'eha
xxLOLxx
I'm very proud to be kanaka maoli and celebrate our culture. We all can agree that our roots are in HAWAII NEI no matter how or where we perpetuate our culture! BE A STRONG HAWAIIAN!