>The Honolulu Star-Bulletin
>Saturday, April 12, 2008
>
>Iolani Palace has first-ever audio tour made in native language
>
>Star-Bulletin staff
>
* * *
>The audio tour is narrated by Puakea Nogelmeier
>with character voices and interviews by Prince
>Quentin Kawananakoa. Period quotations or
>interviews with living people are in English,
>while the rest of the narration is in Hawaiian.
* * *
Prince Quentin Kawananakoa? Wow! This is new. Is he another claimant to the throne?
Having the common ancestors through which he might gain any claim to royalty - I don't know if I should be elated or critical.
This is very interesting - as far as I know - Quentin's father, his principal connection to the ali'i, was never called a "prince."
However, with the recent debacle (my opinion) of Nogelmeier's involvement with the script of "The Last Princess" or whatever that movie's name is - I'd guess that - unless his narration came directly out of historical writings by the Queen or Kalakaua, for instance, or whomever wrote the script - that the "color" of the narration may not be as it should be.
This brings up an important need in the Kanaka Maoli community. We need some kind of "cultura clearing house" where all these scripts, articles, books, whatever - slated for publication - should/must be cleared through.
There are so many historical and cultural "mistakes" going out to the world.
Such a "cultural clearing house" would "certify" that these items are truly reflective of the spirit, history, and color of Kanaka Maoli anything. And it "the clearing house" personnel would be of such a stature that everything carrying its seal - or whatever - would be certifiably correct.
Not only would there be a "board" constituted of cultural, historical, etc. experts that would do the certifying - as time passed, and the quality of its work would continue to excel - it's reputation would develop to the point that "every" item about Hawai'i would be "naked" without its stamp of approval.
Additionally, the "cultural clearing house" would own the rights to these cultural properties and would license its use out to the non-Kanaka Maoli producer of the work. On the other hand, the "clearing house" would get a percentage of the income produced - to be fed back through other "approved" cultural pursuits and projects - by priority set by Kanaka Maoli themselves.
The "quality control" that the "clearing house" would perform would guarantee that there would not be any "loose cannons" out there that could confuse our issues.
On the other hand - Kanaka Maoli would control, not only what was going out, but would also act as a receptacle and storehouse for all cultural materials. It would be a combination of a library, an archive and a storehouse for all cultural literature - including hula, lua, fishing practices, cultural practices, video material, recordings of all sorts, pictures and other audio-visual materials - in other words - the one comprehensive storehouse of and for our culture.
I tried to get the trustees to do something like this when I was at OHA, but they weren't ready for such an earth-shaking project like this. Maybe, with all the flack that OHA trustees are currently dodging, that a project like this might strike their fancy - as it is so important to the ongoing protection and evolution of the culture - and it would take money - money that the trustees should be very willing to spend - instead of on their present project to make Hawaiians into indian tribes or americans or both.
ku
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I think it sounds like a great idea. One more added "detailed" findings on these thoughts....I feel that there should be divisions created for such a clearing house. The divisions of subdistrict per information of known and historical na kupuna from the direct 'ohana and from those people who continue to carry on the work they either started or left before their passing with blessing from the 'ohana of the kupuna. It includes any other organization which respected na kupna belonged to whether by membership, directorship or strewardship. It is very respectful in our culture, to give honor to each current county subdistrict of na kupuna by utilization of our current county divisions as a start. One must remember that prior to Hawaii being annouced as a statehood, Kanaka Maoli was under a county government. So if we work backwards in government we work forward to our origination of stand as koko and Kanaka Maoli.
E, Uncle Clarence, do you know about the Ha'iku museum that's being proposed? Some of us from da struggles around H-3 have been pushing for the Omega Station in Ha'iku to become a repository of first the artifacts taken in the freeway's construction & for the history of struggle against the freeway, plus some stuff about those areas that were affected. Mahealani Cypher has been working heavily on it, along with the Kaluhiwas from He'eia area. I really support the proposal because so many people and so much 'aina was affected, and the artifacts that were taken by Bishop Museum (who still have not finished the job that was supposed to be done before the freeway was built) need to get OUT of there. I've been talking to museum people from here & other native projects elsewhere & am learning kind of a lot about this stuff -- well at least a lot more than I did before! Anyways, I don't know how directly related this is to what you just shared, but I just thought I'd put it out there. just a thought...hope to see you soon! Aloha, Laulani
What you're talking about is important, but seems more like a "regional" approach.
Oh, by the way, I would want one of these on every island, with one big, central one that would be "the" one - to be comprehensive and handle things for the entire so-called state - and from Maoli all over the world. This would be the "one" that would be sort of world class.
However, it would also be a library, an audio-visual repository, a place to store oral histories, recordings, everything that is involved with our culture and history - from the very beginning to the future.
However, I'm looking at it a much greater scale - a super on - one for the entire so-called state - including a repository for all kinds of Maoli cultural items and intellectual properties. In fact, an intellectual property "authority" would also be included - with ownership of all produced stuff to be with the Maoli. Then those who produce the stuff can be licensed to use. Mandatory rental income would go into the pot to assist promotion of all aspects of the culture.
I am very happy to hear of this effort being made - on O'ahu.
We need to get our stuff out of Bishop Museum. We need to get our stuff out there - so the world can see it, a place where Maoli scholars are invited to work, a place where our culture can stay alive - including practitioners involved. Maybe even a living museum.
By the way - I advocated for and was successful - that a site that some feel was Kukui O Kane Heiau - beneath H-3 - was preserved in place during H-3's construction - with every stone and rock was "preserved" in the spot where they were located - being covered up in place - and supposedly being preserved for the future.
All of the preservation and archiving that we can do - to preserve and malama as many aspects of the culture as we can - is, I think, very important.
'Ae, this is an example of a small-scale, ahupua'a approach.
One thing I learned from the Native Americans who have created successful national museums is that starting small is a good thing. Things can grow quickly.
For now, I would like to see as much support for these guys as possible, and use the experience to generate successful large-scale projects.
Mahalo for that work that you did with Kukuiokane!
I think it is very important. It will be especially valuable when we can get that cement mess off the top of it! ( ;
Planny aloha,
Laulani
Replies
E, Uncle Clarence, do you know about the Ha'iku museum that's being proposed? Some of us from da struggles around H-3 have been pushing for the Omega Station in Ha'iku to become a repository of first the artifacts taken in the freeway's construction & for the history of struggle against the freeway, plus some stuff about those areas that were affected. Mahealani Cypher has been working heavily on it, along with the Kaluhiwas from He'eia area. I really support the proposal because so many people and so much 'aina was affected, and the artifacts that were taken by Bishop Museum (who still have not finished the job that was supposed to be done before the freeway was built) need to get OUT of there. I've been talking to museum people from here & other native projects elsewhere & am learning kind of a lot about this stuff -- well at least a lot more than I did before! Anyways, I don't know how directly related this is to what you just shared, but I just thought I'd put it out there. just a thought...hope to see you soon! Aloha, Laulani
The basic idea is the same.
What you're talking about is important, but seems more like a "regional" approach.
Oh, by the way, I would want one of these on every island, with one big, central one that would be "the" one - to be comprehensive and handle things for the entire so-called state - and from Maoli all over the world. This would be the "one" that would be sort of world class.
However, it would also be a library, an audio-visual repository, a place to store oral histories, recordings, everything that is involved with our culture and history - from the very beginning to the future.
However, I'm looking at it a much greater scale - a super on - one for the entire so-called state - including a repository for all kinds of Maoli cultural items and intellectual properties. In fact, an intellectual property "authority" would also be included - with ownership of all produced stuff to be with the Maoli. Then those who produce the stuff can be licensed to use. Mandatory rental income would go into the pot to assist promotion of all aspects of the culture.
I am very happy to hear of this effort being made - on O'ahu.
We need to get our stuff out of Bishop Museum. We need to get our stuff out there - so the world can see it, a place where Maoli scholars are invited to work, a place where our culture can stay alive - including practitioners involved. Maybe even a living museum.
By the way - I advocated for and was successful - that a site that some feel was Kukui O Kane Heiau - beneath H-3 - was preserved in place during H-3's construction - with every stone and rock was "preserved" in the spot where they were located - being covered up in place - and supposedly being preserved for the future.
All of the preservation and archiving that we can do - to preserve and malama as many aspects of the culture as we can - is, I think, very important.
Mahalo for all that you're all doing.
ku
One thing I learned from the Native Americans who have created successful national museums is that starting small is a good thing. Things can grow quickly.
For now, I would like to see as much support for these guys as possible, and use the experience to generate successful large-scale projects.
Mahalo for that work that you did with Kukuiokane!
I think it is very important. It will be especially valuable when we can get that cement mess off the top of it! ( ;
Planny aloha,
Laulani