Read this little snippet in the Maui News and couldn't help but react negatively to the part where it states, "Obama told representatives of APEC's 21-member nations that he looks forward to seeing them in flowered shirts and grass skirts."Here we are, attempting to change the worldview of what Hawaiian culture is and he makes a comment like that! It upsets me that with his high profile, he's not giving thought to how HE portrays the Hawaiian culture and the traditions and values, some of which have been embraced by non-Hawaiians.We're constantly bombarded by images that are not accurate. For example, hula adornments and clothing doesn't include wearing coconut bras and mini pareus, nor do we as a cultural group wear grass skirts everyday. Thanks to advance technology, these are the type of images that people expect when they come to visit. There's a big difference between hula and Tahitian, and unfortunately, outsiders consider Tahitian more exciting and more entertaining. This must also be the reason why Obama had "Tihati" performing at the White House, and on national TV, news reporters identified some of the dancing as hula when in fact it was definitely not! There must be something we can do to change marketing strategies to be more "politically correct."I seem to recall that the Native Hawaiian Hospitality Association is attempting to change some of its marketing to be more sensitive to the Hawaiian culture, but don't quote me. I know that Hawaii Tourism Authority is making some effort to perpetuate and support Hawaiian culture, but they also need to pay attention to the images they're using.Obama might have grown up in Hawaii, but we shouldn't assume that he totally supports the native Hawaiian cause either. What a shame if this is true, especially when facts have surfaced to negate Hawaiian history as was "told" to us. I cannot wait to see the progress of Hawaiian sovereignty because we're currently at a disadvantage.Oia wale no.
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