Exploring Hawai’i through photographs

This series of photographs follows our exploratory journey to the island of O’ahu, Hawai’i to visit museums and historical and cultural authorities, to speak with kumu hulas and ‘olapas in both traditional shows and entertainment shows, and to interact with locals, both native Hawaiians and non-native residents. We wanted to capture images of the shifting values of the living culture in the contemporary manifestation of its eclectic traditions, the juxtaposition of the living culture with what is displayed as Hawaiian culture in the tourism industry, the changing landscapes in relation to tourism and development and in the quest for modernization (often westernization), and the modern culture that has emerged with the more recent transplants to these Pacific islands that so many travelers have come to call home.

: “Try meeting or leaving people with aloha. You’ll be surprised by their reaction. I believe it and it is my creed. Aloha to you.” -Duke Paoa Kahanamoku (Printed on the back of Duke’s business cards)

: “Hawaiians strive to live with the land; this is very different from the western value of trying to conquer the land and attempting to redesign it to meet our purposes. If you try to build a factory where a stream wants to be, it is going to flood. You can’t work against nature; you have to work with it. It is about the natural flow of things.” -Manu Boyd

: “You look at things differently through the Hawaiian values of aloha ‘aina (love of the land). The land doesn’t belong to us; we belong to the land. The land was here long before we were and it will be here long after we are gone. We are here merely to nuture and protect the land, and in return it will sustain us richly.” -Manu Boyd

: “At another time in Hawai’i, the ‘aina nutured the people, and the Hawaiians had a deep attachment to it. Each place had a name, history, and distinct personality. Modern man has forgotten their names and significance.” -Kapulani Landgraf, Hawaiian artist and activist. This mountain, made famous in photographs of Waikiki Beach, was originally known as Le’ahi (meaning fin of a tuna) by the natives, until the Europeans arrived and renamed it Diamond Head for the sand that they thought sparkled like diamonds.

: Changing clutural values are perhaps most pronounced in the dichotomy between the traditional values of love and respect for the land versus the modern and western values of use and alteration.Waikiki Beach was once a sacred space reserved for Hawaiian royalty; today it is home to some of the most expensive and sought-after real estate in the world. It is now revered for its monetary value as commercial space.

: “Hawaiians started out as cultural ambassadors but got a bad taste for foreigners because of the way their land was stolen from them. Then the visitor industry that sprang up in Waikiki wasn’t about Hawai’i and the Hawaiian people but about the bottom line. It didn’t respect Hawaiian traditions and values and was a big part of the reason for the animosity between tourists and locals.” -Manu Boyd.

: If the first thing that comes to mind when you think of “hula” is a plastic figurine attached to your dashboard, swaying back and forth in the expected island costume consisting of a knotted grass skirt and strategically placed coconut shells, or alternatively the Hollywood version of an alluring and scantily clad island female, you are among an alarming majority of the global population that identifies this and similar sacred Hawaiian traditions with the kitschy imitations made famous in films from the Elvis era.

: Many different aspects of Hawaiian culture are for sale to the tourists.

: ” . . . the Government of the Sandwich Islands ought to be respected; that no power ought either to take possession of the islands as a conquest, or for the purpose of colonization, and that no power ought to seek for any undue control over the existing Government, or any exclusive privileges or preferences in matters of commerce” -US Secretary of State, Daniel Webster, Dec 1842, in a letter to the governments of France and Great Britain

: The Royal Hawaiian Hotel, also known as the Pink Palace of the Pacific, was one of the first hotels to open in Waikiki Beach (constructed in the place of Princess Pauahi’s last residence) and quickly became an icon of Hawai’i’s glory days as a destination for wealthy passengers from North America traveling on board Matson’s steamers. Like the majority of hotels and attractions in Waikiki, the Royal Hawaiian Hotel is owned and operated by a foreign company. It is now one of the flagship hotels of the Osano (from Japan) family’s corporate empire.

: “Aloha” is rendered virtually meaningless when uttered by every tourism vendor whose admirations for their customer recipients don’t stretch beyond their wallets.

: “The only gods the people ever saw with their eyes were the images of wood and stone which they carved with their own hands after the fashion of what they conceived the gods of heaven to be. If their gods were supposed to resemble beings in the firmament, birds perhaps, then the idols were patterned after birds, and if beings on the earth, they were made to resemble the earthly. If the deity was of water, the idol was made to resemble a creature of water.” -David Malo, native Hawaiian historian of the Kingdom of Hawai’i, 1835-36

: One of the street perfomers of Waikiki

: His sign promises a dance in exchange for a tip

: “True hula is sometimes the opposite of the visual that outsiders think of- it requires respect for the culture and there isn’t just one model. You can mix the authentic with the expected to present the real Hawai’i.” -Performer at Makittii’s in Waikiki

: “Some shows mimic the real hula as entertainment and this is not necessarily a bad thing. They are not meant to be the bearers of tradition. It is ok to use tradition purely for entertainment; the entertainment shows have their own place too.” -Manu Boyd

: Tourism industry models capitalized on, and thus perpetuated outsider perceptions of, the Hollywood version of Hawai’i as little more than a place of grass huts, sandy beaches, and friendly hula-dancing natives made famous in kitschy pop culture movies starring Elvis Presley and the young surfer girl, Gidget. These iconic American Hollywood films defined the image of Hawai’i in the early 60’s, referred to by some as the Golden Age of Hawai’i.

: “Hawai’i Calls,” an American Hollywood film directed by Edward F. Cline, 1938.

: “Gidget goes Hawaiian,” directed by Paul Wendkos, 1961.

: “Song of the Islands” was a musical comedy set in fictional tropical island paradise Ahmi-Oni, and featured a number of the era’s popular hapa-haole songs. Starring Betty Grable and directed by Walter Lang in 1942.

: “It is true that no one of the common people could mortgage or sell his land, but the wisdom of this limitation is abundantly proved by the homeless condition of the Hawaiians at the present day.” -Queen Lili’uokalani, Hawai’i’s Story by Hawai’i’s Queen

: “Hawaiian culture and tradition, including hula, is tied to the land and for this reason we are always rich on the inside regardless of economic realities.” -Manu Boyd

: A visit to the Hawai’i State Art Museum

: Rediscovering Hawaiian heritage through art

: Ko Ke Kumulipo (The Drummer), by Jean Charlot, oil on canvas, 1954. Kumulipo is the Hawaiian chant that explains the legend of the origin of the universe, considered by many to be the ultimate expression of Hawaiian culture.

: Hauloli’i (Descendant), by Carl Franklin Ka’aila’au Pao, acrylic, paper, and shellac on canvas, 2001. The artist is a hauloli’i, or descendant, of Hawaiian and European ancestors. He seeks to create art that transcends language and culture barriers and bridges the gap between ancient and contemporary times.

: One of the inspirations for our project was exploring the utility of art for promoting social consciousness in anthrotourism and how artistic expression can be a means of reclaiming identity.

: Pakaka Heiau, by Kapulani Landgraf, hand-etched gelatin silver print, 1993 Kapulani created a series of photographs, which she titled “Ai Pohaku,” to document the changes to Hawai’i including the destruction and descreation of the past by present practices.

: Akaku’u ‘ole ka makani kuhonua (No Stopping the Foreign Wind), by Piliamo’o (a collaborative effort between Kapulani Landgraf and Mark Hamasaki), gelatin silver print, 1991. One of a series of photographs that documented the destructive forces that forever altered the face of O’ahu in the construction of the H-3 highway.

: Ho’ohuli: To cause a change. E iho ana o luna, E pi’i ana o lalo, E hui ana na moku, E ku ana ka paia. That which is above will come down, That which is below will rise up, The islands shall unite, The walls shall stand firm- A change in the Hawaiian world order predicted by the prophet Kapihe, who lived during the time of King Kamehameha the Great. Its reference to a shift in social and political order remains as revelant today as it was when it was first uttered- it offers perspective on the overthrow of the kapu system in 1819, the removal of Queen Lili’uokalani from her throne in 1893, the Hawaiian Renaissance Movement, and up through today. It offers a message of hope and resilience that transcends cultural boundaries. All have experienced pain and loss, whether as an individual, community or nation, but through these challenges we can find renewed strength and unity and we can persevere, not in spite of our past, but because of it.

: “If a big wave comes in large fishes will come from the dark ocean which you never saw before, and when they see the small fishes they will eat them up; such also is the case with large animals, they will prey on the smaller ones; the ships of the whitemen have come, and smart people have arrived from the Great Countries which you have never seen before, they know our people are few in number and living in a small country; they will eat us up, such has always been the case with large countries, the small ones have been gobbled up.” -David Malo

: A visit to the Bishop Museum, an excellent collection of Hawaiian artefacts and display of ancient Hawaiian traditions and history.

: “The mind is like a tree that should have its roots deep in the ground if it is to stand firm and unshaken. The greater our understanding of past and distant cultures the deeper our roots and the stronger our tree will grow.” -David Malo

: “Kawena planted and nourished the seeds of Hawaiian wisdom in what became her own yard, that of the house of her beloved ali’i Pauahi, Bishop Museum. She has left the fruits so that they may be picked by us, her Hawaiian children, and by all those who truly love Hawai’i.” -Eleanor Lilihana-a-I Williamson, 1983. Eleanor worked with Mary Pukui to record Hawai’i’s oral histories.

: Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop established the Kamahameha Schools for the education of native Hawaiians and is the namesake of this museum.

: Feather cape worn by ali’i. Birds were considered sacred and only those of highest rank were permitted to wear feathers.

: Kumulipo-Ke Ao (The Creation Story-The Day), by Carl F.K. Pao, Kanaka Maoli, 16 panels, acrylic and paper on MDF board This depiction of the creation story illustrates the many layers of kaona or meaning in the creation chants, much the same way that the hula dance movements would add a layer of allusion to the mele. These panels illustrate the second half of the Kumulipo, the dawn of humans. From these origins all Hawaiians can trace their ancestry back to those who started the Hawaiian race. The Kumulipo declares the importance of the Hawaiian value system rooted in familial relationships which bind all living beings together.

: “His values came from the sea. He walked through a western world, but he was always essentially Hawaiian.” -Kenneth Francis Brown, 1989, on Duke Kahanamoku as the original Hawaiian ambassador

: “We learn about the beauty of our world through hula.” -Lokomaika’i, kumu hula at the Bishop Museum (pictured)

: “The most kapu (sacred) instrument was the ‘uli’uli and none of our hula dancers used it without a short pule (prayer) chant. Why is the ‘uli’uli regarded so? It was the only feathered instrument. Feathers were used in the olden days to cover the images of the gods and for royalty. A commoner did not dare to wear feathers. Our god had several bird symbols, hence our regard for the feathered instrument, the ‘uli’uli, as being an ali’i instrument.” -Mary Kawena Pukui, 1950

: “Makahana ka ike- through doing comes understanding, knowledge and wisdom. You have to experience hula to know it within yourself.” -Lokomaika’i

: The original instruments of hula were variations on types of drums. Musical instruments were not used until after the arrival of westerners.

: With Auntie Lokomaika’i, kumu hula at the Bishop Museum

: “Our cultural programming is geared to the beginner. It’s about getting the beginners to be a part of it, to understand our Hawai’i. What can they really get from a short lesson? It awakens their interest in us. We are so diverse and there are many aspects of our culture, but you have to whet their apetite first and then they will want to learn more on their own.” -Puake’ala Mann, kumu hula at the Royal Hawaiian Center (pictured here, in yellow)

: One of the oldest living kumu hula still teaching hula today, Puanani Alama, says of the difference between modern halaus and halaus from her younger days: “During our time you were chosen to dance the hula. You didn’t pay for lessons like students do today.” The Royal Hawaiian Center is one of the few establishments located in Waikiki to offer free cultural programming for locals and guests, including hula lessons.

: “With the increasing influence of western societies, our younger generations were no longer taught the cultural values. You have a hard time understanding aloha mentally until you can understand it with your heart; it has to come from within.” -Manu Boyd

: “The Royal Hawaiian Center has a different approach to tourism. It says to visitors: ‘This is our party. This is what we like. Join us!'” -Manu Boyd

: “Because I know my mother’s language, I’ve enjoyed exchanging thoughts with other Polynesians to discover our alikenesses and our differences. And because I know my father’s, I can explain to others what we have had here and lost and what we still retain.” -Mary Kawena Pukui- Hawaiian scholar, dancer, composer, and educator, 1965

: “‘A’ohe po’e, mamua ‘ike po’e ‘ukeke. Lohe aku ‘oe i ka mele, wala’au mai ka po’e kahiko. Lohe aku ‘oe, ah mele ‘ia mai. There is no one now, before there were ‘ukeke players. You could distinguish the poetry (mele) when the older people spoke. When you listened, ah the mele of that period.” -James Poaha, native Hawaiian, 1961

: “Hawaiian hula is so much more than just the physical dance itself; it is a heartbeat we feel within ourselves.” -Manu Boyd

: “No need to make up fancy stories; we got pretty good ones already.” -Performer at the Royal Hawaiian Center

: Kuhi no ka lima, hele no ka maka. Where the hands move, there let the eyes follow. – A rule in hula

: “Hawaiian people have a deep attachment to their ‘aina. The ‘aina inspired, and even demanded, responsibility and guardianship. Consequently, we must always engage in creative forms of resistance to help prevent further erosion and destruction of na wahi kapu, whose presence binds us to our ancestors, our oral and written traditions, our spiritual world, our land, its living entities, and our indigenous history as well as our futures.” -Kapulani Landgraf Hanauma Bay is such a site which Hawaiians have attempted to preserve for the natives while capitalizing on the tourism market by offering free access to residents and natives and charging visitors. They encourage protection by requiring all visitors to view a short documentary about how to protect the fragile reef ecosystem during their visit.

: Manana, located off the windward coast of O’ahu, is also known as Rabbit Island for the rabbits that were introduced in the 1880’s by John Adams Cummins, the overseer of nearby Waimanalo plantation. The rabbits where finally eradicated nearly a century later after they had almost destroyed the native ecosystem.

: Hawaiian village at the Polynesian Cultural Center

: Example of a traditional Hawaiian house, pre-missionary era

: Evolution of building style and materials following the arrival of the missionaries

: “Hula is much more than just the physical dance itself. To perform the steps flawlessly is not enough, hula must be felt in your heart. There must be something going on on the inside and it will translate in the dance. Your audience will know it.” –Manu Boyd

: “The Hawaiian Renaissance has reversed years of cultural decline; it has created a new kind of Hawaiian consciousness; it has inspired greater pride in being Hawaiian; it has led to bold and imaginative ways of reasserting our identity; it has led to a new political awareness.” -George S. Kanahele, 1979

: “Today’s interest is greater for the ancient than the modern or hapa haole hula. The more traditional the dance, the keener the interest. And because of this, I think the Hawaiians have finally retaken hula from the tourists.” -George S. Kanahele- native Hawaiian author, historian and activist, 1979

: “Hula is now worldwide- there are more hula dancers in Japan than in Hawai’i! Hula is being preserved in other cultures because tourism helped spread the culture. The business side of the tourism industry has exploited our hula, but if you take away the lights and the pageantry, you still have dancers doing Polynesian dances and so the culture is being preserved and passed on in some way.” -Manu Boyd

: “Modern hula is strictly for entertainment. The hula is no longer religious, but it can still help pass on the traditions and culture by preserving the dance movements.” -A kumu hula

: “Hula is a gift from the gods; it helps us remember what our story is.” -A kumu hula

: “Our culture is in song and dance and so the easiest way back into the culture was through the native song and dance. Even if it was vulgar to some people, it was our history and culture and that’s how we passed it on.”- A kumu hula

: “The hula is Hawai’i. The hula is the history of our country. The hula is a story itself if it’s done right. And the hula, to me, is the foundation of life. It teaches us how to live, how to be, is the ability to create one’s inner feelings and no one else’s.” – Uncle George Na’ope, one of the founders of the Merrie Monarch hula festival on Big Island

: “Hula is the language of the heart and therefore the heartbeat of the Hawaiian people.” -King David (Kâwika) La`amea Kalâkaua

: Lei making is another popular traditional Hawaiian cultural activity that the Royal Hawaiian Center offers free of charge.

: “When every island had its own ruling chiefs, hula dancing was practiced by chiefs and commoners, by old and young. Dancers of one locality vied with those of another and many localities gained in reputation for having excellent dancers. A good hula master was always found in the court of his chief. In the olden days, the musicians or ho’opa’a were men and never women, but the dancers were both men and women. To become a ho’opa’a it was necessary to learn not only the mele but also the innumerable prayers. It was the ho’opa’a who eventually became kumu or teachers of the hula.” -Mary Kawena Pukui, 1942

: “Most of us don’t travel to a different place to be by ourselves. We go to interact with people and learn about them. The Royal Hawaiian Center is a gathering place for locals and visitors to mix it up.” -Manu Boyd

: “Most of the people in Hawai’i today weren’t born here and they don’t have the inherent connection to the heritage. If they can find it though they really embrace it.” –Manu Boyd

: O’ahu’s iconic North Shore and historic Haleiwa town

: Artwork by Ron Artis, a North Shore resident and island artist

: Pieces from Ron Artis’s Surfboard Gallery

: Winter waves at Waimea Bay, a powerful break on O’ahu’s north shore, famed for its big wave winter surf.

: “…wisdom is both a gift from the land and a burden so that though [it is] a privilege, responsibilities are its constant companion.” -Faauuga Logovae, Samoan philosopher, 1982