Approaches to the Academic Study of Hawaiian Literature ...charlot/BOOKS/CHE post/approach.pdf · Hawaiian culture, however, is not extinct. more and more people of Hawaiian ancestry

Approaches to the Academic Study of Hawaiian Literature and Culture

John Charlot

THe PACifiC inSTiTuTeBrigHAm Young univerSiTY–HAwAi‘i

LĀ‘ie, Hawai‘i

Copyright © 2005 John Charlot All rights reserved

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Approaches to the Academic Study of Hawaiian Literature and Culture

Hawaiian culture is an example of an indigenous traditional culture lived within a society dominated by an intro-duced one.� other examples are new Zealand māori and

native American indian cultures. A variety of pressures can be applied to the members of these cultures, who can in turn display a spectrum of reaction from outright rejection of the introduced culture to total assimilation into it. Since the arrival of westerners, Hawaiians have felt many pressures and reacted along the whole spectrum. The possibili-ties for the perpetuation of Hawaiian culture have often seemed bleak. The number of native speakers of the language was small and steadily decreasing. The rural, less westernized lifestyle once commonly practiced was becoming increasingly impossible for social and financial reasons. Hawaiian culture, however, is not extinct. more and more people of Hawaiian ancestry are identifying themselves proudly with their culture. There has been a resurgence of cultural practices, such as the hula, and a renewed interest in Hawaiian religion. in greatly increasing numbers, students in academic institutions are attending classes in Hawaiian subjects, especially language. Hawaiians conscious of their heritage are making their way into positions of influence and power. A good opportunity presents itself therefore of reversing

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the usual trend and successfully perpetuating such an indige-nous culture, not as a museum piece, but as a viable lifestyle and philosophical perspective. This success would be important for the entire Pacific area, which is confronting increased western influence and the problems of modernization. A living Hawai-ian culture would be valuable also for non-Pacific islanders who are appreciative of other cultures and perhaps seeking alterna-tives for their own. Hawaiian culture appears, in fact, particularly intriguing and seems to exercise a fascination over those who begin to study it seriously, Hawaiian and non-Hawaiian alike. The academic contribution to this necessarily broad-based and wide-ranging effort of cultural preservation will be limited but impor-tant. one particular point of interest for both scholars and the community is the vast amount of Hawaiian-language literature available for study—far more than for most indigenous cultures. Literature was a central pursuit in classical Hawaiian culture. Hawaiians quickly adopted writing and published books and a large number of newspapers with literary content from the early nineteenth century into the middle of the twentieth.� manuscript materials were produced in quantity and are maintained in public and private archives, such as the State Archives of Hawaii, the Hawaiian mission Children’s Society Library, and the Bishop museum. Hawaiians produced works in many genres, both clas-sical and introduced, such as historical reports, novels, and news-paper serials. much literary activity continues today, especially the composition of lyrics for songs. only a small portion of this material has been studied, and even less has been translated and published, yet it is valuable not only as literature, but as a source of information for cultural, historical, and social research. western humanistic scholarship is based on the study of primary documents and has developed sophisticated methods for interpreting them. Scholarship is, in fact, being untrue to itself when it permits work in Hawaiian

Approaches to the Academic Study of Hawaiian Literature �

Studies that is not as solidly grounded in documentary work as that required in other fields.� in the study of Hawaiian literature, therefore, western scholars can make a contribution not only to their particular fields—history, anthropology, sociology, art, religious studies, and so on—but to the Hawaiian community as well. Significantly for the formation of the field, historical literary documents occupy in Polynesian societies the same authoritative position they do in western scholarship; they constitute the evi-dence on which judgements are based. Because of the importance of such texts, learned Polynesians have developed methods of pre-serving and interpreting texts that coincide at important points with western methods: the necessity of establishing an unblem-ished text, the appreciation of archaic definitions of words, the determination of a symbol by its context, the forming of a consen-sus in interpretation, and so on. western and Polynesian scholars have thus an opportunity to cooperate profitably as true colleagues in a common enterprise recognized as important by both. indeed, most old texts cannot be interpreted today without the information available to the native scholar. when a living tradition is unavailable, methods must be used that have been developed by western scholars for interpret-ing texts in dead languages of other areas. The critical tasks of the field today—collecting, establishing, translating, analyzing, and publishing texts—are clearly appropri-ate for higher education and research. much uncollected material can still be found in the oral tradition; such material has proved invaluable in my own work.4 major manuscript materials still require study.5 Despite the valuable work of such scholars as rub-ellite Kawena Johnson and esther mo‘okini, most newspapers have yet to be indexed or even surveyed. Small newspapers and newsletters continue to publish important material today. even several published, Hawaiian-language books need to be located.6 Texts are often transmitted in different versions displaying a

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variety of problems, but the necessity of establishing correct texts has barely been addressed.7 Some translation has been done, much of it good, but a number of basic texts used often by scholars who are not proficient in the language require major revisions.8 A number of well-known major works have never been translated, or the translations have never been published (of course, many completed works of other kinds await publication or could profitably be republished).9 By far the largest portion of the analytical work done has been in language study, with some work on symbols, motifs, struc-tures, form and redaction Criticism, bodies of literature about a protagonist, and literary schools.�0 The cosmic origin chant, The Kumulipo, has received several treatments,�� and the translation of S. n. Hale‘ole’s major novel, Laieikawai, was provided with an introductory study that is the only published extended treatment of a single author.�� no history of Hawaiian literature has been produced, although attempts are usually made to place works within their historical contexts. various aspects of Hawaiian lit-erature have been placed in their Polynesian contexts.��

Clearly much scholarly work remains to be done, includ-ing a large amount of important, pioneering research. Such work will be done only if it receives adequate support at the university level. The establishment of an adequate educational program in the field is therefore necessary. Because we are dealing with a still living, though endangered culture, such a program should ideally extend from preschool through postdoctoral research, be inte-grated through all its levels and utilize community resources as well as addressing community needs. moreover, scholarly meth-ods should be devised that accommodate the special character-istics of the subject so that they satisfy both traditional academic and community standards. The above-mentioned congruence of those standards

Approaches to the Academic Study of Hawaiian Literature 5

at many points renders this goal feasible and even suggests a method. That is, classical Hawaiian society—and indeed Polyne-sian societies altogether—held learning in the highest esteem and therefore emphasized education. educational activities and insti-tutions—family, hula academy, individual teacher, and temple “university”—were accorded great prestige. Although all Polyne-sians living in traditional societies receive a good deal of cultural education, talented individuals are usually selected for higher education or more concentrated specialization and are honored for their greater expertise. Literature was central to this whole endeavor. Such an emphasis on education naturally resulted in the development of pedagogical methods. A pattern was developed that, significantly, appears at every level of instruction and fol-lows the pattern of Hawaiian literature. That is, the field of study was divided into a series of levels, from the simplest to the most complex, from the more observational to the more speculative, from the individual to the interrelatedness of all things. Students start at the lowest, the observational level of their particular field and are moved to higher ones as they are deemed ready by their teachers. Progress demands moral as well as intellectual growth, and promotion most often assumes the form of initiation. The classical goal was an encyclopaedic knowledge in which all things were interrelated and integrated into a cosmic view. That inte-gration included these structured levels of learning, so that the observational basis was never forgotten, but informed all the later levels. The highest speculation, therefore, never ceases to be expe-riential, and experience is invested with all the depth provided by an intellectual tradition and individual contemplation. Classical literature followed this pattern and was in fact one of the main means of education. That is, training in the close observation of the environment included memorization of vocab-

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ulary, the correct use of which was demanded. next, one moved through a sequence of literary forms, starting with the simpler, shorter ones and advancing to longer, more complex forms: one moved through names, epithets, sayings, riddles, short stories, and so on. Hawaiian literature constructs most longer forms by combining shorter ones. At the highest level of Hawaiian litera-ture is the great origin chant of the universe, The Kumulipo, which integrates all the previous levels into a unitive view of great power and beauty. Literature and cultural instruction thus supported and mutually influenced each other. The one cannot in fact be under-stood without the other, just as no single element in the Hawaiian universe can be understood without reference to the whole. The classical method of instruction is, therefore, appropriate and cul-turally significant. That method is also, i would argue, adaptable to a western academic program and would in fact be pedagogi-cally effective. Hawaiian culture and literature must be learned from the ground up. The following proposals apply the pedagogical pattern, first to a course in Hawaiian literature and second to a sequence of courses coordinating Hawaiian language study with three to six credits of culture and literature. in both proposals, Hawaiian language primary sources are used in order to understand more immediately the native perspective and to train the students to do original research in such sources. Such a program could of course be used to develop class materials and texts. The proposals given below provide some impression of the amount and range of the literature available. modern elements of Hawaiian culture would be used in each course section.


2/300 LeveL inTroDuCTion To HAwAiiAn LiTerATure

Course Description: Hawaiian literature is presented in the con-text of Hawaiian culture. Characteristics of Hawaiian language and literature. Literary forms in their social settings from ancient times to the present. relation to the other arts, such as music and dance. The student will be given both a general survey of Hawaiian literature with its place in Hawaiian culture and the tools to ana-lyze and appreciate individual literary works. The full range of Hawaiian literature will be presented from folk to high literary traditions. The schedule is arranged in fifteen weeks. i. Brief outline of Hawaiian culture and history in their Polynesian context. The place of the word and literature in Hawai-ian life. The character of the word: ambiguity, onomatopoeia, terseness, etc. The oral literature of the precontact period. The introduction of writing and publishing: books and newspapers. Postcontact literature and literary schools. ii. Devices of Hawaiian literature: motifs, symbols, allu-sions, traditional phrases, structures, etc. Literary forms in their social settings. The construction of larger literary complexes from shorter elements. emphases of Hawaiian literature and thought: land, family, social rank, personality, emotion, cosmic conscious-ness, etc.

Prose

iii. Shorter forms: names, epithets, proverbs, lists, riddles. Their uses in other forms of literature and higher education. iv. The stories of the people of the land. v. redactional complexes, from short to extended. Bodies

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of literature about one or more protagonists (Pele and Hi‘iaka, Kamapua‘a). The use of poetry in prose complexes. vi. Precontact “novellas” (“Legend of Halemano”) and postcontact novels (S. n. Hale‘ole, moke manu, moses nākuina). vii. Historical and cultural reports (S. m. Kamakau, “Brief Sketch of Kamehameha i”), rhetoric (J. m. Poepoe on the death of Kalākaua) and drama (pageants, Jean Charlot: Two Hawaiian Plays, Hawaiian English).

Poetry

viii. Shorter forms: lullabies, game verses, string figure chants, kite-flying chants, nā‘ū. Their uses in other forms of litera-ture. iX. Place chants and songs. X. Body chants. name chants and songs. Love chants and songs. Xi. Hula. Xii. Political chants and songs. Xiii. religious and cosmological chants (The Kumulipo). Xiv. modern poets and lyricists (Helen Desha Beamer, mary Pukui, Larry Kimura). Xv. Summation and discussion. The situation and value of Hawaiian literature today. The place of Hawaiian literature in world culture. A whole sequence of literature courses is required, compara-ble to those available for literatures in other languages. individual courses on the �00 level would develop segments treated briefly in the introductory course, introduction to Hawaiian Literature: Hawaiian Poetry, Hawaiian Prose, and even more particular sub-jects. �00-level courses could specialize in such topics as Hawaiian Historical Literature, the Hawaiian novelists, Hawaiian Political Literature, Contemporary Hawaiian-Language Poetry and Lyrics.


400-level courses could concentrate on the more difficult subjects (such as ancient chants), on individual authors (Ke‘āulumoku, David malo, John Papa ‘Ī‘ī, Kepelino, Lili‘uokalani), schools (the Kalākaua siblings, the Beamer family), periods or individual works (The Kumulipo, Haui Ka Lani). i offer a course description for one such course: Hawaiian Prose. Literary devices and forms will be identified and important examples of each will be studied: e.g., sayings, rid-dles, stories, sagas, novels, instructions, reports, laws, and news-paper articles. Several prose passages will be analyzed in depth. The styles of great prose writers such as Kepelino will be charac-terized. Different methods of interpretation will be applied and evaluated. A short history of Hawaiian prose will be attempted.

A TeXTBooK for A CourSe on HAwAiiAn LiTerATure

Such courses would naturally need to be supported by adequate materials. A textbook would start with a basic discussion of those qualities of the Hawaiian language that influence literature, the character of oral as opposed to written literature (ambiguity, etc.), classical Hawaiian theories of language (closeness to nature, the power of the word), literature in its social settings, use of symbols, etc. A short history of Hawaiian literature would be provided as well as a general bibliography. The student would then mount a scale of increasingly com-plex literary forms, recognizing how shorter forms are used like building blocks to construct longer, more complex ones. each literary form would be introduced: its place in the culture, occa-sions of its use, etc. A number of examples would be given with translations, short introductions and notes, as required. Bib-liographical materials for further research would be listed with comments. Care would be taken to graduate the difficulty of the selections in order to fit the growing language competence of the

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student. So much Hawaiian literature is available that good selec-tions could be found for each literary form and level of compe-tence. By the end of the book, the student or reader would have a good overview of Hawaiian literature. The book would be designed for use by Hawaiian language students, students of other literatures and the general public. The language used would be as simple and non-technical as possible. A teacher’s manual with comprehension and discussion questions could be provided. The use of the book could be a basis for further research towards a definitive description of Hawaiian literature, including a description of all literary genres and their uses.

Textbook outline

Part One: Introduction

i. Brief outline of Hawaiian culture and history in their Polynesian context.emphasize those events and periods that will be referred to in the selected texts. use proverbs, etc., as much as possible in making points.A. The latest migration theories with the latest datesB. Archeological evidenceC. Historical traditionsD. Hawaiian societye. The discovery by the westf. The Kamehameha restructuringg. The post-Kamehameha periodH. The arrival of the missionariesi. �9th-century Hawaiian historyJ. The overthrow of the monarchyK. The territorial period

Approaches to the Academic Study of Hawaiian Literature ��

L. Statehood periodm. Hawai‘i today

ii. The Hawaiian language in Hawaiian lifeA. The History of the Hawaiian Language

�. Austronesian�. Polynesian

B. The development of language in Hawai‘i�. changes in pronunciation, loss of sounds

C. Characteristics of the Hawaiian language�. rich and extensive vocabulary�. ambiguity�. levels of meaning4. terseness

D. Hawaiian theory of language�. origin of language and onomatopoeia

a) kōlea sings its own nameb) voice like winds, winds answer call

�. sounds and their significance�. the character of the word

a) words connected to the things they name4. power of the word

a) “in word life, in word is death.” e. Behavior with language

�. speech with emotion, sincerity, conviction�. avoidance of certain words�. concealment of names4. sparing and careful use of people’s names5. careful use of word because of its oath-like

characteriii. Hawaiian literature in Hawaiian life

A. Characteristics of Hawaiian literature�. cognate with other Polynesian literatures

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B. uses of literature in Hawaiian life�. literature universally practiced �. many occasions of use�. literary forms and their settings in Hawaiian life

C. Connection to education �. development of genres in oral tradition

a) memorizing—listsb) retrieving

(�) riddling(�) contests of wits

�. influence on literature�. influence on thinking and behavior

D. emphases of Hawaiian literature and thought�. cosmic consciousness�. land�. family4. society and rank5. personality6. individual prowess7. emotions, etc.

iv. The history of Hawaiian literatureA. The oral literature of the precontact periodB. The introduction of writing and publishing: books and

newspapers�. first writing systems�. missionary system of orthography�. today’s system

C. Postcontact literature and literary schools�. famous writers

a) Hawaiianb) non-Hawaiian: Lyons, gibson

D. Sources of Hawaiian literature�. living oral tradition�. manuscript materials


�. newspapers—bibliographies4. printed materials—pamphlets, books, etc.

v. Devices of Hawaiian literature A. motifsB. SymbolsC. AllusionsD. Traditional phrasese. wordplayf. Parallelismg. Contrasts

�. male—female�. pono—hewa�. provident—improvident 4. big—small 5. pigs—chickens6. older—younger brother

H. Structures and patterns�. structural expressions�. organizing expressions

i. SeriesJ. The construction of larger literary complexes from

shorter elementsK. Style

�. different stylesa) by genresb) by social groupsc) historical development

(�) the nineteenth-century “encyclopaedic” style

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Part Two: Prose

vi. Traditional prose formsA. Shorter forms:

�. namesa) namingb) name changes

�. terms�. epithets4. exclamations5. greetings and stereotyped questions on meeting6. credal ejaculations7. lists

a) short formsb) genealogies

8. sayings9. admonitions�0. riddles

a) their uses in other forms of literature and higher education

��. games, expressions during��. ritual expressions��. formal requests�4. last words�5. prayers�6. oaths�7. divination�8. prophecies�9. last words�0. battle cries��. taunts��. insults��. instructions

Approaches to the Academic Study of Hawaiian Literature �5

�4. interpretationsa) dreamsb) signs

�5. rhetoric, oratory, counselinga) religious polemicb) political counseling

B. Stories�. the people of the land

a) telling and transmitting storiesb) purposes

�. structure�. types

a) origin(�) land features(�) names(�) sayings(4) customs(5) kapu and kānāwai

b) tricksterc) postcontact jokesd) medical histories

C. Short redactional complexes�. traditional

a) “nā makapō,” “Palila”�. modern

a) Sarah nākoa: Lei Momi o ‘EwaD. Longer traditional prose and mixed prose/poetry

complexes�. extended redactional complexes�. precontact “novellas”

a) Legend of Halemano�. postcontact works

a) ‘Aukelenuiaikub) Damien’s version of Kamapua‘a

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4. the use of poetry in prose complexese. Bodies of literature about one or more protagonists

1. professions2. one or more protagonists

a) Pele and Hi‘iakab) Kamapua‘a

f. Postcontact prose forms�. foreign influences on Hawaiian literature

a) example of field: mourning: precontact forms, new postcontact (obituaries, letters and resolutions of condolence, songs)

b) Biblical influence�. introduced forms and their assimilation

a) article and book structures(�) titles(�) prefaces(�) numbered chapters(4) numbered sections of essays, with

subtitles(5) editorial remarks and asides(6) addresses to reader, etc.

b) letters(�) early letters of ali‘i: Liholiho (�) Ka‘ahumanu, etc.(�) letters to the newspapers(4) letters and resolutions of condolence(5) official letters

(a) from president of a societyc) diariesd) mottose) jokes, witticisms, anecdotesf ) journalism, news stories

(�) news stories


(a) coronation of Kalākaua(b) insurrection on Hawai‘i

(�) editorials(�) announcements: births, obits, etc.(4) advertisements

g) rhetoric(�) Poepoe on the death of Kalākaua(�) speech of Lunalilo on accession to the

throne(�) speech of governor Samuel King on

installation as governor(4) mourning rhetoric

h) political literature(�) protest petitions, palapala kū‘ē(�) campaign literature(�) broadsides

i) legal documents(�) laws(�) bylaws: rules and regulations of the

legislature, the Hale naua, and other organizations

(�) land records(4) court cases(5) testimony(6) proclamations(7) minutes of meetings

j) sermonsk) Christian polemical literaturel) postcontact novels on Hawaiian themes

(�) Hale‘ole(�) moses nākuina(�) moke manu

m) postcontact novels on non-Hawaiian themes

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n) translations(�) Bible(�) Lyons’ and Andrews’ translations of the

Psalms(�) beginning of genesis(4) Book of Mormon or other mormon

literature(5) foreign literature(6) “Puss ’n Boots”

(niklaus Schweizer article)(7) Tarzan(8) robert Louis Stevenson: The Bottle Imp

o) historical and cultural reports(�) Dibble(�) Kelou Kamakau(�) malo(4) John Papa ‘Ī‘ī (5) Kamakau(6) Kepelino(7) letters vs. Kamakau

p) biography(�) biography of ‘Ōpūkaha‘ia(�) Brief Sketch of Kamehameha I(�) Sheldon and Pi‘ilani: Kaluaiko‘olau(4) wilcox biography

q) long obituariesr) memorial volumes

(�) Likelike memorial(�) nāwahī biography

s) anniversary volumes(�) Buke Hai Euanelio o ka Hoomana

Naauaot) drama


(�) roots in precontact forms: dialogue, hula ki‘i

(�) pageants(�) Jean Charlot: Two Hawaiian Plays(4) Larry Kimura: school play

Part Three: Poetry

vii. generalA. Different types and uses (general information)B. Composition and learning of chants

�. nā‘ūC. uses of chants in other forms of literature

�. shorter forms�. longer forms

viii. Shorter formsA. LullabiesB. game verses

�. kite-flying chants�. ka ho‘okākā moa �. kōnane4. kilo5. ‘ume6. lele kawa7. Ka pū (The Puzzle)8. kō‘ī9. koali�0. no‘a��. Pāpūhene or Ka Pu‘u Pūhenehene��. surfing��. pūkaula/ume

C. List chants

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D. String-figure chantse. Their uses in other forms of literature

iX. origin of the universe or portions of itA. KumulipoB. Shorter traditionalC. Kumuhonua legendsD. Pa‘ahana wiggin: Ke Ao Nei

X. Place chants and songsXi. name chants and songs

A. Kūali‘iXii. Chants and songs on different life occasions

A. Birth chantsB. Body chantsC. mourning

�. wailing�. Kahahana

D. wakinge. welcomef. refusal, mele ‘au‘ag. work

�. wreath-twining�. how-to chants

H. ghostXiii. Battle and competition

A. BattleB. victoryC. Boasting and braggingD. Tauntinge. encouraging

Xiv. HulaXv. Love chants and songs

A. Kamehameha i B. Lunalilo: Alekoki

Xvi. Political chants and songs


A. Helen wright Prendergast: Kaulana Nā PuaB. Harry Kunihi mitchell: Mele o Kaho‘olawe

Xvii. Hawaiian awareness, Hawai‘i as a wholeA. Ke‘āulumoku: ‘Au‘a ‘IaB. Larry Kimura: Luahinewai

Xviii. PrayersXiX. other religious chants

A. Dream descriptionsXX. CursesXXi. requests and wishingXXii. PeleXXiii. Kamapua‘aXXiv. Animal chantsXXv. Postcontact forms

A. Hymns�. Kanaka Waiwai

B. graduationC. School chantsD. Hula ku‘ie. Acrosticf. Drinking

XXvi. modern poets and lyricistsA. Helen Desha BeamerB. mary PukuiC. Lena machadoD. Larry Kimura

�. E Ku‘u Morning Dew

Part Four: Summation and Discussion

XXvii. The situation and value of Hawaiian literature todayXXviii. The place of Hawaiian literature in world culture

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A Core ProgrAm of HAwAiiAn STuDieS

The following Core Program of Hawaiian Studies is designed to give a survey of Hawaiian culture to the undergraduate major in the field. Such a program is important because much of the material is unknown to students and the public and because a general context is necessary within which to develop research projects and more specialized courses. i attempt to include the major areas of Hawaiian culture and present them through the lit-erature itself (a basic bibliography would of course be provided). Hawaiian-language reports on each area would acquaint the stu-dent with its basic vocabulary, which could then be recognized in other literary forms. This program could of course be given on a smaller scale to non-majors and students in lower classes. (See Table �.) A full curriculum would naturally require the establishment of more specialized courses, such as those proposed below: Hawaiian Law (this course could be coordinated with the Law School). Different forms of law. Kānāwai, their literary form, establishment, ownership. The kapu system. Treaties, family laws, religious and ceremonial laws, “unwritten laws,” good manners, ideals of conduct, pono. enforcement. Contents of Hawaiian laws. The influence of Hawaiian legal traditions on postcontact Hawai-ian law. Legal issues today. Hawaiian Medicine (this course could be coordinated with the medical School and the School of Public Health). Attitudes towards health and sickness. Awareness of the body and its needs. Community and individual hygiene. exercise and preventive med-icine. Pharmacology. Surgery. Connection to religion and litera-ture. Hawaiian medicine in the post-contact period. Possible uses of Hawaiian medicine today. Community attitudes towards west-ern medicine. The development of such a program with its broad range of specialized courses would naturally demand a cooperative effort


LAnguAge CuLTure LiTerATure

Table �. A Core Program of Hawaiian Studies

Haw �0� (�0�) (natural history and ethno-science)

(This course will be a model for the later courses. The student will proceed from small liter-ary units—through com-bination—to larger com-plexes.)

I. The Environment

geography—character-istics of different places

place names place sayings stories about places,

origin stories place chants and songs

for larger units: islands, all the islands, the universe (m. K. Pukui: Ke Ao Nani; preview of the Kumu-lipo).

geology literary forms about ele-ments: winds, rains, geological formations, volcanic action, etc.

states of the sea

Botany literary works on plants

Zoology chants, hulas, stories about animals: dogs, pigs (n. B. emerson: Unwritten Literature of Hawaii)

Hawaiian scientific traditions

natural scientific sections of the Kumu-lipo, etc.

modern problems Hawaiian “conserva-tionist” proverbs and prayers

Astronomy

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Table �. A Core Program of Hawaiian Studies (Continued)LAnguAge CuLTure LiTerATure

II. Uses of the EnvironmentHaw �0� (�0�) (emphasis on lab ses-

sions in natural settings, such as Kahana valley)

(works of literature on all the topics discussed as well as Hawaiian language descriptions and reports of them)

(the place of the cultural elements in Hawaiian literature will be investigated, such as the symbolism and significance of eating)

uses of the land: e.g., farming, bird-snaring

farming prayers and ceremonies

uses of the sea: e.g., fish-ing

fishing prayers and ceremonies

food preparation stories about food, sayings, terms

crafts (material culture): uses of stone, wood, bark (tapa), leaves (plait-ing, ornaments), bone, etc.

house making house building and dedication prayers and ceremonies

canoe making as above

medicine medicinal ceremonies and prayers, stories about medicine

navigation



III. Human Beings and SocietyHaw 40� (�0�) the body

the person

the life cycle

body chants

name chants and songs

birth chantsdirgesprayers and ceremonies

at different stages of life

the family: structure,as center of culture

genealogiesfamily histories, tradi-

tions, artistic styles

sexuality love chants and songs

sport Hawaiian language descriptions of sports

literary forms connected with sports, e.g., surf-ing chant for nāihe

war Hawaiian descriptions of warfare: single combat, group action, taunting

social organization social organization as reflected in literature

people of the land covered largely in ii

chiefs and their courts courtly literature, ideol-ogy of the chief, etc.

professions covered largely in ii

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history literary forms used to articulate historical traditions

genealogieshistorical traditions in

poetry and prosepostcontact Hawaiian

historians: Dibble, Kamakau, Poepoe

politics Hawaiian accounts of politics

the manipulation of genealogies, genea-logical controversies

oratory, orators, propa-ganda

postcontact political chants and songs

contemporary issues and the literature around them, e.g., Kaho‘olawe songs

law law names, terms, usesstories about the institu-

tion of laws, treaties, etc.

high intellectual groups and traditions

to be covered in iv


IV. The High CultureHaw 40� (�0�) Performing Arts

Hula: the ancient hālautransmission to the

modern ageKalākaua, the hula ku‘iPua Ha‘aheo, ioanne

‘Ūkēkēthe modern schoolschant and dance per-

formancepostcontact music

chantsdancestraditions of the schools,

e.g., moses manuchant and dance in liter-

ature, e.g., Halemanogames of kilu, etc.

songs, hymns, etc.


Dramahula ki‘i, ‘āla‘apapapageants, plays

follows culture

Fine Artsancient formshistory of postcontact

art, Lahainaluna engravings

influence on non-Hawaiians

the fine arts in stories, e.g., Kawelo, Hale-mano

Literaturehistory of postcontact

Hawaiian literaturenew forms: newspa-

pers, serials, novelsnew influences: Bible,

western literature

a good deal of ancient literature has been covered already; emphasis here on postcontact forms: hymns, national anthems, and espe-cially novels: S. n. Hale‘ole, m. nākuina

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Philosophy and Religionthe higher priestly

classesthe “universities”the paliuli

postcontact history of the high traditions

modern Hawaiian-Christian churches

modern religious move-ments

the encounter with non-Hawaiian cul-tures

Hawaiian texts on cere-monies, priestly prac-tices

the long sagas: Pele and Hi‘iaka, Kamapua‘a

origin of the universe chants and stories: emphasis on the Kumulipo

postcontact, e.g., the Kumuhonua legends

Hawaiian evaluations of Hawaiian culture and history, e.g., Kamakau, Kepelino, nākuina, J. D. Holt

non-Hawaiian evalua-tions of Hawaiian culture: historians, anthropologists, sociologists, creative writers, artists

Table 1. A Core Program of Hawaiian Studies (Continued)LAnguAge CuLTure LiTerATure

The interrelatedness of all levels and aspects of Hawaiian culture, the Kumu-lipo.

Student paper on one aspect of this interrelatedness and/or the place of Hawaiian culture in his or her life.


on the part of workers and institutions concerned with Hawaiian Studies. regular communications should be established between all concerned, perhaps through some umbrella organization. The core program could probably best be team taught. A consortium could be formed to develop and publish course texts.

A Pre-univerSiTY ProgrAm

moreover, a pre-university program should be established that would prepare students for the university level. This pre-kin-dergarten through ��th grade program would emphasize those elements of Hawaiian culture traditionally appropriate to the par-ticular students’ age level. The following proposal for a junior and senior high school core program attempts to use the Hawaiian pedagogical pattern with an emphasis on observation and experi-ence: The junior year is divided into three areas—ocean, Land, and Sky—and a summation period called The Hawaiian Sense of Place. The senior year is devoted to Hawaiians in Hawai‘i with a summation period for the two years: religion and The Kumulipo. The goal is to elucidate the relationship between Hawaiian environment and Hawaiian culture: the influence of the environ-ment on culture and the influence of culture on the Hawaiian’s perception of the environment and modification of it. of primary importance is the students’ personal contact with the environment. field trips and on-site instruction are essential as are individual student projects. The students are brought into contact with a natural phe-nomenon or object. They are taught to perceive it in a Hawaiian way. The means used are Hawaiian vocabulary, technical terms, epithets, lists, and so on. what are the words Hawaiians used for this object? what do they tell us about the Hawaiians’ view

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of it? How does the extensive Hawaiian vocabulary sharpen our perceptions of it? what do we see that we really did not notice before? if possible, the students then learn the proper Hawaiian use or uses of the object. This phase of the course provides an experiential basis for the student similar to that given a child in classical times. once that basis is laid, the students move on to the symbolic value of the object or phenomenon. what symbolic meanings were found in it by the Hawaiians? what aspects of the object suggested the symbolic use? How did Hawaiians express those symbolic meanings in words? How was the symbol used in vari-ous literary genres and in thinking? ultimately, how was it used in The Kumulipo? Such questions enable the students to enter more deeply into the Hawaiian way of thinking. from an experiential contact with the object, the students mount the cultural ladder, as it were, as far as they are able to at their stage of life. in each section of the course, there will be the same coordination of observations, prac-tices and cultural interpretations. Short, simple texts, using the vocabulary being learned, can be explained by the teacher. exper-imentation will determine the most fruitful objects, phenomena, and literary materials. The section on the ocean could be conducted in the follow-ing way. The students are taken to the shore and asked to look at the water. How many colors do they see? The Hawaiian words for different colors of ocean water are given as the students see cer-tain colors. vocabulary also guides them to see colors they could not at first distinguish, for instance, lipo, the color of the ocean at the place the water is deepest. The students will thus realize that they are learning to see things they did not see before. They will be beginning to look at the ocean in a Hawaiian way. This same method can be used for weather phenomena, coral and sand formations, ocean life, and so on. A more acute perception is attained.


The students then learn how Hawaiians used the ocean and conserved its resources. The students are then introduced to the symbolic meanings attached to the objects and practices they have studied: for instance, anger is related to a rough sea, and peaceful happiness to a calm one. How are these symbols expressed? The students learn the phrases kai ko‘o and kai malino, and study how they are used in sayings, chants, and conversation. They learn how fishing practices were distilled into proverbs. finally, what is the role of the ocean and its elements in religious and philosophical speculation. for instance, lipo is an essential means of thought and communication in The Kumulipo: the kumu ‘source’ of the land is in the lipo, that is, the land arises from the depths of the ocean. This method ensures that the students never lose sight of the environmental and observational basis of Hawaiian culture; that the symbols used by Hawaiians have for the students something of the same experiential immediacy; and that the students’ own perceptions of the environment be sharpened and broadened. An equally experiential basis is provided for the section Hawaiians in Hawai‘i by emphasizing the Hawaiian experience and views of the human body, about which much material is avail-able. emphasis can be placed on the difference between Hawai-ian and western body consciousness: where westerners speak of heart, Hawaiians speak of entrails; the fontanel is the place where the ancestral spirits gather, and so on. The teacher can reorient the students’ thinking about their own body, thus bringing the course home to the students. Students can also visit Hawaiian families and homesteads and do research on living Hawaiian art-ists. Correlations between different sections of the course should be made constantly in order to emphasize the integrity of Hawai-ian culture. The two substantial summation periods would be used to recapitulate previous work within the larger context

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attained, studying the way Hawaiians themselves articulate the unity of their world. The first summation period, The Hawaiian Sense of Place, concentrates on the way Hawaiians see ocean, land, and sky join-ing in a particular place to form its distinctive character. The lit-erature of a particular place, such as Hanalei valley, would be studied in depth: place sayings, chants, songs, and stories. An accessible location could also be studied so that the students could experience it, visiting its notable sites mentioned in the lit-erature. The final summation period would begin with a study of Hawaiian religion, providing a transition from the previous sec-tion, Hawaiians in Hawai‘i. The whole two-year program would culminate in an extended study of The Kumulipo. All the individ-ual passages of the chant that were studied in the previous sec-tions would now be placed in their context. The students would see the chant as a whole and by that means attain a view of the whole Hawaiian cosmos, from the observational level to that of the highest speculation. Because The Kumulipo is a great work of art as well as a great intellectual synthesis, this final summa-tion period could be deeply affecting for the students and achieve some of the goals of Polynesian education. obviously, the teacher of such a course must be not only acquainted with, but deeply imbued with Hawaiian culture. moreover, the Hawaiian community and individuals formed from childhood by Hawaiian culture would be invaluable in such a project. i myself have had excellent experiences with both knowl-edgeable students and recognized community experts in my classes. They were able to bring not just information, but a sensi-tized appreciation and judgement to materials new to them. for instance, the Hawaiian religious leader Kalāhikiola nāli‘ielua was able not only to tell us unpublished stories, but also to interpret a nineteenth-century complex with an appreciation of its nuances and implications that was of another order than ours.�4 when he


and i cotaught a course in Hawaiian religion, we found that we could cover a greater amount of material more efficiently and also that our individual teaching styles appealed to different sections of the class and satisfied different needs. Courses can also be designed creatively to utilize the resources of the Hawaiian community. Traditional hula acade-mies are centers for instruction in many aspects of Hawaiian cul-ture; their information, materials, methods, and personnel can be studied and employed with profit by western academic institu-tions. for instance, the Hawaiian teacher is not just a critical trans-mitter of knowledge obtainable elsewhere, but the kumu, the source of knowledge of his own tradition. Hawaiian education is, therefore, often more personal than western education. A special rapport is established between the teacher and the student, who becomes, in a sense, the disciple of the teacher. The teacher does not merely train the student in a limited skill, but initiates him or her into certain Hawaiian attitudes and views. The student of the Hawaiian language is taught not only vocabulary and syntax, but a respect for words as well. The fisherman introduces his student into a special relationship with the sea and its inhabitants. in the transmission of these skills and attitudes, nonverbal factors and means—such as mood, timing, setting, example, and imitation—are as important as verbal instruction and explanation. Traditional Hawaiian communities can also be important for Hawaiian Studies. for instance, Kahana valley on windward o‘ahu, maintained much of its natural environment and ancient cultural heritage: the Hawaiian language, chants, legends, histori-cal traditions, arts, and skills. moreover, residents of the valley were themselves creative—composers, musicians, singers, danc-ers, weavers, net makers, and so on. Kahana therefore offered aca-demic students the opportunity to meet native speakers, to learn to speak Hawaiian conversationally, to immerse themselves in Hawaiian culture in general, and to become acquainted with the

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natural Hawaiian environment of today: an experience of Hawai‘i that is not yet available on a regular, organized basis. Programs and courses could utilize such resources, and spe-cial courses could be established: one-credit week-long work-shops, summer sessions, Hawaiian-language camps, and so on. A Coordinator of Academic Affairs—hopefully, a qualified community resident could be employed by the Department of education as a go-between, general mediator, and “translator” between the two forms of education. The Coordinator would ensure that the community teachers were able to function com-fortably and authentically and, on the academic side, that the students were receiving the equivalent of the number of credits involved. The Coordinator could devise appropriate programs with different institutions and handle all technicalities, such as registration, credits, course descriptions, grades, and so on. Hawaiian Studies offers many such opportunities for cross-cultural dialog and creativity in education. western academic institutions can learn much from Hawaiian ones and vice versa. indeed, they already share ideals and even methods. i do not mean, however, to suggest that one side should assimilate the other. Hawaiian culture needs to preserve its kumu and hālau in order to perpetuate itself, and western academia must remain true to its own formative tradition and standards. Close relations between the two need not reduce our valuable cultural diversity. The relation of academia to Hawaiian institutions is in fact essentially the same as its relation to western ones: university music departments study what orchestras play; english depart-ments, what poets write; political scientists, what politicians do. even within a single culture, the relations between students and their objects can be delicate. But throughout history, the effort required to develop adequate methods of studying a subject has ultimately proved itself worthwhile for all concerned.


noTeS

�. This essay is a slight revision of my “Approaches to the Academic Study of Hawaiian Language and Literature,” printed for the participant’s packet at The Conference on Hawaiian Studies in Education, The Kamehameha Schools, June �7–�9, �985, �� pp. That essay was in turn based on a number of proposals i had written over the years: 8.�9.�974; 8.8.�977; ��.��.�977; �.�9.78. The suggestions for a course on medicine are heavily indebted to conversations with Dr. richard Kekuni Blaisdell as well as his proposal History of Medicine in Hawai‘i, �.�5.79, and numerous conversations. The section on Kahana valley is based on a draft proposal Programs with Educational Institutions, Hawaiian Traditions of Kahana, prepared by the Kahana valley community organization Hui o Kanani o Kahana, December 6, �976, for which i acted as secretary. whenever possible, i make my references by number in Kittelson �985. refer-ences in footnotes reflect the situation at the time of the composition of this essay, that is, �985. �. mookini (Kittelson �778), Johnson (Kittelson ��8�, ��8�). �. The two standard works on Hawaiian history, Kuykendall (Kittelson �48�) and Daws (Kittelson 50�), are based primarily on non-Hawaiian language sources. on the effect of this, see nancy morris (Kittelson �785). 4. Charlot �98�: 4�; note �4, below. 5. Buke Mele n.d.; Liliuokalani o Hawaii �897. 6. e.g., ernest Ka‘ai’s history of Hawaiian music and possibly the last fascicule of nākuina �90�b. 7. Beckwith �97�; Charlot �98�b. 8. for example, malo (Kittelson �688), sections of fornander (Kittelson 7�9), and emerson (Kittelson 6�7). 9. much newspaper material remains to be translated (or even stud-ied), including works by well-known authors. A number of important existing translations have not been published, such as those of mary Kawena Pukui in the Bishop museum collection. i know of a number of manuscripts by promi-nent scholars that await publication. A good deal of material should be repub-lished, such as Beckwith �9�9. An anthology of classic articles on Hawaiian literature could be published with such materials as Andrews (Kittelson 9�–94) and elbert (Kittelson 595, 597–599, 60�–60�, 608). �0. i simply mention the work of Samuel H. elbert, mary Kawena Pukui, Albert Schütz, william H. wilson, and Bacil Kirtley.

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��. Beckwith �97�; Johnson (Kittelson �67�). ��. Beckwith �9�9. ��. especially by Luomala (Kittelson �59�, �594–�597, �600). �4. Charlot �98�a; �987.

BiBLiogrAPHY

Beckwith, martha warren, �9�9. The Hawaiian Romance of Laieikawai. Thirty-Third Annual report of the Bureau of ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian institution �9��–�9��, washington, pp. �84–666.

Buke Mele na ka Moi H. M. Kalakaua, n.d. Private Library, iolani Palace, Archives of Hawai‘i, genealogy Books no. �� (g-��/), Honolulu.

Charlot, John, �98�a. “wet Taro farming in Hawaiian Literature: Two examples,” Native Planters, Ho‘okupu Kalo, volume i, number �, Spring, pp. ��–�4.

Charlot, John, �98�b. “william Charles Lunalilo’ ‘Alekoki as an example of Cultural Synthesis in nineteenth Century Hawaiian Literature,” The Journal of the Polynesian Society, volume 9�, number �, September, pp. 4�5–444.

Charlot, John, �98�. Chanting The Universe, Hawaiian Religious Culture. Honolulu and Hong Kong: emphasis international.

Charlot, John, �987. The Kamapua‘a Literature: The Classical Traditions of the Hawaiian Pig God as a Body of Literature, monograph Series, number 6. Lā‘ie, Hawai‘i: The institute for Polynesian Studies, Brigham Young university—Hawai‘i Campus.

Kittelson, David J., �985. The Hawaiians, An Annotated Bibliography, Hawaii Series no. 7. Honolulu: Social Science research institute.

Liliuokalani o Hawaii, �897. He Buke Mele Hawaii I Haku Ponoi, Hoonohonoho a mahele ia e Liliuokalani o Hawaii, Wahinekona, Mokuaina o Kolumepia, 1897. Honolulu: Archives of Hawaii.

nakuina, moses K., �90�a. Moolelo Hawaii o Pakaa a me Ku-a-Pakaa, Na Kahu Iwikuamoo o Keawenuiaumi ke Alii o Hawaii, a o na Moopuna hoi a Laamaomao! Ke Kamaeu nana i Hoolakalaka na Makani a pau o na Mokupuni o Hawaii nei, a uhao iloko o kana Ipu Kaulana i Kapaia o ka Ipumakani a Laamaomao. Honolulu: published by the author.


nakuina, moses K., �90�b. Moolelo Hawaii no Kalapana, Ke Keiki Hoopa-pa o Puna, Ka Mea nana ka Olelo Kaulana “Mo-ke-ki-la-make” ame kana Ipu Hoopa-pa i Kapaia o Lono-A-Ipu, Ke Kamaeu nana i Hoopahu a o Kalanialiiloa ke alii Hoopa-pa o Kauai. Honolulu: grieve Publishing Co., Ltd.

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Approaches to the Academic Study of Hawaiian Literature ...charlot/BOOKS/CHE post/approach.pdf · Hawaiian culture, however, is not extinct. more and more people of Hawaiian ancestry