The Importance Of Indigenous Cultures In The Hawaiian Culture

Hawaiian is unique among the fifty states, especially in regards to its native music form, which is still preformed, and captivates audiences even today. Hawaiian chanting, music, and dance are not only key parts of life on the island, but have also become cultural icons as well as profound symbols of nature and religion in Hawaii. Hawaii has a rich history, beginning with the early settlers from Polynesia who brought their traditions and religions to Hawaii. Over the years, the inhabitants took those traditions and adapted them to their new home, creating the definitive culture that, even with Western influences, still is a captivating force within the society.

When Hawaii is mention to any group, people generally tend to think about its performances, food, and environment. This is because Hawaii has maintained such an original culture that is so closely related to its indigenous people, that it stands out amongst the rest of the states. Due to the fact that Hawaii is a combination of immigrants and indigenous people, the blend allows the state to have an acculturation of many of its elements while preserving their cultural heritage. Amongst what is so beloved in their traditions, hula has maintained of vital part of Hawaiian customs overtime. Hula is performed in various other places as well including but not limited to many of the islands that are encompassed in Polynesia.

Hawaiian Hula is a traditional dance that was brought to Hawaii by the Polynesians. It was performed to worship the chiefs and gods under the Hawaiian mythology, such as Hopoe, Laka and Haumea. Laka, which is the goddess of coordination, has an enormous influence in the rhythm movements of hula. She is the inspiration behind every hula dance, where she and the dancer become one. There is unity, especially when the dancer dances outside and connects nature with Laka.

For the past 10 years I have attended programs and volunteered at the Waipa Foundation, a community based nonprofit committed to restoring native systems and resource, and preserving Hawaiian culture. Through service and dedication to an organization essential to the history of Hawaii, Waipa has allowed me the opportunity to form some of my most treasured connections to my home and understand the significance of a unified community. My days spent working in the muddy kalo patches and pounding poi were all apart of a sustainable system modeled after Hawaiian practices. The passion to care for those around me and build a family is the value I hope to establish any where I go.

Hibiscus flowers were used to create an idea of Hawaiian culture throughout the film The Descendants, directed by Alexander Payne. Each petal which the flower portrays symbolises a different quality, but come together as one to represent peace. An example of peace in the film is when Liz dies. Her ashes are then spread into the ocean and a close up is shown as Matt, Alex and Scottie place Lei’s in the water. Ultimate peace is then added to the theme and a beautiful send off is created, also adding a peaceful soundtrack playing in the background to emphasising the idea of Hawaiian culture even more. Moreover, Liz is dead but is still comforted with the traditional flowers and is acknowledged as still being part of the Hawaiian culture.

Post World War II there were many changes that occurred with the Western cultures on the views of Asian cultures and the Pacific Islanders. Not much exposure to individuals in the west only through sources of media such as newspapers, radio, and even films created. Everything changed after World War II, when the Asians within literature, and Arts as different sources created a different standard of ‘normal’ and ‘modern’ within the western cultures. In the film Sayonnara Hana Ogi is considered exotic until she assimilates, hula from being banned became popularized, and these have been seemed as normal in culture. Another sacred dance that has become normalized and introduced is the traditional Filipino dance the singkil, performed by students

Above all, was the haka dance, which could have its roots traced back to before the Polynesians inhabited New Zealand. The haka was very important in Maori culture and was used for many important occasions, such as funerals, battles and to acknowledge great achievements, most likely to frighten the enemy or express their emotion. This reveals that Maori were very physical, as most of the dance comprised of aggressive foot-stamping, tongue protrusions,

A lot of times they dances are accompanied with chants and or songs that tell the story of Hawaii, its culture and

The Polynesian people were very in tuned with nature and I truly felt that it was important to respect nature at all times. The Hula dance is comprised of six simply moves that are arranged differently to create different dances. Laka the Hawaiian goddess of dance, created two Hula groups “Olapa” which is comprised of your younger ladies that move with much excitement and high energy, and the “Ho’o-paa which consist of your older women who move slower and very gracefully. I have watched several videos online about the Hula and as I watch the ladies dance you can feel the power of the unspoken words. They seem to take lots of pride as they perform and very happy and energetic. The scenery is very pretty and the rhythm of the drums is almost hypnotic. The dance of the

The Maori have carried a number of traditions with them throughout the years. A few of the main traditions include performances, art, and tattoo. The performances are known as kapa haka, which is a traditional Maori dance. The literal meanings of the performances is to form a kapa (line) and haka (dance). The main purposes of the haka is to welcome distinguished guests, celebrate an achievement, or a pre-battle challenge (war dance). Visitors were not allowed to enter the tribal ground or Maori Village until they were formally welcomed by the haka. The haka include a combination of song, dance, and chanting.

Hula was known for social enjoyment but the chants also help to preserved epic tales, myths, history and philosophy. Hula is portrayed through song, chants and movement. The beat of the music reflects of the sounds of the waves, wind, clouds, and of the heart. Many tales describe the mythic beginnings of hula. The most heard of is about Pele and her sister Hi`iaka. Hula is a way of making the best of Ancient Hawaiian culture relevant to a modern audience. Hula is not only physical, but also spiritual and mental aspect. It helps to preserve ancient traditions.

Warta (2010) discussed how each Samoan dance was formed, and how it became their traditional dances. For example, the sasa which is known as the “clap dance” where men clap their hands and slap their chests, legs, and arms in a synchronized rhythm. This was the dance that began as a functional way to swat back mosquitos and later turned into a traditional form of movement. Stanley (2009) shared how Samoa represented words through movement of the hands and feet, and not the hips. This is why every time they dance; every action represents words or lyrics of the song. Traditional Tongan dances are stories sung by the singers and acted out by the dancers (Stanley, 2009). These stories are either about the Christian missionaries or the king of Tongan. One of the Tongan traditional dances is called “lakalaka” where it requires everyone to stand and dance. It begins slowly but builds to a rhythmic finish. Now comes the Hawaiian dance where hula is their traditional dance, and it is steeped in ancient traditions with a fascinating and intricate history that is only made more intriguing give the storytelling element of the different dances (Gibbs, 2015). Hula dance is a beloved and cherished cultural tradition on the Hawaiian Islands. It requires dancers to move their hips, not like the Samoan and Tongan, which they don’t. Different hula dances are not only about the story of different islands and their beauty, the exploits of royalty, people of those islands, major events, and travelers, but also about honoring the chief or monarch (Hula Alii), animals (Hula Holoholona), Goddess of fire, lightning, wind, and volcanoes (Hula Pele), and to the western who came to the

This dance originates from the native Maori people’s war ritual that was performed before battle to get the blessing of the God of War, Tu. This rich contrasting cultural experience is enjoyed by millions worldwide and is a subtle reminder to New Zealand’s heritage in Maori myth and an opportunity to participate in this myth. The same parallel can be seen in Catholic family’s before a meal every night, when they break bread. This diversity in our heritages keeps us enamored with one another’s difference. In fact, one could argue that the fruits of mythology is the very reason why we travel around the world to experience different cultures on holiday. Without mythology this practices may not be taking place at all or if they were the meaning would have been lost – simply habit, not a ritual with

Dance in the Maori culture is very important part and is popularly practiced. The Kappa Haka translates to line dance. It is a type of dance that typically includes singing, dancing, and facial expressions. Each movement of the Kappa Haka has a meaning to it, which is why they hold the dance to such a great importance. Another type

Kia Ora, my name is Te Mahia Millanta and I am a extramural student studying marketing and economics. I chose this paper as an elective and was interested in developing my knowledge of Maori culture. I will now discuss the impact of Maori values and concepts as they relate to the study of a specific discipline, marketing.