Na Kua'aina : living Hawaiian culture / Davianna Pomaika'i McGregor.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

McGregor, Davianna.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Hawaiians--History.

Hawaiians.

Hawaiians--Social life and customs.

Hawaiians--Interviews.

Oral history.

Subsistence economy--Hawaii--History.

Subsistence economy.

Natural resources--Social aspects--Hawaii--History.

Natural resources.

Social change--Hawaii--History.

Social change.

Hawaii--Social life and customs.

Hawaii.

Hawaii--Rural conditions.

Hawaii--History, Local.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (386 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Honolulu : University of Hawai'i Press, c2007.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

The word kua'âina translates literally as "back land" or "back country." Davianna Pômaika'i McGregor grew up hearing it as a reference to an awkward or unsophisticated person from the country. However, in the context of the Native Hawaiian cultural renaissance of the late twentieth century, kua'âina came to refer to those who actively lived Hawaiian culture and kept the spirit of the land alive. The mo'olelo (oral traditions) recounted in this book reveal how kua'âina have enabled Native Hawaiians to endure as a unique and dignified people after more than a century of American subjugation and control. The stories are set in rural communities or cultural kîpuka-oases from which traditional Native Hawaiian culture can be regenerated and revitalized.By focusing in turn on an island (Moloka'i), moku (the districts of Hana, Maui, and Puna, Hawai'i), and an ahupua'a (Waipi'io, Hawai'i), McGregor examines kua'âina life ways within distinct traditional land use regimes. The 'òlelo no'eau (descriptive proverbs and poetical sayings) for which each area is famous are interpreted, offering valuable insights into the place and its overall role in the cultural practices of Native Hawaiians. Discussion of the landscape and its settlement, the deities who dwelt there, and its rulers is followed by a review of the effects of westernization on kua'âina in the nineteenth century. McGregor then provides an overview of social and economic changes through the end of the twentieth century and of the elements of continuity still evident in the lives of kua'âina. The final chapter on Kaho'olawe demonstrates how kua'âina from the cultural kîpuka under study have been instrumental in restoring the natural and cultural resources of the island.

Contents:

Frontmatter

Contents

Acknowledgments

1. Nä Kua'äina and Cultural Kïpuka

2. Waipi'o Mano Wai: Waipi'o, Source of Water and Life

3. Häna, mai Ko'olau a Kaupö: Häna, from Ko'olau to Kaupö

4. Puna: A Wahi Pana Sacred to Pelehonuamea

5. Moloka'i Nui a Hina: Great Moloka'i, Child of Hina

6. Kaho'olawe: Rebirth of the Sacred

7. Ha'ina Ia Mai: Tell the Story

Appendix I: 1851 Petition from Puna Native Hawaiians to Extend the Deadline to File a Land Claim

Appendix II: Number of Males Who Paid Taxes in Puna in 1858

Appendix III: Moloka'i, Petition of July 2, 1845

Notes

Bibliography

Index

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Description based on online resource; title from PDF title page (publisher's Web site, viewed 28. Aug 2019)

Includes bibliographical references (p. 353-364) and index.

ISBN:

9780824863708

0824863704

9781435665811

1435665813

OCLC:

256493328