I have to recommend a show that was on PBS tonight. Excellent show about hula as it exists away from Hawai'i. Very interesting. Very provocative! Made me want to growl a couple of times and argue back, but that's all of the good.
Mark Ho'omalu is the Lilo and Stitch connection. They profile three kumus and Mark is the second one. Not a boring man, that's for sure!
Try to catch the show if you can.
American Aloha: Hula Beyond Hawaii - August 5,Tuesday 10:00pm, on
PBS (check your local listings or visit www.pbs.org )American
Aloha: Hula Beyond Hawaii - by Lisette Marie Flanary and Evann
Siebens,Premiere Date: Tuesday, August 5, 2003 at 10 PM EST,Trailer
coming soon,Featuring Na Lei Hulu I Ka Wekiu www.naleihulu.org
And Kumu Patrick Makuakane *** For Hawaiians, the hula is not just a
dance but a way of life — even for those who no longer live on the
islands. While most Americans know only the stereotypes of grass
skirts and coconut bras, the hula is a living tradition that tells of
the rich history and spirituality of Hawai'i through music, language,
and dance. "American Aloha: Hula Beyond Hawai'i" discovers a
renaissance of Hawaiian culture as it continues to grow in California.
Following three kumu hula, or master hula teachers, the film
celebrates the perpetuation of a culture — from the very
traditional
to the contemporary — as it evolves on distant shores. With more
Native Hawaiians living on the mainland than in the state of Hawai'i,
the revival of Hawaiian pride that began in the 1970s on the islands
continues for future generations through the hula dance. Revealing the
survival of Hawai'i's indigenous culture from near-destruction,
"American Aloha" is a reminder of the power of reclaiming tradition
for communities creating a home away from home.
www.pbs.org/pov/utils/dvp_films.html
“Spirit of Sappho, ... I summon you. Come fill me with your big, dykey power!” ~ Final Exam by Tommo
I know what I wanted to growl about.
There such wonderful aloha in that man.
I did appreciate what he said about his kumu. He says that the last thing he was told by his kumu was to do his best and to do his own. Something like that... And that's what he's doing. I have so much respect for his kumu (Darrell Lupenui, the very large man), so that I had to soften a little. 
Big loss for hula when Darrell Lupenui died.
Anyway...
When all the texts say is "The Queen abdicated the throne and Hawaii became a U.S. territory..." you can't really fault people for not knowing that, while that is technically true, there was so much more to it than just that. And the situation over there now, with Natives continuing to get screwed by the powers that be, that's sure not on the news, is it? Bleh. And the sovereignty movement has its own share of bullshit, too. More bleh.
I've seen some commercials, so that'll have to do.
at: 8/27/03 10:35 pm
Because she's hardly in the rest of the movie. Which is a shame because she is a damn fine woman. Oh, yes.
