By George F. Lee, Star-Bulletin
Victoria Holt Takamine, center, and Jeff Takamine,
right, practice at the University of Hawaii.
Kumu hula unite and realize
By Catherine Kekoa Enomoto
their power in the push for sovereignty
and preservation of culture
Star-BulletinLast February, the red dog was born. 'Ilio'ulaokalani, "red dog of the heavens," is the traditional Hawaiian name for a red-tinged, canine-shaped cloud formation that is a ho'ailona -- an omen or sign of things to come.
'Ilio'ulaokalani is also the name of a 10-month-old watchdog coalition of halau hula. And with 'Ilio'ulaokalani Coalition, the front line of the Hawaiian sovereignty movement enters the cultural, spiritual, aesthetic realm of hula.
"This is very much a move toward sovereignty," explains Victoria Holt Takamine. Takamine is kumu hula of Halau Ali'i 'Ilima, a lecturer at the University of Hawaii-Manoa, and president of both the nonprofit, cultural 'Ilio'ulaokalani Founda-tion and its political arm, the 'Ilio'ulaokalani Coalition.
"The sovereignty movement in 'Ilio'ilaokalani is the preservation and perpetuation of Hawaiian culture," she says.
By George F. Lee, Star-Bulletin
Reyna Keaunui, above, of Na Pua O Liko Lehua
takes notes for an upcoming show.
'Ilio'ulaokalani finds its beginning in February when native Hawaiian cultural practitioners -- kumu hula and their halau members -- held a 24-hour vigil at the State Capitol. They were protesting Senate Bill 8 and House Bill 1920, which would have required native Hawaiians to register to practice traditional religious, cultural and subsistence practices on undeveloped land.In the face of 250 chanting, drumming Hawaiians and supporters at the vigil, the state Legislature killed the proposed legislation.
Those bills troubled Takamine.
"My fear is that cultural activities are going to be criminalized," she said. "The kupuna didn't register; applying for a permit is a Western thing. If you don't apply for a permit, then your family for generations would be denied access. It's a form of cultural genocide. I liken that to registering all the Jews."
In 1995 the state Supreme Court ruled -- in Property Access Shoreline Hawaii vs. Hawaii County Planning Commission -- that the state must protect all customary and traditional native Hawaiian rights exercised for cultural, religious and subsistence purposes, subject to the right of the state to regulate such rights.
SB8 and HB1920 were efforts to regulate the rights. The Senate bill had read: "The petitioner shall establish, by clear preponderance of evidence, that the petitioner is a descendent of native Hawaiians who engaged in traditional and customary practices on the specified undeveloped land prior to November 25, 1892."
Rep. Calvin Say, House finance chair, says he introduced the House bill to generate debate.
"The state constitution is in conflict with the white Anglo-Saxon philosophy of private property," he explains, referring to Hawaiian gathering rights vs. the notion of trespassing. "It's going to take 10 years or more to resolve this problem. I was looking toward landowners and traditional practitioners to start a dialogue."
By Dennis Oda, Star-Bulletin
Pi'ilani Smith rehearses her chants.
The proposed legislation moved kumu hula throughout the islands to set aside their individual agendas to form the coalition.Respected traditionalist Pua Kanaka'ole Kanahele, 60, a fifth-generation co-kumu hula of the Big Island's Halau O Kekuhi and treasurer of 'Ilio'ulaokalani Foundation, perceives her role as directing 'Ilio'ulaokalani activities toward a high cultural ground.
"In the past, kumu hula have been very much into their own halau, and they very seldom got together unless they had known each other for a long time. So it's a different road for us that we're all traveling together, but it's necessary," she says.
Keali'i Reichel, 35, Hoku award-winning singer and co-kumu hula of the 150-member Halau Ka Makani Wili Makaha O Kaua'ula, saluted the unprecedented unity of 'Ilio'ulaokalani.
"What's really neat is that kumu hula are notorious for their independence. It's like everybody does their own thing. That's the nature of kumu and halau - independency and being apart from everybody.
"However, with 'Ilio'ulaokalani, we're all different, independent entities who strive for the same things. We come together for the same cause. It's the neatest, it's never happened before, it's the first time. That's why we went to the capitol to demonstrate - it was very powerful, all of us in one place at one time."
The coalition has potential for great political strength.
"There is not one kumu hula who is not focused on the purposes of this organization and has not committed themselves and their halau to this organization and its purpose - to preserve and perpetuate and promote Hawaiian cultural activity: tradition, music, art, dance," Takamine said. "And that to me is what sovereignty is. And that to me will pave the way for everything else."
With the resurgence of interest in hula, the coalition has great potential for political strength. Though numbers vary, halau members can run up to 50 people or more.
And Takamine wants a potent voice for Hawaiians.
Politically, "I'm looking at all the halau voting as a bloc. That's my goal and we're seriously looking at that. Hawaiians make up 20 percent of the population; 20 percent in a specific district race can impact those close races. And halau are made of not only of Hawaiians.
"I believe this is a very dangerous organization for some people. We are a Hawaiian cultural organization that encompasses halau, students, people from every island. We are far-reaching. We can have an impact in a lot of areas."
By Dennis Oda, Star-Bulletin
Nalani Kanaka'ole leads hula rehearsal.
Takamine acknowledges that 1998 is an election year and she anticipates many non-hula activities of drafting bills, tracking legislation, lobbying, testifying, newsletters and holding candidate forums."We're looking at who's running for governor. If it means we have to put up somebody to run, I'm not against that. I'm looking for candidates," Takamine said.
Puhipau, a Big Island filmmaker and Hawaiian activist, puts his faith in kumu hula having an impact on the sovereignty movement.
'Ilio'ulaokalani is "the direction of the movement. If anybody can do it, it's the kumu hula. The base is very cultural and spiritual and that's what that movement needs - more direction toward the old gods, not the new gods. Even though most of the dancers are Christian, they're dealing with the old ways," he said.
Kanahele also sees a connection between hula and the movement.
"What we can offer is a cultural component, and we've worked with (sovereignty proponent) Mililani Trask," she said.
Kumu hula Manu Boyd of Halau o ke 'A'ali'i Ku Makani in Kaneohe called 'Ilio'ulaokalani a "rightful union" between culture and politics.
"It is profound and pono and right. The bottom line is: This is a good thing, very positive, very clean, sort of a pure approach to Hawaiian progress."
By Dennis Oda, Star-Bulletin
The class pauses for a portrait.
Another Windward kumu seconded unity and sovereignty: "We need all the canoes pointed in the same direction," said Kaho'onei Panoke, Windward Community College lecturer and kumu hula of Halau Hula O Kaho'onei, "and we need to paddle in that direction. If we make a concerted effort to do that in 1998, we will send a clear message to the legislature."We have to ho'akahele (take precautions), we need to determine our destiny and make those decisions. We no longer wish to let others make those decisions. We are quite capable as an ethnic entity to make those decisions."
Miss Aloha Hula 1989 Pi'ilani Smith is a dancer who's finding another means of expression through 'Ilio'ulaokalani. "I see it as cultural," said Smith, a junior majoring in Hawaiian studies at the University of Hawaii-Manoa who assists her mother, kumu hula Alicia Smith of Halau O Na Maolipua.
"You know how Hawaiians don't separate things. It is political, but we are cultural practitioners; it works hand in hand," she said. "My mom and I are involved in halau. The halau is important to our cultural identity. If that means being political about it, then so be it."
The group will put on a concert Jan. 10 concert at Waikiki Shell to raise awareness and funds for the effort. It has positioned the concert right before the legislative session starts.
Takamine envisions 1,000 students drumming and 8,000 voices chanting, "E ola ka lahui Hawai'i" - The Hawaiian race will live on.
"At the vigil we realized how much power the chant and the dance give to us personally - I'm not talking about politically or monetarily - but how much it sustains us as Hawaiians," she said. "Collectively chanting in that rotunda, unified with one goal and one purpose. The realization hit that we can pull together the Hawaiian community.
"If these are the issues - that we seek a form of sovereignty, that a body of people can collectively move toward a better Hawaii and protection of our culture and our rights - then that is the direction we will take."
At the vigil - surrounded by 250 people chanting and drumming on 28 pahu (drums) each hour during the chilly rainy at the capitol - was, for Takamine and perhaps all the kumu hula, an epiphany.
"I was like," she paused, wordless. "We were all blown away at ourselves - look at who we are and look at what we can do. And, you dragged us in here (the capitol) and we're not leaving.
"We are not leaving."
Dancing in unison
Ua Ao Hawai'i (Hawaii is enlightened) benefit concertEntertainers include O'Brien Eselu, Loyal Garner, Ho'okena, Kekuhi Kanahele,Willie K, Amy Hanaiali'i Gilliom and at least 11 halau hula.
Place: Waikiki Shell
Robert Cazimero
