| O Ka'aina ( Of the Land) By R. Mapuana Cottell |
| I was born and raised in Los Angeles County, California, in a town called West Covina. But my heart has always been over there, in that little chain of islands where paradise and civility sort meet and explode into a sort of mess of cultural confusion. Hawai'ian people are taught the spirit of aloha from the very day that we are brought into this world. We learn early on that the most important thing in life is to share with others what we have been shown all of our lives: the meaning of aloha. But there is one thing that we are all known for- Na Hula, or the hula. " Hula is the language of the heart. Therefore the heartbeat of the Hawai'ian people." (as quoted by King David Kalakau'a, on the sacred dance.) Though depicted in movies and on television as bimbos with more up front than between the ears and men with teeny tiny brains and only surfing on the mind, Hawai'ian people are actually very intelligent. In the early recorded Hawaiian history, our ancestors were guided by and navigated the ocean by looking at the stars and also by studying the wave currents in the ocean. By watching the sea birds, they could tell where they would find fish or if whether or not they should prepare for inclement weather. Historically, Hawai'ian people have been proficient in art, dance, engineering, hunting, fishing and writing. We have navigated the seas by means of the stars and have healed ourselves with the fruits of the earth. Today, young Hawai'ians are fervently rebuilding and reviving the culture of the Hawai'ian people. Through our efforts in art, dance, writing and music, we have been able to start to rebuild for our children and our childrens' children. I dance hula, throw lu'aus, teach my children the history of our beautiful culture. But nothing bears my 'aina soul better than does my poetry. In my book, Na Wahi Ohina (The Gathering Place), I wrote about the experience of being o ka'aina, or, of the land. It is a unique experience, to be Hawai'ian. I hope that you will not be afraid to ask me questions about my heritage, for I am eager to tell you all about the island culture! |
| NOBODY Nobody ever stops to think about the word aloha. They only use it to sell more cars, or to get more people to shop in their grocery store. Nobody ever stops to wonder how or when or why na hula is so revered today, even as it was so many generations ago. And nobody ever stopped to think that perhaps I don't speak spanish, or tagalog, or anything other than english, but maybe a little Hawai'ian. Nobody ever thought that Spam would taste pretty good, as long as it is eaten with rice and a little bit of ketchup, and, of course, a dash of pepper sauce. Nobody thought anything of any of this, yet I always wonder... Nobody knows how deep aloha is until they have experienced the true nature of a certain way of life. Nobody knows what it's like to be torn between two worlds, to be asked to believe one way, yet preserve something that completely disagrees with what we have been told is real, is true, is right. Nobody knows, and nobody bothers to ask. Nobody... |
