Post #321052 by BlueSage on Tue, Jul 24, 2007 11:37 PM

What a great topic!

I've lived here on the big island for over 8 years and it was a definite culture shock coming from the midwest. One of my friends is a native Hawaiian activist, so I get a lot of good information from her. I recently heard that there are only a few living Hawaiians who learned to carve tikis from their ancestors (uncles and whatnot). The first thing I thought of was contacting these people and setting up workshops. Then comes the rub - how to teach aloha?

It's a problem facing the Hawaiians. So many Hawaiians have left, that they are now one of the smaller ethnic groups in the islands. Even considering the hapa (mixed) population. The aunties teaching weaving give classes, but the only people attending are retired white ladies from the mainland.

So what is Aloha? Can you teach it? Is is something you can gain or lose?

I have no idea. Being a Ha'ole here I see some people with it, some without. There is still a vein of racism here, but nothing like I saw back in Detroit. A lot of it is anti-caucasian though. I'd rather shop locally, but I've had enough bad experiences that I no longer feel guilty about shopping at Wal-Mart or Home Depot.

I've also seen the Hilo side of the big island change a lot in the last 3 or 4 years, it's incredible. There are a ton of transplanted californians here now. Puna was once considered a wild west type of place with a lot of drugs, hippies, and criminals, and it has transformed into the suburbs.

I think, if anything, things are better now. the racial tensions are less. There are a lot more programs in the schools that teach hawaiian culture. There are a lot of people who study the hawaiian language.

I notice that a lot of local folks, a mix of polynesian and asian cultures, so not show friendliness in the same way and may seem flat or stoic. On the other hand, they are usually very polite and never sarcastic.

Just my 2 cents here. The spirit is alive, for those who seek it.