Aloha! I've now been in Hawai'i more than twenty-four hours and still don't believe that this trip is actually real. We got to our hotel at about four yesterday afternoon and had a couple hours to settle in before we were to meet in the lobby to get a "cab" to our dinner reservations. I took advantage of the down time to visit the pool and then, after cleaning up, went to the lobby to find that the aforementioned "cab" was actually a limo. Unlike the rest of the world, I drove the Suz Jon 2 (a 1986 silver Toyota station wagon) to the prom, so this was my first ride in a limo. Dinner was amazing and ended with the choice of a fruit plate or the "dessert trilogy." As I've said before, it's hard to be me.
This morning we had our official welcome to Hawai'i and the Fulbright program. The morning began with an incredible traditional Hawaiian welcome. We lined up outside of the door to a large room and the one Hawaiian member of our group asked for permission for us to enter. Permission was sung and we followed in and made a circle in the room, holding hands with the people next to us. As we stood in the circle, our hosts explained and then sang a number of prayers (oli) asking for God to provide guidance and integrity in our pursuits. Once the chanting was done, we all introduced ourselves and were presented with a lei. Our hosts then did a number of hula dances for us, explaining the significance of the movements and chants before each new dance. It was an incredibly powerful invocation and made me wonder what all my days would be like if I began them by asking the divine to accompany my intellectual pursuits.
The most fascinating part of the morning was when I asked about the t-shirts that the performers were wearing. They said "Justice for all Hawaiians." Apparently they are all a part of a grassroots justice organization, Ilio`ulaokalani (Red Dog of Heaven), that employs all sorts of creative techniques in order to secure land rights for native Hawaiians. Vicki, our host, explained that the group formed when the Hawaiian state legislator wanted to pass a law making it easier for developers to gain access to Hawaiian land. The bill would require native Hawaiians to prove that their ancestors hunted, fished, and/or gathered on the exact land that they currently claim. As Vicki said, "we don't have digital pictures of my grandmother picking the flowers, and the fish we caught, we ate." The organization, Red Dog of Heaven, protested for 24 hours in the capital building, singing, drumming, and dancing traditional Hawaiian dances every hour, on the hour. As the night wore on, every time they began chanting and dancing thunder would crash and rain would pour down. After 24 hours of protesting, the sponsors of the bill came into the rotunda, ripped up the bill, and surrendered the point.
For more information about the annexation of Hawai'i and the modern day sovereignty movement visit Sovereign Stories.
This is Okalani, one of the Hula dancers who welcomed us today.
Here are Jacqueline, Ann, Vicki, Juan Carlos, and Chantel. Vicki is the founder of Red Dog of Heaven. You can view video of her speaking about her work here.
This morning we had our official welcome to Hawai'i and the Fulbright program. The morning began with an incredible traditional Hawaiian welcome. We lined up outside of the door to a large room and the one Hawaiian member of our group asked for permission for us to enter. Permission was sung and we followed in and made a circle in the room, holding hands with the people next to us. As we stood in the circle, our hosts explained and then sang a number of prayers (oli) asking for God to provide guidance and integrity in our pursuits. Once the chanting was done, we all introduced ourselves and were presented with a lei. Our hosts then did a number of hula dances for us, explaining the significance of the movements and chants before each new dance. It was an incredibly powerful invocation and made me wonder what all my days would be like if I began them by asking the divine to accompany my intellectual pursuits.
The most fascinating part of the morning was when I asked about the t-shirts that the performers were wearing. They said "Justice for all Hawaiians." Apparently they are all a part of a grassroots justice organization, Ilio`ulaokalani (Red Dog of Heaven), that employs all sorts of creative techniques in order to secure land rights for native Hawaiians. Vicki, our host, explained that the group formed when the Hawaiian state legislator wanted to pass a law making it easier for developers to gain access to Hawaiian land. The bill would require native Hawaiians to prove that their ancestors hunted, fished, and/or gathered on the exact land that they currently claim. As Vicki said, "we don't have digital pictures of my grandmother picking the flowers, and the fish we caught, we ate." The organization, Red Dog of Heaven, protested for 24 hours in the capital building, singing, drumming, and dancing traditional Hawaiian dances every hour, on the hour. As the night wore on, every time they began chanting and dancing thunder would crash and rain would pour down. After 24 hours of protesting, the sponsors of the bill came into the rotunda, ripped up the bill, and surrendered the point.
For more information about the annexation of Hawai'i and the modern day sovereignty movement visit Sovereign Stories.
This is Okalani, one of the Hula dancers who welcomed us today.
Here are Jacqueline, Ann, Vicki, Juan Carlos, and Chantel. Vicki is the founder of Red Dog of Heaven. You can view video of her speaking about her work here.
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