Ka Le'a O Ke Ola
A Forum on Kanaka Maoli
Culture, Sexuality, and Spirituality
Participants in the AFSC gathering had the opportunity to attend
a public forum at the Center for Hawaiian Studies of the University
of Hawai`i (UH), which addressed for a Hawaiian audience many
of the same themes under discussion at the gathering. In addition
to AFSC, cosponsors of the forum included Na Mamo O Hawai`i, the
Marriage Project Hawai`i, the Pacific Families Network, and a
variety of UH organizations and programs, including the Queer
Student Union, the Center for Hawaiian Studies, Kua`ana Student
Services, the Task Force on Sexual Orientation, and the Student
Equity, Excellence, and Diversity Office.
The forum, which began with a traditional Hawaiian processional
and invocation, was well attended by representatives of both the
Kanaka Maoli sovereignty movement and Hawai`i's gay community.
Excerpts from presentations by the three panelists appear below;
their remarks were followed by a spirited discussion with the
audience and many expressions of mutual respect and solidarity
regarding both gay rights and Hawaiian sovereignty.
Kaleikoa Kaeo
Kaleikoa Kaeo is a lecturer in Hawaiian language studies and
a master's candidate in political science at the University of
Hawai`i. An activist in the Hawaiian sovereignty movement, he
has written on decolonization of the mind, body, and spirit of
Kanaka Maoli.
We need to speak about the issues of sexuality and same-sex marriage
with a Hawaiian voice, a Kanaka Maoli voice. Especially those
of us who are involved in Kanaka Maoli political struggles have
been silent about the whole issue. I believe this is a failure
on our part, and by proclaiming my support I hope that others
will support this issue. As a heterosexual male I don't pretend
to speak for the gay community; I come to speak from a Hawaiian
nationalist perspective.
. . . Next to sovereignty, the most controversial issue facing
Hawai`i is the issue of same-sex marriage. Many nationalist organizations
and individuals have yet to publicly proclaim their point of view.
The only voices so far have come from a Kanaka Maoli organization
formed by students and faculty at the University of Hawai`i, Na
Mamo O Hawai`i.
This is disturbing. It is as if same-sex marriage will not have
an impact on the Hawaiian community. If this were an issue involving
family, land, or religion you can bet Hawaiians would be there
- why haven't Hawaiians come forward on this issue? Many leaders
in the Hawaiian community are gay, lesbian, or bisexual.
Marriage as it exists today is an artifact of cultural imperialism,
encoded as a mechanism of colonization. It is no different than
the bringing of capitalism, Christianity, or privatization. It
has brought confusion to Kanaka Maoli culture: about sex, gender
roles, and family; about how we relate among the sexes.
The voices of opposition [to gay rights] have also been minimal.
Even though some have spoken in opposition from the churches they
have spoken on the basis of Christianity, and not as Kanaka Maoli.
This issue highlights the clash between Kanaka Maoli culture and
the hegemony of Euro-American culture in Hawai`i. This is a very
painful situation for Kanaka Maoli. It calls into question our
basic cultural beliefs. It poses the questions of who we are and
what our beliefs are. What were our traditions concerning sexuality?
What are they today and how have they changed?
The question of shame and guilt has always been here. If we are
talking about decolonizing, can we truly do that without dealing
with this question? Marriage as it exists today is an artifact
of cultural imperialism, encoded as a mechanism of colonization.
It is no different than the bringing of capitalism, Christianity,
or privatization. It has brought confusion to Kanaka Maoli culture:
about sex, gender roles, and family; about how we relate among
the sexes.
The main function of marriage was to produce a European-style
family, which was part of the process of colonization. As we explore
decolonization as Kanaka Maoli, issues like cultural institutions
or land use have all brought about deep discussions in our community,
all for the sake of the physical, cultural, and mental survival
of Kanaka Maoli people. The Kanaka Maoli cannot afford to limit
our attempt to decolonize spiritually, socially, culturally, and
economically by failing to address one of the most predominant
institutions of American cultural hegemony.
I am talking not just about granting lesbians and gays the right
to marry, but about re-imagining the institution of marriage.
We need to include Kanaka Maoli values in the concept of marriage.
If same-sex marriage becomes legal in Hawai`i, it should be viewed
by Kanaka Maoli as a window of opportunity. We should follow the
lead of the proponents of same-sex marriage because it gives us
the latitude to reshape societal institutions to fit our cultural
standards.
As Amilcar Cabral points out, the greater the difference between
the culture of the dominated and the culture of the oppressor,
the more possible becomes the resistance of the oppressed. It
is easier to dominate where there is a similar culture. Imperialism
struggles unceasingly on the cultural front, to bring you to believe
that you have no culture, that your culture and that of your oppressor
is the same. If we want to liberate ourselves as Kanaka Maoli,
we cannot blindly accept and keep intact the premises of the colonial
regime.
The institution of marriage as we know it today is not a traditional
Kanaka Maoli cultural form. Many of the opponents of same-sex
marriage say we need to protect traditional marriage as it exists
in Hawai`i, marriage for procreation. What is traditional marriage
in Hawai`i? Does this term come from the view of marriage as it
has existed in Europe and America, as an institution that developed
mainly to control property?
Marriage did not exist in Hawai`i before the arrival of European
missionaries in 1820. In the old days there was no such thing
as marriage; everybody slept with everybody. If a man wanted a
woman, or a woman wanted a man, they would seek each other. We
had different types of unions and relationships. One was a binding
betrothal, when a family for procreative purposes wanted offspring
to be born, not because of love or sexual attraction but because
of the need to produce a child. A second type of relationship,
punalua, existed between two persons closely linked to
a third person; they could be sisters-in-law, brothers-in-law,
two wives of a man, two husbands of a woman, and so on. These
terms cannot be translated into English, because they are cultural
concepts that are lacking in the social relationships of English-speaking
people.
I am talking not just about granting lesbians and gays the
right to marry, but about re-imagining the institution of marriage.
The term "punalua" comes from the idea of two
heads. In Hawaiian culture before the arrival of the missionaries
it was permissible to have multiple partners, for men and women
alike. The raising of children did not take place in a nuclear
family construct. If a woman had two
lovers at about the same time and a child was born then, then
the child was considered to have two fathers.
Another type of relationship was known as ho`ao, daylight:
if a man slept with a woman until daylight they were married.
That was the declaration of their union: they didn't go in front
of a judge or a priest. Religion was not involved in determining
what was a marriage and what was not. Sometimes no words were
said. There were no requirements for sexual abstinence before
marriage; often couples tried living together before forming a
union. The most common way was for the male to go and live with
his wife's family. With that type of arrangement, the room for
physical abuse or verbal abuse is taken away because that man
is going to face his wife's brother.
Traditionally, relationships of lifelong love and commitment did
not include economic support and did not necessarily include sexual
involvement. Those involved might have sex outside this union.
Another term is aikane, which has had many meanings at
different times of history. "Ai" means sex and
"kane" means male, but this word is actually
used to describe relationships between two people of the same
sex. Such a relationship may have included sex or it may not;
the main focus is the relationship itself.
When I first read all of this about our culture it opened up my
eyes to realize that sex is resistance. The conflict of cultures
is also experienced as sexual conflict. If you really feel Hawaiian
you experience sex as enjoyable, natural, fulfilling, and lots
of fun. . . .
Noenoe Silva
Noenoe Silva is a Ph.D. candidate in political science at the
University of Hawai`i and a Hawaiian language instructor. A Hawaiian
sovereignty activist, she is a founding member of Na Mamo O Hawai`i.
It's very beautiful to be here in the Center for Hawaiian Studies,
but I'm going to talk about an event that happened two years ago
in Hilo in which I felt very different than I do tonight. I am
a cofounder of a group of lesbian and gay Kanaka Maoli. We formed
in 1993 with the purpose of attending the hearings on same-sex
marriage and talking about traditional Hawaiian practices.
In 1996 there were a series of puwalu or conventions of
different sovereignty groups, with the intention of finding common
ground, and we decided to go. Our intention was to be in on the
formation of a new Hawaiian nation. We believed that we need to
think carefully about what kind of nation we are building: we
don't want to live in a new nation that is just as oppressive
to us as the old one. At the time I was inspired by the constitution
created for South Africa after apartheid was dismantled, which
included a clause prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sexual
orientation.
The theme for that particular puwalu was aloha `aina,
malama `aina. These puwalu normally lasted about
three days and we were there the whole time. It was a full weekend
of workshops seeking to find some common ground about what "aloha
`aina" means. On the last morning, a Sunday morning,
just before the closing, we intervened. I was the one who stood
up and read our statement, which said that we are Hawaiian, we
belong to Hawai`i. Our `aina permeates every part of us:
the land is our ancestor, it is in our bones. It is our link to
our past, our history, and our future well-being. All are linked
to our relationship with our `aina.
We said that aloha `aina is a familial relationship; that
means that we resist all attempts to further separate any of us
from our `aina. Our freedom to live in our land is linked
to our freedom to determine how we live in our bodies, our freedom
to live in relationships that may be different from American culture.
Before colonization we lived in a society that accepted diversity,
and now we want to propose support for ending discrimination against
lesbians, gays, and bisexuals.
The first reaction to our proposal was that this isn't the right
time; we have to get the land back and establish our own government,
and then we can talk about your problem. Another person said,
we don't need to say this because there is no discrimination in
our Hawaiian community, you are part of our families. Another
said, our people are not going to accept this, this is too controversial.
When we pointed out the contradictions between these last two
statements, people got very stuck.
Our freedom to live in our land is linked to our freedom to
determine how we live in our bodies.
Then this wonderful man stood up, a country guy, speaking in pidgin.
He said, look at us, this is Sunday morning, none of us are at
church. Why? Because most of us have fled from a church that is
oppressive to us. He began talking about missionaries and colonialism,
and he broke through. He said, we need something that says we
are not going to discriminate against people who are poor, or
ill, or disabled, and we agreed
with that. Then people turned around. We drafted a statement,
and the whole puwalu approved it. Afterwards women kept
coming up to us, crying, saying, my sister is gay, or my daughter
had to go and live in California. They wept many tears after the
decision to support our statement. Many of them came up to us
and said, I'm so glad you're doing this.
Despite the decision, the statement from that puwalu never
came out publicly. That is why I'm really glad to be here tonight
where people like Kaleikoa are ready to talk about our rights
in the context of Hawaiian sovereignty.
Ku`umeaaloha Gomes
Ku`umeaaloha Gomes is director of Kua`ana Student Services
at the University of Hawai`i. In addition to her affiliations
with AFSC and Na Mamo O Hawai`i, she is also active with such
groups as the Funding Exchange and the Urban-Rural Mission. Her
introduction noted that she is mother to a 32-year-old son and
a 13-month-old hanai (foster) daughter
A seed was planted a long time ago when we took the step in 1993
of deciding that we would come out publicly as gay Kanaka Maoli.
That seed has needed some extra nurturing. We cannot do this work
alone, making sure that our community does not become our oppressor.
When I learned of Kaleikoa's work I realized that we are on the
path together, paving the way so our Kanaka Maoli community can
move forward together as we claim our sovereignty and independence.
We cannot allow a nation to be built that will impose the same
kinds of oppression.
As a Kanaka Maoli woman and a gay woman this question of sexuality
and spirituality is a passionate one for me. As I grew up I was
surrounded by stories from my mother and my grandmothers that
affirmed sexuality. One of these stories tells of the night my
mom and dad were married. My Auntie `Io disappeared from the luau.
My parents
left for their honeymoon place, and when they opened the door
there was Auntie `Io, jumping on the bed. My mom said, "what
are you doing?" She answered, "I'm making the bed soft
for you so you have an easy time tonight!" Before she left
she said a blessing for them, talking about my father's prowess
and my mother's beauty.
Today we are confronted with the Mahele of our body.
Our bodies are appropriated and commodified for tourism. We have
to be wary of circumstances that attempt to make us invisible
and invalidate who we are.
When I was little my grandmother used to talk about Papa and Wakea,
the earth mother and sky father. There are many sexual stories
in our mythology. Later on in my adult life I used those same
kinds of stories when I worked with Kanaka Maoli children in a
farm project. I used them to restore pride in these children who
had been rejected by their schoolteachers and by the Department
of Education. They were labeled as failures, but I understood
them as creative children for whom the schools were not providing
any nurturing.
I brought them the stories of how Papa supports us every day of
our lives and gives us the food from the land, how Wakea sends
us the air we breathe all the time. When you go to the mountains
on the windward side they look like a vulva, that is their name
in Hawaiian, because they are very deep and very dark inside.
They look like a woman's ma`i. I grew up with that kind
of story.
I remember the thrill one day of learning that the coconut represented
the man's scrotum, and so women were forbidden to eat that because
it's too dangerous. The same with the banana, which women sometimes
were forbidden to eat. Growing up in Hawai`i we cannot escape
the ma`i inoa, the sexual nicknames describing our genitals
that children are given when they are born.
Our famous rulers were given names like these, King Kalakaua and
Queen Lili`uokalani. This was celebrated and respected, you had
dances where people celebrated their ma`i names. This is
historical in our culture, it is not something we create today.
We may write about it today, but it comes from our past.
Our culture has many songs and dances with double meanings, about
a rocking chair, about the squid in the sand. I can remember my
excitement as a child, not about the words, but about understanding
the sexual feeling. This is who we are as Kanaka Maoli, who we
traditionally have been, what we celebrate.
The impact of supremacist Christianity has been to take that away
from us. This is why we are here to reclaim who we are as Kanaka
Maoli. We need to claim every part of it: our sexuality is part
of what makes us strong. Not all Christians have the same attitude,
but supremacist Christianity is related historically to white
male supremacy, which perpetuates racism, class oppression, and
heterosexism. It is part of the same history through which the
missionaries imposed things like the Mahele and became
part of the plantation elite.
Today we are confronted with the Mahele of our body. Our
bodies are appropriated and commodified for tourism. The colonization
of our bodies and privatization of our relationships is expressed
through marriage, which perpetuates private property and the ownership
of people. Think of words like "Mr." or "Mrs.,"
which means mister's property. Many women are no longer using
such terms but we still need to confront them and deconstruct
them. The Western Christian idea of marriage has imposed on Kanaka
Maoli a certain model of the family. We had other models of family,
such as fostering, in which children were lovingly shared with
other families, but each child always knew its own genealogy.
These were hanai families, like our hanai child
who we have taken on to be raised by us.
Today as we look at same-sex marriage it is really important for
us to look at our state constitution, which speaks to the state's
responsibility to preserve and protect Native Hawaiian customary
rights. This includes things like the protection of the hanai
family. Today that article is being threatened with a constitutional
amendment. We as Kanaka Maoli have a responsibility to speak up
and protest that. If we are going to protect our rights we have
to be wary of circumstances that attempt to make us invisible
and invalidate who we are.
With the little girl who we are raising, we want her to be proud
of who she is as Kanaka Maoli. We want her to know her history,
to know that her people support her and both her families, her
biological family and her hanai family. We want her to
grow up in a culture that celebrates who she is at all levels.
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