Defiant Indigeneity: The Politics of Hawaiian Performance (Critical Indigeneities)

"Aloha" is at once the most significant and the most misunderstood word in the Indigenous Hawaiian lexicon. For Kānaka Maoli people, the concept of "aloha" is a representation and articulation of their identity, despite its misappropriation and commandeering by non-Native audiences in the form of things like the "hula girl" of popular culture. Considering the way aloha is embodied, performed, and interpreted in Native Hawaiian literature, music, plays, dance, drag performance, and even ghost tours from the twentieth century to the present, Stephanie Nohelani Teves shows that misunderstanding of the concept by non-Native audiences has not prevented the Kānaka Maoli from using it to create and empower community and articulate its distinct Indigenous meaning. While Native Hawaiian artists, activists, scholars, and other performers have labored to educate diverse publics about the complexity of Indigenous Hawaiian identity, ongoing acts of violence against Indigenous communities have undermined these efforts. In this multidisciplinary work, Teves argues that Indigenous peoples must continue to embrace the performance of their identities in the face of this violence in order to challenge settler-colonialism and its efforts to contain and commodify Hawaiian Indigeneity. "Aloha" is at once the most significant and the most misunderstood word in the Indigenous Hawaiian lexicon. For K& 257;naka Maoli people, the concept of "aloha" is a representation and articulation of their identity, despite its misappropriation and commandeering by non-Native audiences in the form of things like the "hula girl" of popular culture. Considering the way aloha is embodied, performed, and interpreted in Native Hawaiian literature, music, plays, dance, drag performance, and even ghost tours from the twentieth century to the present, Stephanie Nohelani Teves shows that misunderstanding of the concept by non-Native audiences has not prevented the K& 257;naka Maoli from using it to create and empower community and articulate its distinct Indigenous meaning. While Native Hawaiian artists, activists, scholars, and other performers have labored to educate diverse publics about the complexity of Indigenous Hawaiian identity, ongoing acts of violence against Indigenous communities have undermined these efforts. In this multidisciplinary work, Teves argues that Indigenous peoples must continue to embrace the performance of their identities in the face of this violence in order to challenge settler-colonialism and its efforts to contain and commodify Hawaiian Indigeneity. ... Theorizes Indigeneity As A Performative Process, Challenging The Notion That It Can Be Understood In Terms Of A Prescribed Set Of Unchanging Cultural Signs. ... Indigenous Identity Is Made Up Of Shared Community Understandings About Belonging That Is Performed And Articulated In Multiple Settings And Contexts. For Kanaka Maoli People, Teves Shows That Indigeneity Is Represented And Articulated Through The Idea Of Aloha, A Concept That Is At Once The Most Significant And Most Misunderstood Word In The Hawaiian Lexicon-- Throwing Mangoes At Tourists -- How To Do Things With Aloha -- F-you Aloha, I Love You -- Bloodline Is All I Need And Defiant Indigeneity On The West Side -- Aloha In Drag -- The Afterlife Of Princess Ka'iulani -- Bound In Place: Queer Indigenous Mobilities And The Old Paniolo Way -- Aloha As Social Connection. Stephanie Nohelani Teves. Included Bibliographical References And Index. 'Aloha' is at once the most significant and the most misunderstood word in the indigenous Hawaiian lexicon. For Kanaka Maoli people, the concept of 'aloha' is a representation and articulation of their identity, despite its misappropriation and commandeering by non-native audiences in the form of things like the 'hula girl' of popular culture. Considering the way aloha is embodied, performed, and interpreted in native Hawaiian literature, music, plays, dance, drag performance, and even ghost tours from the twentieth century to the present, Stephanie Nohelani Teves shows that misunderstanding of the concept by non-native audiences has not prevented the Kanaka Maoli from using it to create and empower community and articulate its distinct Indigenous meaning Une source inconnue indique : "Theorizes Indigeneity as a performative process, challenging the notion that it can be understood in terms of a prescribed set of unchanging cultural signs. ... Indigenous identity is made up of shared community understandings about belonging that is performed and articulated in multiple settings and contexts. For Kanaka Maoli people, Teves shows that Indigeneity is represented and articulated through the idea of "aloha," a concept that is at once the most significant and most misunderstood word in the Hawaiian lexicon" " ... Theorizes Indigeneity as a performative process, challenging the notion that it can be understood in terms of a prescribed set of unchanging cultural signs. ... Indigenous identity is made up of shared community understandings about belonging that is performed and articulated in multiple settings and contexts. For Kanaka Maoli people, Teves shows that Indigeneity is represented and articulated through the idea of "aloha," a concept that is at once the most significant and most misunderstood word in the Hawaiian lexicon"-- Provided by publisher