Aloha! Ua koho wau i ke kumuhana. Makemake au e noʻi i ka moʻolelo o ka hula ma Hawaiʻi. [translation Hawaiian to English: Hello! I chose a topic. I want to research the history of hula in Hawaiʻi.]
Through historical research, I want to outline the major events and cultural shifts in regards to hula. This will set a foundation for readers to understand the long-standing presence hula has in the Hawaiian culture. Through ethnographic interviews, I want to discover the thoughts and feelings about hula from the Hawaiian people. I have contacts with many people who are directly involved in the practice presently and in the past as well as those who are a part of the Hawaiian culture but do not practice hula. I think it's important to utilize interviews in my research because so much of Hawaiian culture is recorded through oral history. Using these two methods of research I aim to answer the following questions: How can hula be performed in an ethical and culturally responsible way? How can it be kept meaningful? How has hula evolved? How can we display hula in a museum?
I am working on the historical importance of hula because I want to find out how it intersects in multiple aspects of Hawaiian culture (intersectionality) so that I can help others understand how to display intangible heritage in a meaningful and culturally responsible way.
Alana, this sounds like a really worthwhile topic to explore through oral history, as you point out. It might be interesting to think about how you might showcase the way hula is performed -- through video, written instructions, musical instructions -- and how that can be conveyed in an exhibit (online/onsite). You might also look at some of the stories about hula that go against the grain - such as treating it as something that is just a task, like the record broken last year for the marathon hula hooper (2019). How do stories like that impact the understanding of hula as a cultural and art form?
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