He Moena Pāwehe Makana: Weaving Anti-Capitalist Resistance into Kanaka Maoli Critiques of Settler Colonialism (original) (raw)

In 1874, King David Kalākaua convened the Hawaiian Kingdom's legislature and initialized his political campaign under the slogan "Ho'oulu Lāhui: Increase the Race." Yet, ho'oulu lāhui isn't universally enunciated as "increase the race." Ho'oulu also translates from Hawaiian to English as to grow or to protect. When considering that lāhui translates to nation or people, Kalākaua's statement takes on different meanings such as grow the nation or protect the people. Reading this mo'olelo (story, history) for its kaona (hidden meaning) begs the question of how did Hawaiians ho'oulu (grow, protect) their Lāhui (nation, people)? Three days before convening the legislature in 1874, Kalākaua received a specially-designed mat that was a gift from a master weaver, a Kanaka Maoli (Native Hawaiian) woman named Kala'iokamalino from Ni'ihau. The mat, which was called "moena pāwehe kūikawā" (specally-designed mat) and "moena pāwehe makana" (gifted woven mat), was given to Kalākaua as a protest. What was Kala'iokamalino protesting and how did the mat communicate its protest? What kaona is embedded in the mo'olelo that Kalākaua began his political campaign to revitalize Hawaiian people and culture only three days after receiving this particular gift? How does this Protest Mat, as its conventionally labeled, demonstrate agency and resistance to represent ho'oulu Lāhui?