Ulu Mau Village by Kamahana Kealoha
Ulu Mau Village is often fondly recounted from the memories of those who remember the 1950’s-1960’s era in Hawai‘i but, unlike its rich presence in the halls of Hawai‘i’s local memory, there is scarce instances of its written documentation. For traditional western research this would be a travesty but if one were to speak with the people who lived during the time of Ulu Mau Village one begins to realize its history has been well documented in the modern day oral traditions of Hawai‘i’s people. Everyone who knew of Ulu Mau Village seemed to love it. Today most of the documented references to Ulu Mau Village can only be found on the world wide web. The fact that this information can be found more readily on the web than on the shelves of our libraries here in Hawaii does not, in my opinion take away from the accuracy of the information present nor the importance of Ulu Mau Village itself. One particular online reference is from the Polynesian Voyaging Society. In an essay that can be found on that prestigious group’s website, Doctor George Hueu Sanford Kanahele describes the idea of Ulu Mau Village as an individual initiative to “stir up interest in preserving and maintaining Hawaiian traditions and arts” (Kanahele, 1979: 2).
Like all things cultural Ulu Mau Village is interconnected with certain aspects of its own time. Before one can begin to understand the reasons for the founding of Ulu Mau Village, one must know about its predecessors and peer organizations. A name that frequently surfaces in conversations with the older generation about Ulu Mau Village is Lalani Village. Lalani Village was the first of its kind and “probably the first ‘Hawaiian cultural center’” ever (ibid.). A Hawaiian man named George Mossman founded Lalani in the 1930’s “for what he hoped would be a great cultural awakening” in a time when the Hawaiian culture was on the verge of extinction (ibid.). Mossman tried “single handedly to regenerate public interest in Hawaiiana, particularly the language, chant and hula” (ibid.). The village consisted of “traditional Hawaiian grass huts and even a heiau” (ibid.). When the Lalani Village was founded and built in Waikiki in the 1930’s, according to Doctor Kanahele, being Hawaiian and doing Hawaiian things was unheard of. Doctor Kanahele states, in regards to the perception of the time, that “everyone tried to be good Americans which meant that you best submerge any feelings of being non- or un-American ... being different, i.e., being Hawaiian or Japanese or Chinese and so on was not the in-thing to do” (ibid.). As a result the Lalani Village unfortunately did not survive the social stigmas that it faced as “neither the public, Hawaiians included, nor Waikiki was ready for what [George Mossman] hoped would be a great cultural awakening” (ibid.). This did not stop other organizations, like Ulu Mau Village, from attempting to do the same thing that Lalani Village had tried to do.
Although the organization of Lalani Village did not survive the idea that it represented, that of perpetuating the Hawaiian culture, lived on. Before the 1930’s and through the 1950’s, when Lalani, and later Ulu Mau Village was created, the Hawaiian culture was shunned, and although the seeds of the controversial 1970’s renaissance were planted during this time period, it must be understood that being Hawaiian was not something one was proud of. To have an organization where one could go to participate in and observe Hawaiian cultural practices was a pioneering effort. In fact, to better understand the historical attitudes and context that these Villages were born in, it is good to remember that “a rather significant event- looking back now because it wasn’t considered so then—was probably the establishment of the State Council on Hawaiian Heritage because it was the first time the State of Hawaii officially recognized the value of perpetuating the culture in this manner. This was done in 1969” (Kanahele 1979: 3). Prior to this, the preservation of Hawaiian culture was not sanctioned by the State of Hawai’i. In fact the State played an active role in socially ostracizing the Hawaiian language prior to this declaration. The need for preservation was a result of the general acknowledgement that Hawaiian culture was on the verge of extinction. Despite adversities that impeded the preservation of Hawaiian culture at the time, Malia Solomon “developed her famous Ulu Mau Village” in the 1950’s which was built “somewhat in the spirit and style of Lalani Village” (Kanahele, 1979: 3). Malia Solomon’s interests and skills “were in crafts such as tapa-making and weaving, and consequently she emphasized aspects of the culture that others had not” prior (Kanahele, 1979: 3).
Ulu Mau Village was first located “in the midst of Ala Moana Park” (ibid.). It was later moved to Heeiakea. Here, at Ulu Mau Village many Hawaiian subsistence and cultural practices were perpetuated. According to the website Kapa Hawaii, the Ala Moana Park site was once only used for Aloha Week festivities. Malia Solomon’s daughter, Rosalind Solomon Kapalan, states that after negotiations her mother “was able to lease the property with the idea of creating a ‘living’ Hawaiian village where people could step back in time and get a glimpse of what life in Hawai’i was like 200 years ago” (Kapa Hawaii: 2012). The staff was made up of individuals who were carefully chosen for their knowledge in “various cultural aspects of ancient Hawaiian life” and whether or not they “possessed good speaking skills” (ibid.). One particular aspect of the cultural practices instituted at Ulu Mau village, among many, was of particular interest to Malia Solomon, this was the ancient Hawaiian tradition of cloth, or kapa making. Self-taught, Malia Solomon, according to her daughter Rosalind, “was considered to be the leading authority on Hawaiian kapa” and was a woman ahead of her time “learning, researching and sharing Hawaiian culture and history prior to the cultural renaissance of the 1970’s” (ibid.). Anyone who is familiar with the highly evolved discipline of kapa making would call this self-teaching quite an undertaking. In Malia Solomon’s own words “the amount of ingenuity displayed in the manufacture of the bark and in the coloring and decoration of the resulting barkcloth reflects the greatest credit on the ancient Hawaiians” (Solomon, 1967). Other examples of the many Hawaiian cultural practices perpetuated at Ulu Mau Village included “offering demonstrations of [tapa-beating] poi pounding, and other crafts” (Watanabe, 2009).
There are differing accounts as to when Ulu Mau Village was founded and first opened at Ala Moana. According to Kanahele Ulu Mau Village was founded in the 1950’s (1979: 3). The Kapa Hawaii website places the founding of Ulu Mau Village in the year 1960 (Kapa Hawaii: 2012). There seems to be no general consensus, yet published, regarding the exact date Ulu Mau was founded and opened at Ala Moana. According to a brochure entitled “He’eia Learning Cener” which is managed by an organization called Kama’aina Kids, Ulu Mau Village was relocated from its original location at Ala Moana Park, to Kealohi Point in Heeia, in the year 1963. Regardless of exactly when Ulu Mau Village was founded everyone seems to agree that the village “eventually faded away, not for lack of inspired leadership and commitment on the part of Malia, but for lack of a responsive public” (Kanahele 1979: 3). There may still be something valuable that is left of Ulu Mau Village. The idea and purpose of Ulu Mau Village may be able to live on with the current attempt of the organization known as Kama’aina Kids. Their application for stewardship of the land under which Ulu Mau once sat states that they intend to “continue to be an integral part of the windward community reflecting in its cultural and environmental experience, educating both kama‘aina’a and [. . .] visitors.” Perhaps Malia Solomon best summed up the purpose of Ulu Mau Village when she stated that “we hope our village shall be the mirror to reflect this heritage to all of our people in Hawaii Nei and others who may also be interested” (Solomon, 1967).
Bibliography
Kanehele, George S., “The Hawaiian Renaissance by George S. Kanahele, May 1979,” Polynesian Voyaging Society, (http://kapalama.ksbe.edu/archives/pvsa/primary%202/79%20kanahele/kanahele.htm). Last accessed October 22, 2012.
Solomon, Malia, “Introduction to Hawaiian Kapa,” 1967. Kapa Hawaii Preserving Native Hawaiian Art, (http://www.kapahawaii.com/storing-hawaiian-kapa/141-malia-solomon-and-the-modern-hawaiian-kapa-revival.html). Last accessed October 22, 2012
Kapa Hawaii Preserving Native Hawaiian Art, “Malia Solomon and the Modern Hawaiian Kapa Revival,” (http://www.kapahawaii.com/storing-hawaiian-kapa/141-malia-solomon-and-the-modern-hawaiian-kapa-revival.html). Last accessed October 22, 2012
Watanabe, June, “It’s surprising how much memory is built around things unnoticed at the time,” Star Bulletin, August 17, 2009, (http://archives.starbulletin.com/content/20090819_memories_built_on_things_unnoticed_at_the_time).
Ulu Mau Village is often fondly recounted from the memories of those who remember the 1950’s-1960’s era in Hawai‘i but, unlike its rich presence in the halls of Hawai‘i’s local memory, there is scarce instances of its written documentation. For traditional western research this would be a travesty but if one were to speak with the people who lived during the time of Ulu Mau Village one begins to realize its history has been well documented in the modern day oral traditions of Hawai‘i’s people. Everyone who knew of Ulu Mau Village seemed to love it. Today most of the documented references to Ulu Mau Village can only be found on the world wide web. The fact that this information can be found more readily on the web than on the shelves of our libraries here in Hawaii does not, in my opinion take away from the accuracy of the information present nor the importance of Ulu Mau Village itself. One particular online reference is from the Polynesian Voyaging Society. In an essay that can be found on that prestigious group’s website, Doctor George Hueu Sanford Kanahele describes the idea of Ulu Mau Village as an individual initiative to “stir up interest in preserving and maintaining Hawaiian traditions and arts” (Kanahele, 1979: 2).
Like all things cultural Ulu Mau Village is interconnected with certain aspects of its own time. Before one can begin to understand the reasons for the founding of Ulu Mau Village, one must know about its predecessors and peer organizations. A name that frequently surfaces in conversations with the older generation about Ulu Mau Village is Lalani Village. Lalani Village was the first of its kind and “probably the first ‘Hawaiian cultural center’” ever (ibid.). A Hawaiian man named George Mossman founded Lalani in the 1930’s “for what he hoped would be a great cultural awakening” in a time when the Hawaiian culture was on the verge of extinction (ibid.). Mossman tried “single handedly to regenerate public interest in Hawaiiana, particularly the language, chant and hula” (ibid.). The village consisted of “traditional Hawaiian grass huts and even a heiau” (ibid.). When the Lalani Village was founded and built in Waikiki in the 1930’s, according to Doctor Kanahele, being Hawaiian and doing Hawaiian things was unheard of. Doctor Kanahele states, in regards to the perception of the time, that “everyone tried to be good Americans which meant that you best submerge any feelings of being non- or un-American ... being different, i.e., being Hawaiian or Japanese or Chinese and so on was not the in-thing to do” (ibid.). As a result the Lalani Village unfortunately did not survive the social stigmas that it faced as “neither the public, Hawaiians included, nor Waikiki was ready for what [George Mossman] hoped would be a great cultural awakening” (ibid.). This did not stop other organizations, like Ulu Mau Village, from attempting to do the same thing that Lalani Village had tried to do.
Although the organization of Lalani Village did not survive the idea that it represented, that of perpetuating the Hawaiian culture, lived on. Before the 1930’s and through the 1950’s, when Lalani, and later Ulu Mau Village was created, the Hawaiian culture was shunned, and although the seeds of the controversial 1970’s renaissance were planted during this time period, it must be understood that being Hawaiian was not something one was proud of. To have an organization where one could go to participate in and observe Hawaiian cultural practices was a pioneering effort. In fact, to better understand the historical attitudes and context that these Villages were born in, it is good to remember that “a rather significant event- looking back now because it wasn’t considered so then—was probably the establishment of the State Council on Hawaiian Heritage because it was the first time the State of Hawaii officially recognized the value of perpetuating the culture in this manner. This was done in 1969” (Kanahele 1979: 3). Prior to this, the preservation of Hawaiian culture was not sanctioned by the State of Hawai’i. In fact the State played an active role in socially ostracizing the Hawaiian language prior to this declaration. The need for preservation was a result of the general acknowledgement that Hawaiian culture was on the verge of extinction. Despite adversities that impeded the preservation of Hawaiian culture at the time, Malia Solomon “developed her famous Ulu Mau Village” in the 1950’s which was built “somewhat in the spirit and style of Lalani Village” (Kanahele, 1979: 3). Malia Solomon’s interests and skills “were in crafts such as tapa-making and weaving, and consequently she emphasized aspects of the culture that others had not” prior (Kanahele, 1979: 3).
Ulu Mau Village was first located “in the midst of Ala Moana Park” (ibid.). It was later moved to Heeiakea. Here, at Ulu Mau Village many Hawaiian subsistence and cultural practices were perpetuated. According to the website Kapa Hawaii, the Ala Moana Park site was once only used for Aloha Week festivities. Malia Solomon’s daughter, Rosalind Solomon Kapalan, states that after negotiations her mother “was able to lease the property with the idea of creating a ‘living’ Hawaiian village where people could step back in time and get a glimpse of what life in Hawai’i was like 200 years ago” (Kapa Hawaii: 2012). The staff was made up of individuals who were carefully chosen for their knowledge in “various cultural aspects of ancient Hawaiian life” and whether or not they “possessed good speaking skills” (ibid.). One particular aspect of the cultural practices instituted at Ulu Mau village, among many, was of particular interest to Malia Solomon, this was the ancient Hawaiian tradition of cloth, or kapa making. Self-taught, Malia Solomon, according to her daughter Rosalind, “was considered to be the leading authority on Hawaiian kapa” and was a woman ahead of her time “learning, researching and sharing Hawaiian culture and history prior to the cultural renaissance of the 1970’s” (ibid.). Anyone who is familiar with the highly evolved discipline of kapa making would call this self-teaching quite an undertaking. In Malia Solomon’s own words “the amount of ingenuity displayed in the manufacture of the bark and in the coloring and decoration of the resulting barkcloth reflects the greatest credit on the ancient Hawaiians” (Solomon, 1967). Other examples of the many Hawaiian cultural practices perpetuated at Ulu Mau Village included “offering demonstrations of [tapa-beating] poi pounding, and other crafts” (Watanabe, 2009).
There are differing accounts as to when Ulu Mau Village was founded and first opened at Ala Moana. According to Kanahele Ulu Mau Village was founded in the 1950’s (1979: 3). The Kapa Hawaii website places the founding of Ulu Mau Village in the year 1960 (Kapa Hawaii: 2012). There seems to be no general consensus, yet published, regarding the exact date Ulu Mau was founded and opened at Ala Moana. According to a brochure entitled “He’eia Learning Cener” which is managed by an organization called Kama’aina Kids, Ulu Mau Village was relocated from its original location at Ala Moana Park, to Kealohi Point in Heeia, in the year 1963. Regardless of exactly when Ulu Mau Village was founded everyone seems to agree that the village “eventually faded away, not for lack of inspired leadership and commitment on the part of Malia, but for lack of a responsive public” (Kanahele 1979: 3). There may still be something valuable that is left of Ulu Mau Village. The idea and purpose of Ulu Mau Village may be able to live on with the current attempt of the organization known as Kama’aina Kids. Their application for stewardship of the land under which Ulu Mau once sat states that they intend to “continue to be an integral part of the windward community reflecting in its cultural and environmental experience, educating both kama‘aina’a and [. . .] visitors.” Perhaps Malia Solomon best summed up the purpose of Ulu Mau Village when she stated that “we hope our village shall be the mirror to reflect this heritage to all of our people in Hawaii Nei and others who may also be interested” (Solomon, 1967).
Bibliography
Kanehele, George S., “The Hawaiian Renaissance by George S. Kanahele, May 1979,” Polynesian Voyaging Society, (http://kapalama.ksbe.edu/archives/pvsa/primary%202/79%20kanahele/kanahele.htm). Last accessed October 22, 2012.
Solomon, Malia, “Introduction to Hawaiian Kapa,” 1967. Kapa Hawaii Preserving Native Hawaiian Art, (http://www.kapahawaii.com/storing-hawaiian-kapa/141-malia-solomon-and-the-modern-hawaiian-kapa-revival.html). Last accessed October 22, 2012
Kapa Hawaii Preserving Native Hawaiian Art, “Malia Solomon and the Modern Hawaiian Kapa Revival,” (http://www.kapahawaii.com/storing-hawaiian-kapa/141-malia-solomon-and-the-modern-hawaiian-kapa-revival.html). Last accessed October 22, 2012
Watanabe, June, “It’s surprising how much memory is built around things unnoticed at the time,” Star Bulletin, August 17, 2009, (http://archives.starbulletin.com/content/20090819_memories_built_on_things_unnoticed_at_the_time).