Exam 1 Worksheet Questions
What new view of Oceania did the author have in "Big Island" at a conference?
"The world of Oceania is not small : it is huge and growing bigger every day."
According to the author, what is Oceania?
"Vast, expanding, hospitable, generous, humanity rising from the depths of brine and regions of fire deeper still, Oceania is us."
What is the difference between viewing the Pacific as "islands in a far sea" and as "a sea of islands"?
"islands in a far sea"- from this perspective the islands are tiny, isolated dots in a vast ocean "a sea of islands"- reveals the underlying assumption that the sea is home to such people.
According to the story, Wākea desired Ho'ohōkūkalani but did not want Papa to find out about his wishes. What is the solution that was provided by the Kahuna (religious priest)? Use the Hawaiian term and provide the translation.
'Aikapu - ʻAi: to eat; kapu: sacred. ʻAikapu is the sacred eating protocol that established a way of life and is the religion in Hawaiʻi.
What is the difference between the two perspective used for our region: Pacific Islands and Oceania?
-Pacific Islands: small areas of land sitting atop submerged reefs or seamounts -Oceania: a sea of islands with their inhabitants
The Mō'ī is at the apex of the societal "triangle" as an intermediary between __________ and the rest of _________ (the people of Hawai'i).
1. AKUA 2. Lāhui
Fill in the blank "On an elementary level, 'Aikapu is that which prevents the unclean nature of ______ from defiling __________ sanctity when they offer ________ to the male Akua, and which is further observed on the ______ nights of the four major male Akua."
1. women 2. male 3. sacrifice 4. kapu
What is not emphasized in Polynesian lore and is considered a striking feature of Polynesian oral tradition?
A LACK OF EMPHASIS ON ORIGINATING LANDS.
Name three failures that have led to unscholarly publications on these traditions.
A) FAILURE TO UNDERSTAND THE INTERNAL HISTORICAL AND SYMBOLIC DYNAMICS OF THESE TRADITIONS, B) LITERAL MISINTERPRETATIONS, C) AND DELIBERATE INVENTED MATERIAL.
Describe the perspective or worldview of the peoples of Oceania regarding their environment. Did their environment extend beyond the shoreline?
Anything but small
What are "Culture Heroes"?
CULTURE HEROES CAN BE BASED ON REAL TRANSMUTED OVER TIME IN GREAT MYTHOLOGICAL CYCLES, SO MUCH SO, THAT ORIGINAL HISTORICAL DETAILS HAVE BECOME TOO OBSCURED TO DEDUCE. IN THIS RESPECT, THE CULTURE HEROES ACT AS INTERMEDIARIES BETWEEN GODS AND HUMANS, TEST BOUNDARIES BETWEEN REALITY AND SUPERNATURAL, LIFE AND DEATH, DESCRIBING HEROIC JOURNEYS CONVEYING THE BOUNTIES OF CREATION FOR THE BENEFIT OF HUMANS.
According to the author, "incest is by definition a formula for creating: ___________ ."
DIVINITY
How does the author describe the views of people in a dominant position and how are these views perpetuated to then have significant consequences on their inferiors?
Derogatory or belittling behavior integral to relationships of dominance and subordination, wherein superiors behave in ways or say things that are accepted by inferiors, and in turn perpetuate the relationship
Where does lore pertaining to the natural world emanate from?
FROM THE CREATION AND DEMIGOD TRADITIONS AND WHAT FUNCTION OR USE DOES LORE HAVE? IT IS TO DESCRIBE, TRACE AND DEFINE THE ORIGIN, EXISTENCE AND CHARACTERISTICS OF NATURAL PHENOMENA.
In your own words, describe the significance and importance of genealogies to the Hawaiian people.
Genealogies of Native Hawaiians god back to a familial relationship to mother earth and sky father. -very important because many people, especially foreigners, cruelly predicted the complete demise of the Hawaiian race as inevitable -genealogies also brought Hawaiians psychological comfort in times of acute distress
Akua:
God- Land and politics (most sacred)
Name at least one geographic cognate and list four locations (island nations) where the same name can be found.
Hawaiʻi, Havaiʻi, Savaiʻi, Hawaiki
What idea was the author bound to?
He was bound to the notion of smallness that even if they could improve approaches to production, that absolute size of our islands would still impose such severe limitations that they would remain defeated. (In other words, his own feeling was perpetuating the ideas of inferiority and the presumed need for assistance from the larger (dominant and controlling) government to be able to survive.)
Ali'i Nui:
High chiefs who take care of the Akua and politics (mock puni)
What example(s) is/are given from the Papa and Wākea story that reflects this relationship?
Hāloa (2nd child) - name honoring, maka'āinana, land management
Who are the children of Wākea and Ho'ohōkūkalani and whom does each child represent
Hāloanakalaukapalili - Kalo (still born child who is buried and grows up to be kalo) Hāloa - Ali'i Nui; people of Hawaiʻi
What specific idea regarding the origin of human life is the usual Polynesian tradition?
INCEST
What is Hawaiki?
IT IS BOTH A HISTORICA-GEOGRAPHIC AND RELIGIOUS-SYMBOLIC CONCEPT.
According to the author, what event or action can be traced to the derogatory and belittling views of indigenous cultures?
Interactions with Europeans
What is the significance of the story of Papa, Wākea, and Ho'ohōkūkalani?
It is the origins story of the people of Hawaiʻi.
Provide the name of a culture hero and the journey he/she is famous for.
Māui
What does current scholarship argue about the names throughout Polynesia?
NAMED SYSTEMATICALLY FROM ONE PLACE TO ANOTHER AND BECAME SYMBOLIZED AS ORIGINS WERE FORGOTTEN.
Did Europeans invent belittlement?
NO
what are the 2 levels of operation that are pertinent to the purpose of the paper?
National governments and the proletarians(working class)
Failure, on part of the Mō'ī, on either path of mana was to prove to be outside the state of:
PONO
Who is Papa?
Papahānaumokuākua - Mother Earth
Mālama means "to care" and 'Āina means "land". Mālama 'āina, "to care for the land," is a literal translation. What is the metaphorical relationship that this refers to the idea of reciprocity?
Respect for elders. Older sibling, younger sibling relationship = familial relationship which is the 'Ohana (family) that nourishes.
In Polynesia, who is the father and mother that is found as a common theme throughout Polynesia and all other gods are born from (gods of nature, sun, moon, planets, stars, and all life)?
SKYFATHER AND EARTHMOTHER
Who is Wākea?
Sky Father
What is the prevailing view that has been unwittingly propagated mostly by social scientists about Islanders?
Small island states and territories of the Pacific, all Polynesia and Micronesia, are much too small, too poorly endowed with resources, and too isolated from the centers of economic growth for their inhabitants ever to be able to rise above their present condition of dependence on the largess of wealthy nations.
What do migration traditions contain?
TELL THE DEPARTURE FROM ISLANDS OF ORIGIN AND THE ARRIVAL, EXPLORATION, AND SETTLEMENT IN LOCALES. THEY ALSO CONSIDER THE DEEDS OF THE NAVIGATORS.
Why are migratory traditions difficult to interpret?
THEY CONTAIN THE GREATEST MIX OF HISTORY AND SYMBOLISM
What is a more likely proposition for so many places names sharing the same name?
THRESHOLDS BETWEEN CREATION AND REALITY BECAUSE THE IDEAS OF GEOGRAPHIC AND SPIRITUAL ORIGIN WAS MUTUALLY SIMILAR
Where can cognates of the name (Hawaiki) be found?
THROUGHOUT EAST AND WEST POLYNESIA
What is the cultural importance of migratory traditions?
TO EXPLAIN THE EXISTENCE OF LAND AS OPPOSED TO ITS DISCOVERY.
What are the names of the most well known, first order gods of Polynesia deities?
TU, TANE, TA'AROA, RO'O
What elements does each of these gods represent?
TU: god of war throughout East Polynesia and known as Kū in Hawaiʻi TANE: god of the forests, birds, insects and a myriad of other forms of the life throughout East Polynesia TA'AROA(Tangaroa): god in East and West Polynesia and associated with the sea, heavens, and creation RO'O: messenger god in Tahiti
What is the core of all oceanic cultures that is not taken into account by economists?
The ancient practice of reciprocity(exchanging things with mutual benefit)
What is the "idea of smallness" and "tiny confined spaces" relative to to?
The general thought given is that it is a matter of perception, especially by those living on continents.
Give an example how language can be used as a tool to control and emphasize social and ethnic differences.
The use of "master" and "boy" to differentiate between European and indigenous.
What reason was given to explain why aristocracy in Tonga used belittlement with commoners?
To control and subordinate
What is "neocolonialism," as defined by the author?
To make people believe they have no other choice but dependence.
If the ideas of "narrow, deterministic perspectives" continue for generations, what would happen to the people and what would happen to the land and seas?
Wardship over the people; land and seas would be at the mercy of the global economy.
Po'olua or "two heads" refers to:
a child of a union with multiple parents (2 female/ 1 male or 2 male/ one female)
Determine three methods, as discussed in the reading that reflects the process of a synchronic rupture or gap in a common continuous history and reflects the importance of new homeland histories.
a) CAPPING - AN EVENT THAT FILLS A GAP b) SHADOWING - MORE RECENT ARRIVAL DOMINATE AND MARGINALIZE PREVIOUS SETTLERS c) IN SITU - ORIGINATED FROM THE LAND
Konohiki:
land managers
Kaukau ali'i:
lesser chiefs
Thee path of Lono is the path of :
peace
Kahuna:
priests
Punalua literally "two springs" refers to:
the parentage of child of a union with multiple parents (2 female/ 1 male or 2 male/1 female)
What does Epeli Hauʻofa say about the views of from the level of national governments versus that from the level of ordinary people?
the views often differ markedly
The path of Kū is the path of :
war
Maka'āinana:
workers of the land (commoners) (free from sacredness)
