Aus unseren Archiven... : 2006 schrieb ich - Anna speaking - von Brasilien aus einen Brief an unsere Hula-Lehrerin Roselle Keli'ihonipua Bailey. Ich hatte das Abitur frisch in der Tasche und habe mich auf einen anderen Kontinent geflüchtet. Amazonas statt Schule. Direkt zuvor hatte ich an einer Hawaiireise teilgenommen. Hula fand ich eigentlich »uncool«, begann aber mit dem Tanz, um an dieser besonderen Reise, die nur für Hulatänzer war, teilzunehmen. Wir mussten überall tanzen. Schon bei Ankunft am Flughafen. Wie peinlich! Das war der erste Schatten des jugendlichen Selbst, den ich überspringen musste. 

Dear Roselle,

When you asked us: “What did you learn?” — it was your last question in a long row of questions regarding our two-week trip to Hawaii. That was not just a trip but a cultural journey.

Learning about Hawaiian culture, in this case, meant learning about the biological and geographical environment in which this culture developed. Learning about the traditions and values of this culture and learning about the history and the reality of Hawaii.  The reality of Hawaii is the destruction of its environment as well as its culture. Both go hand in hand as both upheld each other in former times.

Hawaii is no paradise. You taught us this by making us pick up rubbish at the beach instead of relaxing under a palm tree. By making us pull out weeds at historic places or pull out invasive alien plants that endanger the endemic Hawaiian flora and fauna.

You introduced us to many wonderful people who are doing this kind of work regularly to save what is in danger of getting lost.  That is the other reality of Hawaii, the other side of the coin you showed us.  It’s the effort to save the Hawaiian environment and its cultural heritage.

In the end and in the beginning of this effort stands the struggle for sovereignty.  But learning about Hawaiian culture, also meant LEARNING ABOUT OUR OWN CULTURE.  Confronted with the difference, we were also confronted with the known.  Cultural habits were exposed and could be evaluated anew.

And of course, learning about Hawaiian culture meant learning about Hula.  Actually, your last question — “What did you learn”? - reminded me instantly of the first question you asked us after we arrived on Maui: “What is Hula?”.  These three words kept swirling through my mind throughout the whole two weeks, and every day, with each new experience, I found new answers, new questions.  “What is Hula?” — “Hula as the product and trader of Hawaiian culture”? – “What is Hawaii?” — “What is culture?” — “Hula as a dance…?”  “Dance, the mirror of life?’ — “Life , a dance?”…

For me, this very first question from you is the answer to your last question.

Yours sincerely,

Anna

Brasilia, Dez. 2006