NOTE: THIS SECTION HAS AN ENROLLMENT MAXIMUM OF 60.
IT IS DESIGNED TO INTEREST NON-ENGLISH MAJORS, BUT IT CAN APPLIED TOWARD THE
MAJOR OR MINOR AS WELL.
When I was one small kid,
my faddah told me—
anyting you kill you gottah eat.
you shoot da dove wit da B.B. gun,
you gottah eat ‘um
you spear da small manini at da beach
you gottah eat ‘um
you help yo maddah kill da chicken in da back yahd
you gottah eat ‘um
Whoa brah! Tinking back to small kid time
an da small kid games I used to play
aftah I heard dat, no moa I kill flies wit one rubbah band—Joe Balaz “Gotta Eat ‘Um”
from ELECTRIC LAULAU
In this course, we will be reading literatures written by a broad range of
writers who focus on the importance of the languages, cultures, and knowledges
that shape and are shaped by Hawai‘i as a place. We will foreground the
colonial history of Hawai‘i and the differences between indigenous peoples and
settler groups. We will first examine the ways that Kanaka Maoli (Native
Hawaiian) writers trace their genealogies to the land and continue to use
specific forms of oral tradition in their written narratives. By contrast, many
other narratives emerged from efforts in the 1970s to define a “local” identity
in community struggles over leased lands slated for commercial development. We
will then map out the changing historical and political contexts in which the
terms “local” and “settler” have emerged, partly out of literary debates over
race, power, and representation. Throughout the course, we will be asking
ourselves questions about the alternative forms of narrative that Hawai‘i
writers use to address their cultural and political concerns. We will be
reading a wide range of genres including chant, poetry, short stories, novels,
plays, essays, song and comedy. We
will also examine the relationship between oral tradition, written literature,
and new oral forms of literary expression, such as spoken word and slam poetry,
as well as the relationship among and between Hawaiian, English, and HCE
(Hawai‘i Creole English or “pidgin”) within literary, social, cultural and
political contexts. Multimedia formats, including audio CDs and video, film,
and web media will also be incorporated.
Requirements: informal writing such as
reaction/response papers, formal writing (two essays), a mid-term exam, a final
exam, scheduled quizzes, weekly posting and participation on Laulima discussion
board, individual and group presentations/research project on topics relevant
to the course, attendance.
Readings: ‘OIWI: A NATIVE HAWAIIAN JOURNAL 4, Pi‘ilani
Ko‘olau, THE TRUE STORY OF KALUAILO‘OLAU, Sage Takehiro, HONUA, Dana Naone
Hall, ed. MALAMA: HAWAIIAN LAND AND WATER, Lisa Linn Kanae, ISLANDS LINKED BY OCEAN, Lee Cataluna,
THE FOLKS YOU MEET AT LONGS, Chris McKinney, BOLOHEAD ROW, Lois Ann Yamanaka, HEADS BY HARRY, Lee Tonouchi, DA WORD, Joe Balaz, ELECTRIC LAULAU. A course
reader with selected critical essays and creative work from Rodney Morales,
Eric Yamamoto, Darryl Lum, Eric Chock, ku‘ualoha ho‘omanawanui, Lee Tonouchi,
Haunani Kay Trask, Dennis Kawaharada and others.