“It is with profound gratitude to our ancestors, atua, and spiritual teachers that we have survived to (help) tell the tale.” —Caroline Sinavaiana and J. Kehaulani Kauanui, Women Writing Oceania (2008)
Across Moana Nui (Oceania, Pacific), vāhine Maoli (Indigenous women) have played important roles in movements for political sovereignty and social justice, including sovereignty/independence from colonial governance, personal autonomy and women’s rights, domestic violence, economic and educational opportunities. They are also active in the production of literary and other arts. The intersection between politics, social justice, and the arts are often interwoven in actions (social, political, cultural) and embodied in the theme of mana wahine, or the power and empowerment of, by, and for vāhine Maoli.
This course will explore major works of multi-genre vāhine Maoli literature from the early nineteenth century to the present within cultural, historical, political, literary, and gendered contexts. Texts will be primarily written in or translated into English. We will examine how colonial resistance surfaced in Pacific literary art forms, especially through the traditional genres of poetry (through chant, song, and genealogy), moʻolelo or hi/story (oral and written) and dance (choreographed poetry, or poetry in motion), and how that changed under the influence of western forms of literacy (i.e. reading and writing) in the early 1800s.We will look at the transition from oral tradition to written literature, as well as the shift from indigenous languages to colonial ones (primarily English), paying attention to both the interplay between these factors. We will then turn to contemporary literature and examine how social/political history has shaped and influence these modern works, and how it is reflected in them as well. These texts will be multimedia and include poetry, drama, short stories, non-fiction, songs, chants, audio CD, and video/DVD.
Possible assignments: Laulima discussion board posts (students will pose critical questions and write weekly responses to the assigned reading); oral group presentation; a short paper, a digital humanities research-based final project.
This course has a WI and HAP designation.
Possible texts:
- Avia, Tusiata. 2016. Fale Aitu. (poetry, Tonga)
- Figiel, Sia. 2016. Freelove. (novel, Sāmoa)
- George, Miria. 2007. And What Remains. (drama, Aotearoa)
- Gorode, Dewe. Kanak Apple Season. (short stories, New Caledonia)
- Grace, Patricia. 1992. Cousins. (novel, Aotearoa)
- Kihleng, Emelihter. My Urohs. (poetry, Pohnpei)
- Sinavaiana, Caroline and J. Kehaulani Kauanui, eds. 2007. Women Writing Oceania: Weaving the Sails of the vaka. (anthology, Oceania)
- Spitz, Chantal.2007. Island of Shattered Dreams. (novel, Tahiti)