Missionary Knowledge vs Hawaiian Knowledge (Hawaii 1966)

Although this is far from one of my favorites, the 1966 feature film Hawaii, did do a decent job (I.M.O) of capturing the attitudes of the early American Missionaries in Hawaiʻi. Especially if you ever happen to read through some of their journals (warning, if you do, might wanna brace yourself for some extremely ignorant and racist comments about Kānaka) and see for yourselves how they planned to convert and thereby "civilize" our people through Christianity.
In this scene, Missionary Abner Hale is looking for a good location in which he can build his church. The Kānaka of that area, particularly the Kahuna Kuhikuhipuʻuone (kahuna who are known for their skills at building and selecting locations for heiau) show up to assist him. Abner refuses their help and rejects their knowledge, to which results in the later demise of his church. We can find many of these kine examples (foreigners dismissing the ʻike of Kānaka Maoli) throughout our history. A more recent one that comes to mind, was all the houses that were built and later taken by Pele in Leilani Estates (Keahialaka), which is an area that our kūpuna noted as a place where Pele is known to dwell/emerge.
A large part of the agenda belonging to the American Missionaries was to make us (Kānaka) forget about the knowledge of our ancestors. Knowledge that is still valuable and valid today. Some of you have written in to me asking for more information of why Christianity can be toxic to us. The fact that the entire Christian religion asks Kānaka to trust in the teaching of a foreign book rather than trusting in ourselves should speak for itself. #MaiKaPōMai
P.S, There are actually lots of things that could be said about this film. Maybe I'll posts more clips from it later? And yes, I am completely aware that this production played a major role in spreading around the myth that our people killed babies. I am in no way condoning that nor do I support the misrepresentation of my people and our history. I am however, willing to use this film as a teaching tool, strictly for the purpose of exposing early Missionary attitudes in Hawaiʻi.
#Kahuna #ʻIkeHawaiʻi #ʻIkeKūpuna #TheToxicityofChristianity #InHawaii #ʻIkeMatters #KeepTheConversationGoing
Source Material:
Hawaii. Prod by The Mirisch Company. 1966.

[@cycoklr]

The names Parker, Robinson, Bishop, Castle, Dole, Cooke come to mind whenever I engage in conversation about land-grabbing in Hawaii. Fact remains that true-blood Hawaiian natives have been steadily pushed out of land ownership as a result of "christian" values. Missionaries came and they grabbed them all.

[@dsi1]

These days, the names Ellison and Zuckerberg come to mind. And the beat goes on.

[@The.Hawaiian.Kingdom]

Not missionaries, haoles, period, and now days Asians too. Greedy.

[@GMAMEC]

This concept is nothing new. Coincidentally, there were more missionaries in areas that have land, resources and cheap labor. It’s acts like this that discredit Christianity.

[@The.Hawaiian.Kingdom]

@@GMAMEC This & the fact that the missionaries grandchildren were openly white supremacists who conspired and lead an illegal insurgency, aided (again illegally) by the US military.

[@nshorus5001]

now it's the likes of zuckerberg and companies taking the land

[@patriciayomes8800]

Honestly, white guy is so Lolo, the Hawaiians confused cause they grew taro way before white man set foot on Polynesian land!

[@bretwein3793]

Ua ʻōlelo mākou iā ʻoe pēlā!!!
(Translation: “We told you so!)

[@kuratsunicole]

Where can I look up the full length version of this?

[@nshorus5001]

dailymotion has it, good film

[@bretwein3793]

ʻAha ʻāpō (translation: “Dumb Ass”)

[@bobbykiefer4306]

The winds of Lahaina showed up again and the town has burned.

[@ADAMSIXTIES]

Doh!

[@j-boyhomesick.hawaiianakaa7988]

Lol no listen

[@alancovey1233]

Ha, ha!