KE KULANA HE MAHU: REMEMBERING A SENSE OF PLACE

Kathryn Xian and Brent Anbe, USA 2001, documentary, video, 67 min, in English without subtitles
An analysis of the world of the mahu (broadly meaning gay or transgender). Initially revered and honoured as healers and esteemed members of traditional island society, colonization and Westernisation saw a marginalising of their role, fuelled by both religious oppression and homophobia.

Western colonialism nearly obliterated most of the native customs of Hawaii, including that of the "mahu," (which can mean "homosexual," "cross-dresser" or even "hermaphrodite"), traditionally a person accorded great respect. This fascinating documentary explores efforts by natives to restore respect to the "two-spirited" people of Hawaii. We see how both hula dancing and drag shows honour the native spirit, meet Hina Wong, a cross-gender instructor of the Hawaiian language, and encounter historians capturing the native - rather than Captain Cook’s - point of view. Lithographs and photographs show the steady erosion of the indigenous Hawaiian way of life, from the time of the early Christian settlers to pressure from the religious right today. The Aloha State has been affected by countless outside influences, but this film suggests that the Kanaka Maoli people will yet regain their lost culture and once again honour their own history as a loving, tolerant people. Through interviews with academics, historians, transgenders and drag queens (who supply vivid insight into the role of the mahu, as well as some high-energy production numbers), this documentary delves into a seldom-considered aspect of indigenous life.





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