“The focus of my book is to talk about the aloha spirit, because the aloha spirit to me means peace” says Dr. Ishmael Stagner, a former BYU–Hawaii professor who recently released a book about the history of Hula.
Dr. Stagner’s life seems to be intertwined with the history of BYU–Hawaii. He was in attendance at the groundbreaking for the Church College of Hawaii in 1955, and was at its dedication in 1958. He was also in the first four-year degree graduating class in 1961. During his years as a student, he worked as a Polynesian dancer in Waikiki and also served as student body president twice. But his history in Laie goes beyond that. His family has been here since it was settled, and were some of the first members of the Church baptized on Lanai in the Palawai settlement. “It is interesting to listen to prophecy, and then to live to see it fulfilled,” mused Dr. Stagner.
In 1980, a request came for an article about the Church in Polynesia, as part of the Church’s Sesquicentennial celebration. Dr. Eric B. Shumway, who later served as president of BYU–Hawaii, was initially requested to do the article, but he was already writing his book on the Tongan language. He recommended that Dr. Stagner do it. For his article, Stagner interviewed numerous Kupuna, or elders, in the LDS Hawaiian musical community. Using the information and knowledge gleaned from his interviews, he not only was able to produce the article, but to also create a series of concerts called “Na Makua Mahalo Ia”, or “The Venerable Ones”, featuring many of these Hawaiian musical legends. Also from that set of concerts he wrote a short booklet for the Polynesian Cultural Center and BYU–Hawaii called “Hula”.
The booklet was to be a mainstay for many years, but eventually Dr. Stagner was asked if he could update it and possibly write it from the point of view of someone who actually was a Hawaiian and who had been a former male hula dancer. “I began saying to myself, ‘I have all of this information, interviews, and stories. Do I want to die without sharing any of it?’” He began to work again, but this time on a more elaborate scale. He knew, for example, that many scholars wrote wonderful works that benefitted the academic world, but had a very limited readership.
“I began my book as an academic treatise, but it took a life of its own…because what was really needed was a book that was simpler, and that could be read by a wider audience,” said Stagner. “I wanted to make it understandable for youth, and for people who knew nothing about Hawaii. I wanted them to learn about Hawaiian values, and the Hula, which reflects them.”
Dr. Stagner wanted the world to know that the Hawaiian people were able to overcome hardship thanks to their cultural values, especially those of family, faith, fun, food, and feelings. “You can see how these values held the Hawaiians together, in the face of overwhelming odds, such as almost complete decimation due to disease, and the governmental imposition of anti-native language speaking laws and policies.” he said.
The book takes the reader on a journey, traveling from the ancient roots of Hula to the present, and gives some suggestions as to its future. A timeline is presented, along with the evolution of Hula. Listening to singing or the chanting via iPod or CD, video conferencing, or other modern technologies are examples of how the teaching and sharing of hula have changed. More importantly, hula is now performed around the world, and there are hundreds of halaus (Hula schools) in Japan, Mexico, across Europe, and in Asia. Dr. Stagner summarizes by saying, “Hula was once done by a small group of people on a small group of islands in a great big ocean. Now it is an international phenomenon. But, we have to make sure that the values that were involved in Hula initially, aren’t lost in the process of its becoming so popular. Even more importantly, it must continue to be used as an instrument for world peace.”
Above: Dr. Ishmael Stagner and his wife Carmen.
Dr. Stagners Book Kumu Hula: Roots and Branches is published by Island Heritage.
Photo by Mei Yin.