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This chapter focuses on the differences between the representations of ‘āina (land) in the contemporary literature of Hawai‘i, popularly referred to as “local literature.” It argues that there is a distinction between representations of ‘āina in Kanaka Maoli (Native Hawaiian) literature and Asian and other settler or “local” literature. The main differences in representation between these two literatures center on how ‘āina and Kanaka Maoli are described and portrayed, as well as the inclusion, use of, and attitudes toward language—‘ōlelo Hawai‘i (Hawaiian language), English, and Hawai‘i Creole English (HCE, commonly referred to as “pidgin”) in particular. These differences in representation exist because Kanaka Maoli and settlers are operating from different cultural paradigms and different language bases.

Chapter 6 explores the cultural and political value of the Pele and Hiʻiaka moʻolelo within the context of Hawaiian literary nationalism during the historical period the narratives were published, focusing on selected cultural themes that illustrate this point. The purpose is to recover Hawaiian intellectual knowledge in order to counter (kahuli) the violence of settler colonialism’s mistranslation and misappropriation of our intellectual history to suit the colonial project.

Chapter 2 discusses the cultural/historical background of the literature between 1860-1928. Traditional meiwi (poetic devices) and the transformation from orature to literature is centered within the context of Indigenous Literature Nationalism and indigenous Pacific literature, pointing out the connections between culture, literary production, and politics.

The final chapter considers Pele and Hiʻiaka moʻolelo as a foundation and reflection of Hawaiian literary nationalism today, and how this literature continues to inspire Kanaka nationalism via the continuity of our literary and performative arts. Understanding Hawaiian Literary Nationalism in its earlier formation can help us appreciate the continued production of our literature today which is inspired by the past and a continuation of our creative and intellectual traditions and understand how it supports Hawaiian nationalist efforts.

This chapter examines the transformation of oral tradition to written literature, providing a larger historical and political context for the publication of Pele and Hiʻiaka moʻolelo. A synopsis of the literature is provided to help familiarize readers with the narrative. Cultural concepts expressed metaphorically, ground the literary analysis within the parameters of Hawaiian epistemology.

This chapter examines certain hallmarks of Hawaiian literature by focusing on mo‘okū‘auhau (genealogy) as a key traditional meiwi that was adapted from oral traditions to ka palapala (literature). Drawing from Hiapo Perreira’s scholarship on Hawaiian oratory, the chapter explores literary devices, rhetorics, and aesthetics in various Hawaiian mele and Kanaka Maoli mo‘olelo (more specifically, non?ction writing) from the nineteenth century to the present. It analyzes a number of Kanaka ‘Ōiwi writings that highlight the importance of moʻokū‘auhau as a meiwi mo‘okalaleo that continues to be implemented in meaningful ways.

Chapter 3 focuses on the first narratives published between 1860-1893, how they weave performance and literature, and how orature and literature are layered and intertwined within the publication of the narratives.

Chapter 4 discusses the role the Pele and Hi‘iaka mo‘olelo played in Native Hawaiian culture. It analyses the importance of the narratives as they are related to place, and the centrality of place-based literature and traditional indigenous knowledge, with selected examples provided.

Chapter 5 focuses on the little discussed cultural value of mana wahine, or the physical presence and spiritual/psychological strength of women. It analyzes the talents, skills of the main characters and various other women both human and godly, as well as same sex relationships, rivalries, and how the main goddesses, the sisters Pele and Hi‘iaka, represent the power of the female voice and the power of the land to regenerate itself.