09 Mar Ka Wana Series Connects Hawaiian
Traditions to Contemporary Contexts In 2006, two new volumes of the Ka Wana Series were published: Kapu (Gender Roles in Traditional Society) and Welina (Traditional and Contemporary Ways of Welcome and Hospitality).
The Ka Wana series, part of the Pihana Nā Mamo Native Hawaiian education project, offers new insight into the philosophy and way of life of Native Hawaiians. Those raised in these traditions will find memorable recollections, while those unfamiliar with Native Hawaiian values and practices will find insights and guidance.
The Ka Wana series consists of eleven short volumes covering a range of subjects including ethics and philosophy, leadership, education, health, cultural management, protocol, and religious beliefs. Each volume is illustrated with historical documents or with photographs of contemporary cultural practices. Kapu and Welina are the fifth and sixth volumes in the series to be published.
Author Malcolm Nāea Chun uses traditional and historical examples drawn from both written and pictorial primary sources to show behavior, thoughts, and values then analyzes events in traditional and contemporary contexts. Chun asks readers to think about whether we are following those traditions today, or whether we have changed them or are making them up. The implications of his findings will cause some to reexamine and rediscover a true sense of Native Hawaiian values and virtues.