Cultures address essential human needs both psychological, physiological, and spiritually. As indigenous peoples have been traumatized and suffered much as a result of contact with colonizers, there have been concerted efforts toward cultural reconstruction and recovery throughout the indigenous world. The first presenter will offer a context for understanding the cultural disruption and subsequent efforts to recover one’s culture.
Sharing the Hawaiian philosophy of aloha, the two panelists illustrate through the use of Hawaiian chant (oli), dance (hula), and healing as holistic, interactive ways of teaching and learning. These exemplify the possibilities for cultural revitalisation in the 21st century. The audience will be invited to engage in an open discussion about the implications for an enriched way of understanding and being that rests upon the Hawaiian notion of Aloha, creating wellbeing for all.
