Celebrate 130 years of Hula in Chicago.

Chicago's Legacy Hula

Experience Native Hawaiian Culture and the legacy of the four Kumu Hula told through this exquisite collection.

Hall 35 | Pacific
Category:

Exhibition Summary

Alert

  • Learn the untold history of four Kumu Hula (master teachers of Hawaiian Hula) who perpetuated, preserved, and protected Hula as a way of life.
  • Listen to the voices of Kānaka Maoli (Native Hawaiians) as they tell their own history and learn how their community continues to thrive in Chicago and beyond.

Chicago- and Hawai`i-born Native Hawaiians continue these practices together and act as co-curators for this limited-time exhibition.

Exhibition Highlights

Kāhili (feather royal standards) gifted to the Field Museum by descendants of Hawaiian Royalty
Traditional lei, instruments, and regalia used for Hula
Ahu `ula (feather cape), which once belonged to King Kamehameha II
Ahu `ula (feather cape), which once belonged to King Kamehameha II

Image slideshow

Gallery

  • In its original form, Hula is a sacred dance and spiritual practice. In 1893, Queen Lili`uokalani of Hawai`i sent members of a royally chartered Hula troupe to the World Columbian Exposition in Chicago. While the troupe was en route to Chicago, the U.S. Military illegally overthrew the Hawaiian Monarchy.

    (c) Courtesy of the Hawai`i State Archives

  • In 1823, King Kamehameha II of Hawai`i took this extraordinary feather cape on a state visit to England as a gift for King George IV. This cape is now in the collections of the Field Museum.

    (c) Photo © Field Museum

  • In 1911, the Hawaiian Prince Kūhiō and Princess Elizabeth Kahanu Kalaniana`ole visited Chicago on their way to Washington, D.C.

    (c) Photo courtesy of Chicago Daily News collection, Chicago History Museum

  • A kāhili—a royal standard of the Hawaiian monarchy— is made of wood and feathers. In 1949, Kulamanu Nash, a Chicagoan and relative of the Hawaiian royal family, donated 35 kāhili to the Field Museum.

    Photographer(s): 919039361464473 (c) © Field Museum, Michelle Kuo

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In its original form, Hula is a sacred dance and spiritual practice. In 1893, Queen Lili`uokalani of Hawai`i sent members of a royally chartered Hula troupe to the World Columbian Exposition in Chicago. While the troupe was en route to Chicago, the U.S. Military illegally overthrew the Hawaiian Monarchy.

(c) Courtesy of the Hawai`i State Archives

Acknowledgments

This exhibition was developed by the Aloha Center of Chicago and the Field Museum.