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
Intergenerational photography of Kumu Hula (Master Hula teachers) who played key roles in the legacy and continuation of Hula in Chicago and beyond
Image slideshow
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.
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.
In 1911, the Hawaiian Prince Kūhiō and Princess Elizabeth Kahanu Kalaniana`ole visited Chicago on their way to Washington, D.C.
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.
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Acknowledgments
This exhibition was developed by the Aloha Center of Chicago and the Field Museum.