02-06-2014, 05:06 AM
There are quite a few early etchings done prior to the missionary arrival... and the clothing depicted varies conciderably. Many kumu hula study these etchings and written accounts to recreate kahiko hula. (of course most performances are not always totally correct). UH-Hilo has an extensive library of resources in their Hawaiiana Collection.
Hawaiian dress & culture at the time of western contact was not unified, and would incorporate site specific resources of one area (it could even vary by ahupua`a, and there were very distinct differences between some islands).
That said, in places like the neighborhood I live in, the dress & culture is more formed from the background of my neighbors, many of whom are issei or nisei, and from a culture where modesty, even in ones' laundry, is much more the norm... that is why I would explain again to try to understand that this is a very multicultural place today, and to have respect for the actual areas you are in, if your goal is to promote and gain a worldview.
If you are just coming here to prove a point...well that is within your right, but then, are you doing it to respect the cultures that live here, or to promote your own idea?
Added: if your idea is to promote topfree....well wouldn't it be better to get the exposure at home???
a quick search has a whole wikipedia article on topfree, including this
"Former Seattle Police Chief Gil Kerlikowske had this to say to his staff about questions regarding nude participants in the 2008 Gay Pride Parade:
Washington's indecent exposure law makes it a misdemeanor to 'make an open and obscene exposure of his or her person or the person of another knowing that such conduct is likely to cause reasonable affront or alarm.' In other words, there must be lewd or obscene behavior for an officer to take action. In order for the police to make an arrest, we must have witnesses currently in the public place where the nudity is occurring [sic] who must make a complaint. These witnesses must be willing to appear in court. Also in order to prosecute, the burden is on the government to prove that the offender was knowingly aware that their conduct created alarm and offense of others.
—Former Seattle Police Chief Gil Kerlikowske"
So it would seem that you should be giving a greater exposure to Washington & Seattle, than to come here first (unless you only feel that this is for "other" places, not your home area????
Hawaiian dress & culture at the time of western contact was not unified, and would incorporate site specific resources of one area (it could even vary by ahupua`a, and there were very distinct differences between some islands).
That said, in places like the neighborhood I live in, the dress & culture is more formed from the background of my neighbors, many of whom are issei or nisei, and from a culture where modesty, even in ones' laundry, is much more the norm... that is why I would explain again to try to understand that this is a very multicultural place today, and to have respect for the actual areas you are in, if your goal is to promote and gain a worldview.
If you are just coming here to prove a point...well that is within your right, but then, are you doing it to respect the cultures that live here, or to promote your own idea?
Added: if your idea is to promote topfree....well wouldn't it be better to get the exposure at home???
a quick search has a whole wikipedia article on topfree, including this
"Former Seattle Police Chief Gil Kerlikowske had this to say to his staff about questions regarding nude participants in the 2008 Gay Pride Parade:
Washington's indecent exposure law makes it a misdemeanor to 'make an open and obscene exposure of his or her person or the person of another knowing that such conduct is likely to cause reasonable affront or alarm.' In other words, there must be lewd or obscene behavior for an officer to take action. In order for the police to make an arrest, we must have witnesses currently in the public place where the nudity is occurring [sic] who must make a complaint. These witnesses must be willing to appear in court. Also in order to prosecute, the burden is on the government to prove that the offender was knowingly aware that their conduct created alarm and offense of others.
—Former Seattle Police Chief Gil Kerlikowske"
So it would seem that you should be giving a greater exposure to Washington & Seattle, than to come here first (unless you only feel that this is for "other" places, not your home area????