Kumu Hula Council

Kumu Hula Council
Name	Kumu Hula Council
Formation	20th century
Type	Cultural association
Headquarters	Honolulu, Hawaiʻi
Region	Hawaiʻi Islands

Kumu Hula Council The Kumu Hula Council is an organization of Hawaiian hula masters and cultural practitioners that advances hula, ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi, and Hawaiian protocols across the Hawaiian Islands, the continental United States, and the Pacific. It operates as a collective of recognized leaders who engage with institutions such as the Bishop Museum, ʻIolani Palace, and the University of Hawaiʻi, while liaising with community groups including the Merrie Monarch Festival, the Polynesian Voyaging Society, and the East-West Center. The Council’s activities intersect with legacy institutions like the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, the Queen Liliʻuokalani Trust, and cultural programs at Kamehameha Schools.

Overview and Purpose

The Council serves as a coordinating body for hula transmission, cultural preservation, and protocol guidance to entities such as the Bishop Museum, ʻIolani Palace, Kamehameha Schools, University of Hawaiʻi, and Office of Hawaiian Affairs. It provides expertise to festivals like the Merrie Monarch Festival, Festival of Pacific Arts, Prince Lot Hula Festival, and events hosted by the Polynesian Voyaging Society and Hawaiʻi State Legislature. The Council advises museums such as the Hawaiʻi State Art Museum and national institutions including the Smithsonian Institution and the National Endowment for the Arts on matters involving hula, chant, and Hawaiian regalia. Through partnerships with the Queen Liliʻuokalani Trust, Kānaka Maoli organizations, and diaspora groups in places like Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Honolulu, it supports kūpuna, ʻohana, and halau networks.

History and Formation

The Council traces its roots to mid-20th-century efforts to codify and revitalize hula, evolving amid the cultural renaissance linked to figures such as King David Kalākaua's legacy, performers associated with Edith Kanakaʻole, Minnie Isenberg, and later influencers like Aunty Margaret Machado and educators connected to Professor Nathaniel Emerson archives. Formalization occurred during late 20th-century dialogues involving the Merrie Monarch Festival, Hawaiʻi State Archives, and community leaders from Hilo, Lāhainā, Kapaʻa, and Kailua-Kona. The Council formed amid intersections with Hawaiian sovereignty movements represented by groups like Hoʻokūkū ʻĀina and legal frameworks shaped by the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act and advocacy before the United States Congress. Early members collaborated with cultural repositories such as the Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum and the Hawaiʻi State Archives to define standards for kapu, mele, and ʻike kūpuna.

Roles and Membership

Membership comprises senior kumu hula, chanters, lei makers, and practitioners from halau across Oʻahu, Maui, Hawaiʻi Island, Kauaʻi, Molokaʻi, and Lānaʻi. Members often include graduates and faculty affiliated with Kamehameha Schools', University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Hawaiian Studies Program, and practitioners honored by institutions like the National Heritage Fellowship and the Hawaiʻi Academy of Recording Arts. The Council interacts with named hula authorities such as descendants of ʻIolani Hale performers, lineages tracing to kūpuna associated with Queen Liliʻuokalani, and modern leaders recognized at events like the Nā Hōkū Hanohano Awards. It works with community stakeholders including Nā Mele Hula Festival organizers, clergy from Kawaiahaʻo Church, and cultural practitioners connected to the Polynesian Cultural Center.

Training, Certification, and Standards

The Council issues guidance on protocols for naming, teacher recognition, and chant preservation, collaborating with educational programs at Kapiʻolani Community College, Windward Community College, and the Kauaʻi Community College to align pedagogy with cultural standards. It consults archives at the Hawaiʻi State Library, the Hawaiian Mission Houses Historic Site and Archives, and collections at the Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum to develop curricula respecting mele, oli, and kapa. Certification processes reference pedigrees similar to accreditation practices at the Kennedy Center and recognition mechanisms used by the National Endowment for the Arts while remaining rooted in lineal transmission, kumu-olokūʻauhau verification, and halau assessment. Standards address attire and adornment protocols influenced by collections at the Smithsonian Institution and practices documented in works by Samuel Kamakau and David Malo.

Activities and Programs

Programs include workshops, mele and oli revival projects, lei-making intensives, and protocol seminars delivered at venues such as the Bishop Museum, Hawaiʻi State Capitol, and cultural centers in Honolulu and Hilo. The Council partners with festivals like the Merrie Monarch Festival and the Festival of Pacific Arts to present adjudication panels, and it offers residencies with organizations such as the Polynesian Voyaging Society aboard the Hōkūleʻa and educational collaborations with the East-West Center. Community outreach extends to diaspora hubs in Seattle, Washington, D.C., New York City, and Tokyo through touring halau and exchange programs with institutions like the Asia Society and the Museum of Natural History. Documentation projects involve collaborations with the Hawaiʻi State Archives and oral-history initiatives linked to the Bishop Museum and university repositories.

Governance and Funding

Governance is typically by a council of elders and elected officers who convene with legal advisors and cultural liaisons, coordinating with entities such as the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Queen Liliʻuokalani Trust, and nonprofit partners like Kamehameha Schools and community foundations. Funding sources include grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, state arts funding via the Hawaiʻi State Foundation on Culture and the Arts, private philanthropy, event revenues from the Merrie Monarch Festival, and partnerships with tourism organizations and museums including the Bishop Museum and the Polynesian Cultural Center. Financial oversight often mirrors practices used by nonprofit cultural organizations registered with the State of Hawaiʻi Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs.

Influence and Controversies

The Council has significantly influenced contemporary hula pedagogy, protocol codification, and museum curation practices at the Smithsonian Institution and the Bishop Museum, while shaping policy conversations involving the Office of Hawaiian Affairs and educational curricula at the University of Hawaiʻi. Controversies have arisen over cultural ownership, lineage claims, and adjudication decisions similar to disputes seen around the Merrie Monarch Festival and debates involving access to kapu materials housed in archives like the Hawaiʻi State Archives and the Hawaiian Mission Houses. Tensions have also occurred in intersections with the tourism industry, debated by stakeholders from the Polynesian Cultural Center, Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority, and community activists advocating for protections aligned with precedent from litigation in cases touching indigenous cultural rights. Ongoing dialogue involves collaboration with scholars and institutions such as Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum, East-West Center, and legal experts familiar with legislation like the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act.

Category:Hawaiian culture Category:Hula