In this small, easy to read book Pali Lee tries to help Hawaiians understand what being Hawaiian really means. Two hundred years ago, disapproving Christians made it illegal to speak Hawaiian, removed all the Hawaiian gods from chants, called the hula evil tried and in general tried to destroy the Hawaiian culture. As a result, Hawaiians took their beliefs underground. In an oral tradition stories are mutated even lost with the death of the ancestors. The earliest accounts were written by Hawaiians who were taught to read and write by missionaries, therefore their vision was clouded by the Christian point of view. I was very excited to find this book and Tales of a Night Rainbow that precedes this effort to unravel a confusing past. I would like to believe this version of Hawaiian history that explains how a generous, fun loving, kind people came to participate in strict class society that called for human sacrifice to war gods and, strict rules enforced by death dealing priests. If you are interested in the genesis of true aloha spirit, read this book.
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