Hawaiian Language: Past, Present, Future by Albert J Schütz (review)

Abstract

with modernity as well as to negotiate the past” (98). However, Ellis cautions against presentist views when looking back at the past. In the case of early colonial collecting habits, for instance, we must view collections “in the context in which they occurred, rather than applying contemporary sensibilities to them” (204). A Whakapapa of Tradition offers much insight into art, artists, and their role in our modern cultures. That said, given my own curiosity about the stories behind intriguing photos, I would like to have known how the photos were taken, what they mean to the photographer, and what her physical journey of coming to these items and places involved. However, as the saying goes, a picture already tells a thousand words. Ellis ultimately looks to the future of digital art forms and Indigenous use of these new tools and platforms to preserve our traditions. She recommends identifying what was once there in order to recover visual traditions lost to museums and to continue “building new knowledge and artworks to enrich us all” (246). “Tradition,” she says, “was at the same time retained and yet broken in order to create a structure that made explicit hapū [sub-tribe] and iwi [tribe] identity in new and meaningful ways” (61, 259). Her insights can motivate and embolden us to continue finding creative ways to both break free of the confines of this word and preserve our culture in the digital age.