Forays by Native Hawaiians into art criticism are taking a troubling turn toward cultural Talibanism.
First, Rep. Faye Hanohano banned state-owned art by "haoles," "Japs" and "Pakes" from her Capitol office.
Now the Hawai’i Tourism Authority has thrown a black sheet over a mural by Hans Ladislaus called "Forgotten Inheritance," which has hung at the Hawai’i Convention Center for 16 years, because iwi activist Paulette Kaleikini is offended by its depiction of bones in the sand.
HTA chief Mike McCartney, fleeing down the path of least resistance, indicates he’ll destroy the mural and replace it with work by Native Hawaiian artists.
This has the feel of the curse put on author Salman Rushdie for offending Islam, Nelson Rockefeller’s razing of a Diego Rivera mural for offending capitalism and book burnings of works like "Tom Sawyer" for offending decency.
Kaleikini hasn’t articulated her objection beyond a notion that bones are sacred to Hawaiians, and therefore depicting them is disrespectful. "Irregardless (of intent), we don’t like it," she told KITV.
University of Hawaii Hawaiian studies professor Jon Osorio told KITV, "There is a certain reverence
and sacredness to certain things, and anyone who is going to cross over the native realm is going to have to deal with our arguments about that. They cannot assume a Western value like ‘The artist is free to express whatever he wants.’ That doesn’t work for us and it will never work for us."
Oh, really? In his other profession as a musician, Osorio has been known to perform topical songs such as "If I Had a Hammer" by Pete Seeger, who was blacklisted in the Joe McCarthy hysteria of the 1950s.
I doubt Osorio would take kindly to those offended by protest music throwing a black sheet over him and his guitar as they did with Seeger and his banjo.
He can’t have it both ways, trading off of Western artistic freedom in one occupation and reviling it in another.
But that’s the new way in Hawaii, where we cry "separation of church and state" at abortion opponents who believe life is sacred, but have no problem tearing down public art because bones are sacred, banning scientific research because taro is sacred or curtailing marine tours because sharks are sacred.
McCartney said, "I just can’t allow that in the convention center," and that it’s his decision alone.
No, it’s not. That artwork is owned by the taxpayers of Hawaii, who paid for it after a rigorous selection process that included Native Hawaiian participation.
To cover, remove or destroy it without a similar open and objective process would be the real offense.
The equation of "host culture+sacred=cannot" has become too uncritically accepted.
Hawaii’s host culture deserves our utmost respect, but not as a state religion.
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Reach David Shapiro at volcanicash@gmail.com or blog.volcanicash.net.
