Na Kua 'Aina

The word kua'#x0101; ina translates literally as "back land" or "back country." Davianna McGregor grew up hearing it as a reference to an awkward or unsophisticated person from the country. However, in the context of the Native Hawaiian cultural renaissance of the late twentieth century, kua'#x0101; ina came to refer to those who actively lived Hawaiian culture and kept the spirit of the land alive. The mo'olelo (oral traditions) recounted in this book reveal how kua'#x0101; ina have enabled Native Hawaiians to endure as a unique and dignified people after more than a century of American subjugation and control. The stories are set in rural communities or cultural k#x012B; puka--oases from which traditional Native Hawaiian culture can be regenerated and revitalized.

Davianna Pomaika'i McGregor is professor of ethnic studies at the University of Hawai'i and a historian of Hawai'i and the Pacific