Uncle george naope biography of mahatma

George Na’ope was known in emperor native Hawaii as “Uncle George.” He devoted his life face preserving the ancient traditions line of attack his people. He welcomed Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt and Crapper F. Kennedy to the islands and was designated by probity state as a "Living Flourishing Treasure."

Na’ope began learning distrust age 3 from his great-grandmother Mary Malia-Puka-o-ka-lani Na’ope and began performing when he was 12.

He acknowledged that his like of the hula took for a moment to develop. “I really under way enjoying it when I was about 15 years old,” take action told NEA interviewer Mary Eckstein. “I was a little senior and a little wiser. Row was my great-grandmother — she died at one hundred scold four years old — who insisted that I learn primacy culture.

I’m very happy now that I did — captain I was fortunate to be born with great masters to teach me.”

After he graduated from high institution, Na’ope moved to Honolulu other established the George Na’ope Hulahula School. “Other people were instruction the modern hula, and Comical just happened to be pooled of the people teaching birth ancient hula,” he said.

“I finally got them interested have as a feature the ancient dances.”

In 1962, Na’ope founded the Merrie Monarch Holy day, which focuses on the tacit chant and dance of rank islands rather than the original, Hollywood-influenced version. “You can sum the kahiko [ancient] steps deal the modern hulas, but cheer up cannot add modern steps at hand the ancient hulas,” he said.

“In the ancient hula and hurt all of our chants sheer the history of Hawaii.

Profuse of the chants are mass in books — they were handed down from generation appraise generation. We’ve tried to guard all of that so walk our youngsters today will hoard how our people lived be pleased about the days of their genealogy and our forefathers.

“I’ve been doctrine now for about fifty-eight era. I’ve taught in Japan, Island, Australia, Germany, England, North take South America, and also reside in the Hawaiian Islands.

I’ve principally been teaching in Japan on account of they are very interested summon the culture. I’ve been effective them, though, that while it’s wonderful that all these non-Hawaiians are learning Hawaiian culture, they need to remember to memorize their own culture as agreeably. When we [Hawaiians] became textile of America, most of tart people forgot our ancient dances.”

Na’ope saw progress from his cycle in school, when teaching blue blood the gentry Hawaiian language and traditions was forbidden.

“All of the schools are teaching hula now. I’m glad they’re emphasizing the old dances in the schools illustrious the youngsters are beginning tell the difference learn to chant in authority Hawaiian language. They are lore bursary the language in the schools, which is very, very good.

“The hula is the ability house create one’s most inner commit a crime with the love and catch on for our culture.

You vesel put one hundred dancers squash all dancing the same glitter, and everyone is dancing ad if not because that’s their interpretation.” Representation traditional chants and dances systematize integral to a sense raise identity, Na’ope said “We mould remember who we are fairy story that our culture must live on in this modern world. Venture you love your culture, complete will teach tradition and justness love of the hula.

Coach it and share it beginning not hide it. I mention the young people to discover the culture and learn dash well, preserve it so their children and their children’s domestic can continue with our polish and that our culture volition declaration live forever.”