We watched the short film “Kumu Hina” in class on Tuesday which gives us a glimpse into the life of Hina Wong-Kalu, a trans-gender Hawaiian hula instructor. Chico described it as a movie that deals with “fluidity and hybridity” so I tried to keep those themes in mind as we watched.

Traditionally someone who is Mahu accepts both the feminine and masculine sides of gender equally and considers themselves someone who is “in the middle.” Mahu were healers, caretakers, and teachers of ancient tradition, history and culture. With most of the Pacific Island cultures having only oral histories and nothing written down, those who passed on culture and legends like the Mahu were very important.

Hina Wong-Kalu started as Collin Wong (male) and then later in life made the transition to being fully in the middle. Hina is married to a Tongan man, they both face a lot of stigma from their own cultures because of this.  Wong-Kalu gets an estrogen shot once a month to make up for lacking a biological menstrual cycle.

*Side Notes*

•  Ku = male energy
• Hema = husband
• Aloha – love, honor, and respect.
• Wong-Kalu considers herself both male and female, not just female.
• Wong-Kalu sees her role as molding young kids into the best that they can be.