#kumuhina
A growing number of stories in which transgender students face discrimination at the hands of Hawaii public school officials underscores the need for fair and consistent treatment district-wide.
ByDean Hamer, Joe Wilson, and Kumu Hina Wong-Kalu - April 20, 2011:
More and more transgender and gender nonconforming youth are finding the courage to express their authentic identity. They deserve the same access to education as every other child in Hawaii’s schools. But as Jennea’s story in the video below and many others like it clearly show, they are instead being singled out for harassment and discrimination — not by other students, but by the very school officials who are supposed to serve and protect them.
The central problem is the Hawaii Department of Education, which has failed to establish a transgender policy, neglected training and education on this subject and ignored existing civil rights law.
It’s not for lack of knowledge of the issue. According to the DOE’s own documents, numerous principals have requested guidance on addressing the needs of transgender students. Just last week, both the local and national news spotlighted the mother of a transgender child in a Hawaii elementary school who suffered unnecessary heartache and chaos due to the lack of any DOE guidance.
The DOE’s response to the story was “we’re working on it,” which — given that it issued precisely the same claim five months ago, one year ago, two years before that, and so on ad infinitum — is about as believable as “we had a policy, but the dog ate it.”
Nor can DOE’s negligence be attributed to lack of suitable models. School districts around the country have developed reputable, field-tested policies and best practices around gender diversity that could be immediately provided to educators and administrators. And Hawaii is fortunate to have culturally-based curriculum materials for anti-bias education developed by local projects such as Growing Pono SchoolsandA Place in the Middle.
With graduation just around the corner, it’s time for the Hawaii DOE to promulgate a policy to ensure that all students are safe, included and respected in school, regardless of their gender identity or expression. The DOE should also conduct training, professional development and educational activities to ensure that this policy is known and implemented and to provide an environment in which students have the opportunity to express themselves and live authentically.
Kahuku High and Intermediate School — the institution that forbade Jennea to graduate as her true self — could act as a model school by publicly declaring that it will never again deny a student this right, and that in the future, students may participate in graduation and other school activities consistent with their gender identity.
None of this will give back Jennea the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to walk at graduation, or the joy of appearing with her friends in a viral video in which she was supposed to have a starring role. That is gone forever.
But Jennea hopes that going public with her story will help the next generation of students avoid the trauma and discrimination she faced, and build confidence in their own abilities and worth. You can help by sharing Jennea’s video and signing this petition.
Every student has the right to equal access to educational opportunity. But several recent incidents, including the denial of a transgender student’s desire to walk in the girls’ gown at the Kahuku High School graduation, demonstrate that the Hawaii Department of Education has failed to protect the rights of transgender and gender nonconforming students by not establishing an appropriate policy, neglecting to educate and train staff, and ignoring existing civil rights statutes.
We demand that by the beginning of the 2016/17 school year:
1. The Hawaii DOE disseminate and implement a policy to ensure that all students are safe, included and respected in school, regardless of their gender identity or expression.
2. The Hawaii DOE conduct training, professional development and educational activities to ensure awareness of and compliance with this policy and to provide an environment in which students have the opportunity to learn, express themselves, and live authentically.
3. Kahuku Intermediate and High School act as a model school by publicly declaring that students may participate in graduation and other school activities consistent with their gender identity.
The gender diversity policy and training shall, at a minimum:
- Provide students equal access to all activities that take place in the school, at school-sponsored functions, and on school transportation.
- Protect students’ right to be addressed by educators and in school records by a name and pronouns that correspond to their gender identity.
- Enforce existing policy that prohibits bullying, harassment and discrimination based on gender identity and expression.
- Provide equal access to all facilities that are consistent with the student’s gender identity (or a safe and non-stigmatizing alternative upon student request).
- Protect the privacy of students’ gender identity and medical information from others, including parents, guardians and other school staff, unless the student has authorized such disclosure.
- Mandate training for all staff members including teachers, administrators, counselors, social workers and health staff on their duties, responsibilities, and expectations under the policy.
- Provide opportunities for professional development to educate staff on the terms, concepts, and current developmental understandings of gender identity, gender expression, and gender diversity, and to build their skills to prevent, identify and respond to bullying, harassment and discrimination.
- Include anti-bias education for all K-12 students that includes age appropriate, culturally responsive, Hawai'i-based information and curriculum materials on gender identity, expression and diversity.
Every student deserves dignity and respect. We call upon the Department of Education to demonstrate its commitment to fairness and equality by enacting these measures promptly.
SIGN THE PETITION HERE.
Featured last year on PBS and in some of the world’s best film festivals, Kumu Hina is now up for best documentary at the GLAAD Media Awards.
by Todd Simmons - Jan. 29, 2016:
Kumu Hina, an acclaimed documentary about a Honolulu transgender teacher, her halau, a particularly remarkable student and mahu identity, has been nominated for a prestigious GLAAD Media Award, often referred to as the Oscar for LGBT film and television.
It’s the latest in a series of high-profile recognitions for the 2014 feature, which is nominated in the Best Documentary category for the annual awards presented by the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation. It was featured in 2015 as part of PBS’s award-winning Independent Lens series and in some of the world’s most prestigious film festivals, including Berlin, Toronto, Beijing and Budapest.
Dean Hamer and Joe Wilson of Honolulu, whose previous films Out in the Silence and Otros Amores have earned prominence and acclaim including an Emmy Award and feature treatment on PBS, are the first Hawaii filmmakers to have a project nominated for a GLAAD Media Award.
In the documentary category, Kumu Hina is up against four other nominees, including a biopic on 1950s-60s sex symbol Tab Hunter and two men who in 1975 became one of the first same-sex couples in the world to legally marry. Wilson said it’s particularly noteworthy that Kumu Hina was nominated in a breakout year for transgender issues around the world.
“In a year when a record number of nominees included transgender people or characters, Kumu Hina introduced the world to the Hawaiian philosophy of honoring and respecting mahu, those who embody both male and female spirit,” Wilson said. “The GLAAD nod is symbolic of the growing recognition of all that Hawaii and Hawaiian culture have to offer beyond the tourist brochures.”
In fact, 75 of the 147 nominees this year include transgender characters or issues, according to GLAAD, which released the nominations earlier this week.
Other top film and television titles up for recognition at GLAAD’s 27th annual awards ceremony scheduled for April 2 in Beverly Hills and May 14 in New York include The Danish Girl, Carol, Orange Is The New Black, Transparent, Modern Family, How To Get Away With Murder and Empire.
The GLAAD Media Awards recognize and honor media for their fair, accurate and inclusive representations of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community and the issues that affect their lives.
The nominees for the 27th Annual GLAAD Media Awards have been announced! See the list here.
by Meredith Talusan - BuzzFeed - Oct. 15, 2015:
This is Kumu Hina, a transgender hula teacher in a Hawaii public school.
As an indigenous Hawaiian, she considers herself mahu, or “in the middle” when it comes to gender, with the qualities of both man and woman. As a child, Kumu Hina was teased in school for being too girlish, and didn’t have teachers to protect her.
This is Ho’onani, Kumu Hina’s sixth-grade student who wants to stand and dance with the boys instead of the girls like she’s supposed to.
Her relationship with Kumu Hina is at the heart of a documentary directed by Dean Hamer and Joe Wilson called A Place in the Middle.
For their end-of-year school performance, Kumu Hina gives Ho’onani the leading role in the boys’ dance, because she performed the best among the students.
“There’s potential backfire from parents and families who may look at this and say I should encourage a girl to stand with the girls,” Kumu Hina says.
So she decides to check in with Ho’onani, to make sure her student would be prepared for future challenges.
“Sometimes I’m afraid I might be setting you up for disappointment,” Kumu Hina says. “I know you like to stand with all the boys.” She reminds Ho’onani that not everyone will let her do that.
Kumu Hina gives Ho’onani some advice when the student feels forced to be with the girls.
“When you get to be my age,” Kumu Hina says, “you’re not gonna have to move for anybody else.”
Kumu Hina doesn’t want Ho’onani to be limited the way she was. Instead, Kumu Hina supports the expression of her gender-nonconforming student.
Ho’onani has absorbed the confidence that her teacher and her school have given her.
“We both are in the middle,” Ho’onani says, “and nobody teases us for it.”
The creators have also set up a web site that hopes to bring “an enlightened Hawaiian perspective to efforts to create welcoming and inclusive schools and communities for children of all ages.” It includes the full 25-minute documentary, and other resources to help educators support gender-nonconforming students and prevent bullying.
According to director Dean Hamer: “Our hope is to bring Kumu Hina’s teaching and message of the true meaning of ‘aloha’ beyond Hawaii to the rest of the country and the world.”
Watch the full clip from A Place in the Middle:
byRay Simon - October 8, 2015:
“Gender Across Cultures” is the focus of the Penn Museum’s Second Sunday Culture Film Series, which begins Oct. 11. Two documentaries about Hawaii will be shown: “A Place in the Middle” and “Heart of the Sea.” The screening takes place at 2 p.m. in the Rainey Auditorium of the Penn Museum, located at 3260 South St. Museum admission applies ($15), giving attendees access to the museum’s exhibits.
The film series is cosponsored by the Penn Humanities Forum and the William Way LGBT Community Center, among others. The theme, “Gender Across Cultures,” compliments the PHF’s yearlong exploration of the topic “Sex.”
There will be six screenings between now and March. All of the films are relatively recent documentaries that examine how gender is shaped and understood in various cultures. At each screening, a knowledgeable speaker will provide context and answer questions from the audience.
For Kate Pourshariati, curator of the series, these screenings are an excellent opportunity to see films that are not widely distributed.
“I usually try to find films that are really pungent and interesting but that haven’t been seen much yet or are not easy to stream online,” she said.
“Heart of the Sea” is a 2002 documentary about Rell Sunn, an accomplished female surfer who succumbed to breast cancer in 1998. Sunn, Hawaii’s number-one female amateur surfer for five years, was also a passionate advocate of traditional Hawaiian culture and an environmental activist.
As a woman equally comfortable dancing the hula and spear-fishing, Sunn confounded stereotypes.
“This person is really stepping outside of what was the normal, expected thing coming up, even in the 1960s, to not just be the girl on the beach watching the guys surfing,” Pourshariati said. “She stepped right into it, and she was a very strong, powerful person.”
That afternoon’s other film, “A Place in the Middle,” will be of particular interest to PGN readers. The 2014 documentary by Dean Hamer and Joe Wilson follows 11-year-old Ho’onani, a young girl whose goal is to lead the all-boys hula performance at the end of the school year.
Ho’onani is encouraged by her teacher, Kumu Hina, a transgender woman. Kumu Hina’s life’s work has been to reintroduce native Hawaiians to their traditional culture, which includes the concept of being “in the middle.” People “in the middle” possess both masculine and feminine traits and were traditionally accorded respect.
In one scene, Kumu Hina explains to the teenage boys why a girl, or wahine, is being included in a performance representing masculine spirit, or ku.
“You have a biological wahine standing over here in front of you because she has more ku than everybody else around here, even though she lacks the main essential parts of ku,” Kumu Hina says. “But in her mind and in her heart, she has ku.”
The concept of being “in the middle” is just one manifestation of a worldwide phenomenon, according to William Wierzbowski, who works as a keeper in the Penn Museum’s American Section. Wierzbowski is an expert on Two-Spirit culture among Native North Americans and will be on hand that day.
When Europeans first encountered Native Americans, Wierzbowski explained, they were surprised to meet people we would now call gay. These people lived openly within their tribe and were accorded great respect. French trappers and explorers called them berdache, which was slightly pejorative. That perception gradually shifted as Native Americans began to reclaim their heritage.
“It was Native-American activists who happened to be gay that coined this term Two Spirit, which basically means that the individual embodies within — and I’m going to speak specifically about males here — that embodies within himself both the male and the female. So it’s actually quite a beautiful, almost poetic term,” Wierzbowski said.
Being Two Spirit or “in the middle,” he added, is not limited to any specific sexual behavior. Instead, it encompasses a wide range of attitudes, practices and roles. Within traditional cultures, for example, people like Kumu Hina and Ho’onani could be said to bridge the male and female aspects of the universe, actually helping to bind it together.
Those are big ideas, but it should be noted that the two documentaries being screened are neither pretentious nor didactic. On the contrary, they are colorful, eye-opening and fun to watch.
Pourshariati hopes that the film series will prompt attendees to be more receptive and respectful of other people and to consider new ideas. But she also wants them to enjoy themselves. Movies are an ideal medium to accomplish both goals.
After a screening, Pourshariati said, “Everyone has something in common: You’ve already seen the film together, so now you can talk about it. I find that really invigorating.”
For more information about the Penn Museum’s Second Sunday Culture Film Series, visit www.penn.museum/culturefilms.
It’s back-to-school time in Hawaiʻi. Over 200,000 students will enter grades K-12 this year, full of curiosity and ideas. Unfortunately, many of them will have their studies disrupted and hopes crushed by bullying.
Despite our reputation as the “Aloha State,” surveys show that one-fifth to over one-half of students in both public and private schools have been bullied or harassed. And even though more than 90 percent of voters say that “bullying is important for the state of Hawai'i to address,” attempts to pass a statewide Safe Schools Act have failed repeatedly in the legislature. Some parents, such as a father whose two young children were bullied for years without intervention in East Hawaiʻi schools, have even resorted to suing the Department of Education.
We’re fortunate that several local groups have stepped in to develop their own anti-bullying programs; the E Ola Pono,Adult Friends for Youth Anti-Bullying and Violence Convention, and Mental Health America of Hawaii Pono Youth Program are outstanding examples. Even local comedian Augie T is helping out through B.R.A.V.E. Hawaiʻi, a program started by his daughter after she herself fell victim to bullying.
But bullying doesn’t occur in a vacuum; it’s the product of underlying stigma and prejudice. That’s why it’s time to move beyond telling children that it’s bad to be mean, and start showing them why it’s good to be inclusive and accepting - not just for the targets of bullying, but for everyone in the school and community.
We had the opportunity to witness first-hand the effectiveness of this approach during our two years of filming Kumu Hina, a nationally broadcast PBS feature documentaryabout a Native Hawaiian teacher who empowers her students at a small public charter school in downtown Honolulu by showing them the true meaning of aloha: love, honor and respect for all. It’s a powerful lesson for children and adults alike.
In order to make Kumu Hina’s teaching available to students and teachers in K-12 schools across the islands, we’ve produced a youth-friendly, short version of the film called A Place in the Middle that focuses on the story of one of her students, a sixth grade girl who dreams of joining the boys-only hula troupe. This might make her a target for ridicule and bullying in many schools, but the outcome of this story is very different. It’s a powerful example of why students who are perceived to be different, in one way or another, deserve to be celebrated precisely because of those differences, not simply tolerated despite them.
Overcoming bullying in Hawai'i requires a systemic, long-term, multifaceted approach. The true story of a local girl who just wants to be herself - and in so doing helps her fellow students and entire school - is a good place to start.
A Place in the Middle is available at no cost for streaming and download from PBS Learning Mediaand on Vimeo, and the accompanying Hawai'i Teacher’s Guide can be downloaded from the Hawai'i Educators Website. The program will be touring Public Libraries across the islands beginning this fall.
A PLACE IN THE MIDDLE tells the true story of an eleven year-old Hawaiian girl who dreams of leading her school’s all-male hula troupe. The only trouble is that the group is just for boys. She’s fortunate to have a teacher who understands what it means to be “in the middle” - the Hawaiian tradition of embracing both male and female spirit. Together they set out to prove that what matters most is what’s in your heart and mind.
This youth-focused educational film is a great way to get K-12 students thinking and talking about the values of diversity and inclusion, the power of knowing your heritage, and how to create a school climate of aloha, from their own point of view!
The film is accompanied by a Classroom Discussion Guide that includes background information about Hawaiian culture and history, discussion questions, and lesson plans aligned with the Common Core State Educational Standards and additional educational benchmarks.
The complete film, Discussion Guide, and other resources, including a displayable “Pledge of Aloha,” are available for freeatAPlaceintheMiddle.org. They are also available on the trusted educator’s website PBS LearningMedia, and in hard copy upon request.
From the Berlin and Toronto International Film Festivals to classrooms across the United States, A PLACE IN THE MIDDLE is proving to be a powerful tool to talk about the intersections between gender, identity and culture, and the positive outcomes that occur when schools welcome students with love, honor and respect.
What people are saying about A PLACE IN THE MIDDLE
“An inspiring coming-of-age story on the power of culture to shape identity, personal agency, and community cohesion, from a young person’s point of view.” –Cara Mertes, Ford Foundation
“A valuable teaching tool for students in elementary, middle and high schools, as well as for parents and teachers.” –Carol Crouch, Eleʻele Elementary School, Kauaʻi, Hawaiʻi
“An amazing tool to help educators understand the need for acceptance for each and every child regardless of gender expression.” –Tracy Flynn, Welcoming Schools
“One of the most positive films about the trans experience I’ve ever seen.” –Jennifer Finney Boylan, author and writer-in-residence at Barnard College
“Uniquely accessible for youth.” –Gender Spectrum
”A true-life ‘Whale Rider’ story.“ –The Huffington Post
A brief glimpse of “Kumu Hina” co-producer/director Joe Wilsonʻs June 24, 2015 visit to Mauna Kea. Mahalo nui loa to everyone who shared their manaʻo. View the video HERE. For more information please visit www.protectmaunakea.orgorfacebook.com/protectmaunakea.
Film Explores the Beautiful Way Hawaiian Culture Embraces Trans Identity
San Francisco, Ca. - July 1, 2015: Dean Hamer and Joe Wilson’s Kumu Hina has received the Independent Lens Audience Award, recognizing its status as the highest-rated film of the 2014-2015 season on the acclaimed Emmy and Dupont Award-winning PBS documentary series.
The film tells the inspiring story of Hina Wong-Kalu, a transgender native Hawaiian teacher and cultural icon who brings to life Hawaii’s traditional embrace of mahu - those who embody both male and female spirit. Over the course of a momentous year, Hina empowers a young girl to lead the school’s all-male hula troupe, as she seeks love and a fulfilling romantic relationship in her own life.
“The national broadcast premiere of Kumu Hina happened just as the country was struggling to understand Bruce Jenner’s transition to Caitlyn,” said the filmmakers. “Kumu Hina introduced the American public, mired in the Western mind-set of gender as a simple male-female binary, to Hawaiian culture’s more inclusive and holistic philosophy, one that embraces rather than rejects those who, like Hina, inhabit a place in the middle of the gender spectrum.”
Recently Hamer and Wilson have launched an education campaign around a special children’s version of the film, called A Place in the Middle, that tells the story of the young student through her own words and colorful Polynesian-style animation. The filmmakers are distributing the short video and teaching guides for free on their website and in partnership with PBS Learning Media because “Young people deserve to see a school where everyone is accepted and included,” they said. “We hope this project will help spread Kumu Hina’s message of aloha - love, honor and respect for all - to schools and communities everywhere.”
Kumu Hina was funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting,Independent Television Service (ITVS), and Pacific Islanders in Communications. Prior to its national PBS broadcast on May 4, it premiered as the closing night film at the Hawaii International Film Festival, and won numerous festival awards including the Frameline Jury Award for Achievement in Documentary.
By Dean Hamer, Co-Producer/Director of “Kumu Hina” –
Many U.S. schools serve groups of kids who are diverse in terms of race, ethnicity, age, religious or non-religious belief, national origin, family situation, ability, sexual orientation and gender identity. This diversity is especially vibrant here in Hawai'i, where many people describe their ethnic background as “chop suey,” Christians are in a minority and gender-nonconforming individuals are not only accepted but are respected and admired for their important role in perpetuating cultural knowledge and traditions.
For two years, we were given the opportunity to film a remarkable māhū (transgender) native Hawaiian teacher, Kumu Hina Wong-Kalu, as she created a “place in the middle” where every student at her small Honolulu charter school felt welcome, included and ready to learn to the best of their ability. Hina’s story is portrayed in our PBS feature documentary Kumu Hina, which is being nationally broadcast on Independent Lensas of May 4, 2015.
But we also wanted to bring Hina’s teaching to K-12 schools, which led us to produce a youth-friendly, short version of the film called A Place in the Middle that has been excerpted for the Perspectives for a Diverse America anthology. Here are some ways these video clips can be used to help students appreciate the value of inclusion, the strengths they inherit from their cultural heritage and their own power to create a school climate of honor and respect.
Celebrate Difference. In the scene “Welcome to Hawai'i,” Kumu Hina is preparing the students for a hula performance by handing out lei necklaces, yellow for boys and white for girls. But 11-year-old Ho'onani decides that she wants to wear both colors—a decision that her classmates meet with envy rather than scorn. In a later scene,“Kāne-Wahine and Wahine-Kāne”(Boy-Girls and Girl-Boys), Hina explains that she has created this “place in the middle” so that gender-creative students have a specific space they can call their own.
These clips are a reminder to teachers that students who are perceived to be different, in one way or another, deserve to be celebrated preciselybecause of those differences, not simply tolerated despite them. And it’s a jumping off place for students to think and talk about how every person’s identity is comprised of multiple interacting facets. A good discussion prompt is to note that Ho'onani is in the middle between male and female, then ask how many other ways people can be “in the middle”; for example, being more than one race or bilingual, being part of two households after a divorce and so on.
Use the Power of Heritage. In “Hawai'i Poniʻī,” the principal of the school urges her students to take seriously their lessons on Hawaiian culture because, “We didn’t get to sing ‘Hawai'i Poniʻī’ (the Hawaiian national anthem) in our schools. We had to pledge allegiance to the flag that took over Hawai'i.” Her approach works: By the end of the film, even the students who began the year with little enthusiasm have become full participants in the school’s activities.
You can use this clip to inspire students to inquire into their own heritage, starting with well-known aspects, such as food, holidays, etc., and progressing to a deeper conversation that incorporates social, cultural, political and historical contexts. Ask students to bring in food dishes typical of their heritage, and after the Smorgasbord is consumed, ask what ideas, values or practices their home cultures could contribute to their classroom or school.
Another clip, “Hawaiians Live in Aloha,” uses Polynesian-style animated figures to tell the history of how early Hawaiians respected and admired people with both male and female spirits, giving them the special name of māhū. Asking students to interpret images from this animated portrayal of Hawaiian history prior to and after viewing the film is a good ice-breaker for what some consider a sensitive topic. You can follow up by asking them to draw their own interpretation of what it means to be “in the middle.”
Teach With Aloha. Many people think of “aloha” as just a cute way to say hello or goodbye, but as Kumu Hina explains in a clip about her transition, the deeper meaning is to have love, honor and respect for everyone. Ask students how the characters in the film demonstrate aloha, and then how they do (or could) demonstrate it themselves. Most important, how do you rate your own classroom and school on living up to this standard?
You can help spread the concept of aloha by hanging aPledge of Aloha poster in your classroom or by handing out Pledge of Aloha postcards that can be signed and returned to Kumu Hina in Hawai'i. The module can be considered a success if students use this opportunity to share what they’ve learned about Hawai'i and its uniquely inclusive approach to gender and many other types of diversity.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Film About a Transgender Teacher in Hawaii Brings an Ancient Cultural Perspective to National Debate on Transgender Rights
“In high school, I was teased and tormented for being too girlish. But I found refuge in being Hawaiian. What I hope most to leave with my students is the true meaning of aloha: love, honor, and respect. It’s a responsibility I take very seriously.” - Kumu Hina
(San Francisco, CA) — At a time when transgender and gender nonconforming people across the U.S. and around the world have achieved unprecedented visibility in popular culture, but continue to suffer extreme violence, harassment, discrimination, and isolation, Independent Lens presents Kumu Hina, a moving film from Hawaii that offers a bold new perspective on gender diversity and inclusion through cultural empowerment. Directed and produced by Dean Hamer and Joe Wilson, Kumu Hina premieres on Independent Lens Monday, May 4, 2015, 10:00- 11:00 PM ET (check local listings), as part of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month programming on PBS.
Kumu Hina is the inspiring story of Hina Wong- Kalu, a transgender native Hawaiian teacher and cultural icon who brings to life Hawaii’s traditional embrace of mahu — those who embody both male and female spirit. The film traces Hina’s evolution from a timid high school boy to her position as a married woman and cultural director of a school in one of Honolulu’s grittier neighborhoods. As she contemplates who should lead the school’s all-male hula troupe in their final performance, a surprising candidate presents herself: Ho‘onani, a sixth grader who is proud to be seen as a mixture of boy and girl. As Kumu Hina helps Ho‘onani to negotiate the mixed reactions of her classmates and her family, the power of culture to instill a sense of pride and acceptance becomes clear.
The film also delves into Hina’s pursuit of a dream of her own — a fulfilling romantic relationship. Her tumultuous marriage to a headstrong Tongan man offers insight into the universal challenge of loving somebody outside the norm, and a glimpse of Hawaii never before seen on film.
“This film introduces us to an unforgettable and courageous woman whose life is simultaneously grounded in ancient tradition and on the forefront of one the most contemporary movements in society today,” said Lois Vossen, founding and deputy executive producer of Independent Lens. “Gender fluidity is a concept that has been understood for thousands of years in Polynesian culture, but is only now beginning to be accepted in the West. Kumu Hina teaches us all how to love and accept ourselves as we are.”
Hamer and Wilson wanted to break new ground with this film project by focusing on the abilities, accomplishments, and contributions of a transgender woman rather than on the prejudice and hostility she has faced. “Kumu Hina portrays a world where instead of transgender people being marginalized because of who they are, they are actually visible, honored, and included,” said the filmmakers. “A world where youth who are searching for their own creative forms of gender expression are embraced and encouraged to be themselves rather than to hide in fear or pretend they are just like everyone one else.”
In conjunction with the national broadcast premiere, the film team is launching an education campaign that includes a special children’s version of the film, distributed for free on PBS LearningMedia, PBS’s destination for educators and students. The film tells Ho‘onani’s story through her own words and colorful animation. “Young people deserve to see a school where everyone is accepted and included,” said Kumu Hina. “That’s why it’s so important to also have this short video, A Place in the Middle, that kids as well as teachers and parents will enjoy watching.”
Visit the Kumu Hina companion website (http://www.pbs.org/kumu-hina/), which features information about the film including an interview with the filmmakers, preview clips, and a discussion guide, plus links to A Place in the Middle, and how viewers can make their schools and communities more welcoming and inclusive by taking a #PledgeofAloha.
About the Participants
Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu (Kumu Hina) is a kanaka maoli (Native Hawaiian) teacher, cultural practitioner, and community leader. Born in the Nu’uanu District of Oʻahu Island, Kumu Hina was educated at Kamehameha Schools and the University of Hawaii. She was previously a founding member of Kulia Na Mamo, a community organization established to improve the quality of life for māhū wahine (transgender women), and Cultural Director at a public charter school dedicated to using native Hawaiian culture, history, and education as tools for developing and empowering the next generation of warrior scholars. Kumu Hina is currently a cultural advisor and leader in many community affairs and civic activities, including Chair of the Oahu Island Burial Council, which oversees the management of Native Hawaiian burial sites and ancestral remains. In 2014, Hina announced her bid for a position on the board of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, one of the first transgender candidates to run for statewide political office in the United States.
Haemaccelo Kalu, Kumu Hina’s husband, was born on Niuafo’ou, a small island in the Kingdom of Tonga, and currently lives in Honolulu where he works at ‘Iolani Palace.
Ho’onani Kamai, a sixth grade student at the school where Kumu Hina taught, rises to become leader of the all-male hula troupe.
About the Filmmakers
Dean Hamer (Director, Producer) is a National Institutes of Health scientist emeritus, bestselling author, and Emmy Award-winning filmmaker with a long history of communicating complex and controversial ideas to diverse publics. In 2004 he formed Qwaves with partner Joe Wilson to produce insightful and provocative documentaries about often-overlooked social issues. Their films were part of the pioneering days of citizen-generated content on the Internet and cable television, won numerous awards, and have been used as outreach and educational tools by many community and educational organizations. Out in the Silence, the first feature film from Qwaves, premiered at the Human Rights Watch International Film Festival at Lincoln Center to great critical acclaim. Hamer is also known for his research on the genetics of sexual orientation, which was described in his New York Times Book of the Year The Science of Desire. In 2011, he and Joe moved to Oahu, Hawaii to work on Kumu Hina, first in a series of films about Hawaiian lives and voices.
Joe Wilson (Director, Producer) got involved in documentary filmmaking through his professional work and social activism on human rights issues. Frustrated by the limitations of traditional organizing and advocacy, he picked up a camera with hopes of reaching broader audiences with stories that would inform and compel people to act. Together with Qwaves co-founder Dean Hamer, his films on controversial and often ignored human rights issues have won jury and audience awards and official selection at more than 100 film festivals around the country and the world, and received widespread attention for their role in promoting social change. In 2004, Wilson returned to his small hometown of Oil City, Pa., to direct and produce the Sundance-supported, Emmy Award- winning PBS documentary Out in the Silence. Through more than 700 grassroots screenings across the country, this film has become part of a national movement to open dialogue, counter school bullying, and support fairness and equality for all. Wilson and Hamer are currently living and working in Hawaii.
CREDITS
Written, Produced and Directed by Dean Hamer and Joe Wilson
Editor – Nels Bangerter
CoProducer – Connie M. Florez
Original Score – Makana
Animation – Jared Greenleaf, Jed Henry, Ryan Woodward
Camera – Dean Hamer, Joe Wilson, Connie M. Florez, Fred Vanderpoel, John Kuamoo, Cindy Iodice
Kumu Hina is a co-production of Qwaves, LLC and the Independent Television Service (ITVS) in association with Pacific Islanders in Communications, with funding provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
About Independent Lens
Independent Lens is an Emmy® Award-winning weekly series airing on PBS Monday nights at 10:00 PM. The acclaimed series features documentaries united by the creative freedom, artistic achievement, and unflinching visions of independent filmmakers. Presented by Independent Television Service, the series is funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people, with additional funding from PBS and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. For more visit pbs.org/independentlens. Join the conversation: facebook.com/independentlens and on Twitter @IndependentLens.
CONTACT
Lisa Tawil 415-356-8383 [email protected]
Mary Lugo 770-623-8190 [email protected]
Cara White 843-881-1480 [email protected]
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