Mo'okūʻauhau (Genealogies) of Care: Curating Ali'i Collections at the Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum

Abstract

This paper explores the practice of mo'okū'auhau (genealogy) in the care of Ali'i (chiefly) museum collections at the Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum (Honolulu, HI). Caring for ali'i objects is a cultural imperative, rooted in a mo'okū'auhau of curating aliʻi possessions that were and continue to be regarded as vessels of aliʻi mana (spiritual energy). Moʻokūʻauhau, as a relational practice of tracing one's familial, academic, and practice-based ancestries, is central to Indigenous curation at the Bishop Museum, for it allows staff members who care for the Ethnology Collection to reveal mo'olelo (stories) of how they draw from their familial traditions and the teachings of their mentors within and outside of the museum in order to cultivate an environment where culturally-appropriate methods of care can be utilized. The mo'okū'auhau of care that are revealed through these mo'olelo are crucial, for they reveal the importance of cultural training and mentorship as a core element of Indigenous curatorial practice. Acknowledging these experiences as a form of professional experience is exigent for supporting Kanaka 'Ōiwi and other Indigenous museum professionals who bridge institutional practice with Indigenous sensibilities.