Pacific voices : keeping our cultures alive

Book

Pacific voices : keeping our cultures alive / [edited by] Miriam Kahn and Erin Younger ; with photographs by Mary Randlett and Sam Van Fleet.

Kahn, Miriam. (Added Author). Younger, Erin. (Added Author). Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture. (Added Author).

Summary:

The groundbreaking "Pacific Voices" exhibit grew out of a five-year collaborative process that brought together members of Washington State's diverse Asian, Pacific Islander, and Native American communities. The exhibition became a vehicle for the expression of a variety of voices exploring sources of cultural identity: objects, rituals, ceremonies, and traditions that both anchor and showcase the ways of life of Pacific Rim communities.

Each of the seventeen chapters highlights a unique cultural object: Rose Dang and Thuy Vu see the Vietnamese incense burner as a vehicle for carrying prayers; 'Iwalani Christian calls the Hawaiian pahu "the voice of the gods"; the Reverend Dean Koyama describes the Japanese obutsudan as an altar for remembering loved ones; and Vi Hilbert presents the Coast Salish river canoe as "a place to learn patience." Each vibrant narrative is accompanied by colorful photographs and illustrations, and helpful sidebars provide historical and contextual information. Taken together, the stories in Pacific Voices provide a fresh perspective on the multicultural world in which we live, as well asvaluable insights into the diverse cultures of the Pacific Rim. -- Amazon

Record details

ISBN: 029598550X (pbk. : alk. paper)
ISBN: 9780295985503 (pbk. : alk. paper)
Physical Description: xii, 176 pages : illustrations (some color) ; 26 cm.
Publisher: Seattle : University of Washington Press in association with Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, c2005.

Content descriptions

General Note:: "Book springs from 'Pacific Voices', a longterm exhibit that opened at the Burke Museum in late 1997"--Acknowledgments.
Bibliography, etc. Note:: Includes bibliographical references (p. [163]-167) and index.
Formatted Contents Note:: Hawaiian Pahu: Voice of the Gods / Iwalani Christian -- Hawaiian Pahu: Foundation of the Hula / Moodette Ka'apana -- Samoan Tānoa: A Visible Symbol of Community / Veronica Leasiolagi Barber and Sapina Pele -- Maori Korowai: Mantle of Status / Aotaumarewa Lorraine Elkington Morehouse -- Micronesian Canoe: Reminder of a Way of Life / Rokuro Mesiab, with David Hawelmai -- Vietnamese Incense Burner: Vehicle for Carrying Prayers / Rose Dang and Thuy Vu -- Lao Khaen: Instrument of Spiritual Nourishment / Khampha Chantharangsy, with Kham Oui Sikhanthat -- Philippine Santo Niño: Icon of the Holy Child / Jack Buzzard and Marcela Antonia Buzzard -- Korean Gourd Cups: Symbol of a Perfect Union / Sonia Kim -- Japanese Obutsudan: Altar to Remember Loved Ones / Reverend Dean Koyama -- Japanese Taiko: Drum for Learning about Culture / Seattle Matsuri Taiko -- Chinese New Year Foods: Meals that Bring Families Together / Maxine Chan, with Ron Chew, Donnie Chin, Helen Kay, and Laura Wong-Whitebear -- Coast Salish Fish Hook: Reminder of the Importance of Salmon / Leonard Forsman -- Coast Salish Voyaging Canoe: Carrier of the Culture / Peg Deam -- Coast Salish River Canoe: A Place to Learn Patience / Vi Hilbert -- Northwest Coast Wolf Headdress: Representation of Who We Are / George David -- Iñupiaq Umiaq: Symbol of a Way of Life / Larry Ulaaq Ahvakana -- Conclusion: Voices Within Our Community / Erin Younger.