IN PERSON: Hawaiian Ecologies at Pitt Rivers Museum

Come and join us for our May event when we’ll be at the Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford discussing their Hawaiian exhibition: Ma uka to Ma kai - Quilting the Hawaiian Landscape.

The exhibition is a fascinating exploration of traditional Hawaiian ecological knowledge. It looks at the collective beliefs expressed through mediums such as Hawaiian quilting and hula dancing, whilst also documenting how indigenous farming and fishing practices are currently being used to restore the landscape for the health of all its inhabitants — both human and more-than-human.

We will meet in a special behind-the-scenes room at the museum from 2.15pm and the discussion will run from 2.30pm-3.30pm, and afterwards you will be more than welcome to join us for a cup of tea and further informal conversations.

On the day we will go around the group and individually share our thoughts about the exhibition before we engage in a gently-guided group discussion.

Although we discuss serious subjects, we engage with them in an easy, light way and are known for our deep playful chats. All personal responses to the exhibition materials are considered equally valid -- we're interested in everyone's unique emotional, sensorial, and intellectual responses to the pieces.

We are excited to say that the exhibition’s curator Dr Marenka Thompson-Odium will be with us at the museum to introduce the subject and to share some special exhibits with us.

Please make sure to visit the Ma uka to Ma kai exhibition before you attend the discussion. It is free to visit and located in the Pitt Rivers special exhibition section.

If you’re going to visit it on the day, it’s best to leave at least one hour in order to see everything, and it’s advisable to leave more time if you’d like to look at the rest of the exhibits in the world-renowned wider museum.

Additionally, if you would like to gain a more embodied understanding of the hula tradition prior to our discussion, you can also book separately to attend a class at The London School of Hula and ‘Ori either in person or online: www.lsho.co.uk

Image credit: Members of the London School of Hula and ‘Ori photographed by Krysten Resnick

More about the Ma uka to Ma kai: Quilting the Hawaiian Landscape exhibition:

“The ahupua‘a, a land division extending from the mountains to the sea, has long been the cornerstone of sustainable land management for Kanaka Maoli (Hawaiian) communities. "Ma uka" (toward the mountains)and "Ma kai" (toward the sea) are not merely directional references; they signify a deep understanding of care and access to natural and cultural resources within these regions.

Through a combination of contemporary and historic mea noʻeau (skillfully created works) this special exhibition explores the past, present, and future of the ahupua‘a system. Hawaiian quilts by the Honolulu-based Poakalani Quilters are curated in narrative that follows the ahupua‘a and the people working with the landscape, from mountain forests to the coastal waters, and as well as introducing the Hawaiian royal history of the palatial grounds of their group meeting place.

Join us on a journey through time through the ahupua‘a in this special exhibition: witness the disruption of indigenous practices over the past 150 years, accompanied by a decline in Hawaiian ecosystems, alongside stories of resilience and restoration. Travelling from Ma uka to Ma kai, discover efforts of contemporary practitioners who embrace 21st-century sustainable stewardship, and how looking back towards traditional practices offers a glimpse into a future of abundance and harmony between communities and their environment.”

Please see the full details of the exhibition here on the Pitt Rivers website: https://www.prm.ox.ac.uk/event/ma-uka-to-ma-kai

More about The Book Club:

The More-Than-Human Book Club is a series of ecology discussions that happen monthly both at The Barbican Library and elsewhere to talk about more-than-human experiences, wildness and nature writing in its broadest sense. Each month we choose a different exhibition, book, film, artwork, poem or essay to discuss, including a mix of classic and contemporary works. We hope the space will provide a place of sanctuary, exploration and discovery, and be a place where community and connections are forged and inspiration is found. If you are interested in nature, literature, wildness, ecology, science, art and/or ideas, please do join us. We would love to have you there!

Its co-founders, hosts and curators are:

Olivia “Lilly” Edward. Lilly is a writer who specialises in nature and the environment. After a career in journalism that took her around the world, she ran nature writing events and panel discussions at the Royal Geographical Society for a couple of years, and she continues to review and write regularly for their magazine. She volunteers as a ranger in Richmond Park and is endlessly enthralled by the natural world and its web of ecological relationships.

Rhona Eve Clews. Rhona is an Artist, Healer and Ecologist. Rhona has a background in Psychology and Photography, and an MFA in Fine Art from Slade School of Fine Art. Drawing upon her past of growing up a hippie she works across humour, writing, photography, performance and filmmaking, aiming to expand them into somatic, eco-feminist practices and contribute to wider ecological ethics of care.

Any questions please email us at morethanhumanbookclub@gmail.com

Refunds Policy

We know there are many valid reasons why people aren't able to make events on the day, and we're always sad when people can't be with us, but unfortunately we are unable to offer ticket refunds. This is because our events are run on a very small budget, with ticket sales just about covering the costs of putting them on. If we issued refunds for cancellations, we’d struggle to cover those costs, and it could make it difficult to keep the series running.

But please know your financial contributions are valued and used prudently. Neither of us take any payment for organising these events, and any small financial surpluses generated go towards making donations to the spaces where we hold our meetings, or into funding future events to keep the series alive.

Thank you so much for your understanding and support -- it truly helps to make these events possible.