One of the social media forums I participate in is currently having a discussion on whether or not is is cultural appropriation to write Hawaiian culture-based science fiction. My own perspective:
If the writer is grounded in Hawaiian culture and extrapolates from actual Hawaiian culture (rather than from “tiki culture” or by using Michener as a primary source), then there is a strong foundation to build on. If that writer is Kanaka ʻŌiwi, I will jump up and down for joy.
So, the person in question wants to write manga-esque science fiction. You know, robots, colliding worlds, attractive young people in sexy space suits. . . but from a future Hawaiian perspective instead of the usual Euro-centric or Japan-centric perspective. Let’s call it a robotic dystopian science-fiction future which explores the question, “What will Hawaiians/Hawaiian society be like in a dystopian manga-esque future world?”
Of course, there are some nay-sayers, “How dare you appropriate Hawaiian culture in such a way?” “Our kūpuna never did such things!” “Only write historical things that are proven to be true.” My goodness! The raison d’être for science fiction is to extrapolate and explore what has never before existed!
AND, this young person is a Hawaiian, so it is his/her/their own culture and future he/she/they are exploring! I am delighted that this young person has the wisdom to ask where the cultural lines are that should not be crossed. So, rather than shutting it down, I would suggest responding by offering guidance!
Personally, I think it is a fabulous idea. There is really no way to know exactly where the lines are until you run into them, so I would say “write first, then find cultural practitioners whose work pertains to the story and ask them to read it for you and give feedback.”
If we do not encourage young Hawaiian writers to stretch beyond the horizon we can see, how can we grow? If our ancestors had not wondered what was beyond all known bounds, none would have come to our own islands.
I would encourage this person to read the best writers in the genre, such as the works of the late Carol Severance. She wrote wonderful other-world fiction from a Polynesian perspective.
And, study Hawaiian culture. Inside and out. Read ʻIʻi, Malo, Kepelino, Kamakau, and others. You can find a starter list of primary sources on my reading list here. Read the Hawaiian newspapers on-line at Nupepa.org. Read the moʻolelo, the stories, of our navigator chiefs. Study, study, study. And write about that future. Explore it in the universe of your mind!
Our ancestors were explorers AND farmers – their eyes were on the stars and their feet were in the soil.
For the writerly side of writing, I think one of the misunderstandings beginning writers have is thinking that their first draft is a finished work. People have been handing me paychecks to write for 40 years, now. I’m lucky if the 5th or 6th draft is the one I submit for publication. When I decided to add historical fiction to my work, my first novel went through 16 drafts.
Another mistake beginning writers make is not having the work read by proofreaders and editors. I am blessed with wonderful readers. I’ve not asked their permission to post their names, but for that first novel I had the services of:
- 2 people to edit the Hawaiian history
- 2 people to edit the New England history
- 2 copy editors (they look for grammar and spelling errors)
- 2 general editors (they read for continuity and flow)
- 4 beta readers (they read the work when you think you are finished, and point out all the work you still need to do!)
Even if I do not agree with edits, having to think them over only makes me a better writer.
So, if you want to write, write! Don’t let anyone stop you! Explore those worlds in your mind, and then write it down and tell us all about it.