Maybe It's Emily

Tonight I went to my friend's senior vocal recital. I've been to other senior recitals, but this one was different. Whereas the others exhibited vocals in the style of opera, jazz and Broadway, my friend did his in the style of his people- the Hawaiians. He opened with a Hawaiian chant (a very important form of song), next with a chant of hula kahiko. His songs ranged from ones composed by the Ali'i to more modern songs of the WWII era, many of which were accompanied by hula dancers. Some were fast and fun, some were slow and nostalgic. All in all it was a great performance, and it carried me away to another time, another place. It made me feel, and it made me think. As I was watching and listening, I was reminded of this video:   That theme: culture is prevention. That's the model of intervention for many Native American tribes. It's the idea that connecting with your past, your ancestors and your culture act as a type of preventative measure against b...