Defiant Indigeneity

“Aloha” is at once the most significant and the most misunderstood word in the Indigenous Hawaiian lexicon. Considering the way aloha is embodied, performed, and interpreted in Native Hawaiian literature, music, plays, dance, and drag performance, Stephanie Nohelani Teves shows that misunderstanding of the concept has not prevented the Kanaka Maoli from using it to create and empower community.