Safeguarding Hawaiian Traditional Knowledge and Cultural Heritage: Supporting
the Right to Self-Determination and Preventing the Commodification of Culture
*Danielle Conway-Jones
William S. Richardson
dcjones@hawaii.edu
*Hawai‘i Procurement Institute, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa
School of Law, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa
This topic and paper came about because of the need to address Western
misappropriation and commodification of Hawaiian cultural heritage and traditional
knowledge. The impetus for this paper grew from my many sessions with Kumu Hula
Victoria Holt Takamine during which we discussed how western institutions used
intellectual property laws to misappropriate and commodify Hawaiian cultural heritage
and traditional knowledge for purely commercial uses. The purpose of the paper is to
shed light on western commodification of Hawaiian cultural heritage and traditional
knowledge and seek avenues of protection of this invaluable resource for the benefit of
Hawai‘i and Hawaiians. In writing this paper, I make it clear that I do not speak for
Hawaiians; rather, I make observations that I hope will assist in others understanding the
harms caused by the commodification of Hawaiian culture.