Stories That Shape Us—Brooke Hutchins on the Power of Mo'olelo

Brooke Hutchins embodies the power of story. Raised with fleeting glimpses of mo‘olelo, her childhood was shaped not by the abundance of stories but by their elusive nature. As she navigated adulthood and a move to the continent, Brooke felt the absence of these stories acutely, propelling her on a journey to uncover the full narratives that had long intrigued her. Now, through her academic pursuits and creative work, she brings these ancestral tales to life, connecting Hawaiians to their cultural roots and history.

In our interview, Brooke delves into the profound impact of mo‘olelo on her life and art. She shares how these traditional stories not only sparked her pursuit of a master's degree in Hawaiian studies but also led her to transform mo‘olelo into new mediums—from comics to fiction. Whether through visual art or spoken word, Brooke’s storytelling invites us to experience the mystery, strength, and enduring relevance of Hawaii's cultural legacy.

Mudra Love: Can you share how mo‘olelo influenced your upbringing?

Brooke Hutchins: I think it was the lack of knowing mo‘olelo that influenced my upbringing. I mean my family knew small tidbits of mo‘olelo here and there—don’t take pork over the Pali or how fireballs flew from house to house – but it was never the full story. I sat with these small sparks of mo‘olelo, never really knowing the whys and hows, and then when I went to the continent for school, I felt lost without those sparks. This is when I realized that I needed to know the why and hows. I wanted to know the whole mo‘olelo. I needed to know it.

ML: In what ways did these stories shape you and your future?

BH: I guess after getting to fully know these stories, it pushed me to get my graduate degree in Hawaiian studies where I could learn more mo‘olelo and ground myself deeper into the ones I already knew. Knowing these stories then pushed me to write my fiction pieces that had mo‘olelo written all over it and currently to transforming mo‘olelo in the Hawaiian language newspapers to comic form.

ML: What mediums do you use to tell stories today?

BH: Today I tell stories through comic form – where I take a mo‘olelo from the Hawaiian

language newspaper and put faces to these gods, goddess and stories so we can see them

in all their glory. Well, I don’t draw them. I, of course, find an amazing comic book artist

and we work together to bring that mo‘olelo to life as accurately and cool as possible. I

have also written some fiction pieces—that I’ve never published—where I take all that

I’ve learned about Hawaiian myth, legend and history and ground it into the storyline. I

also do the old school way and simply tell them while I am teaching in any one of my

classes.

ML: What makes a story captivating?

BH: The surprise, the intrigue, the unknown. I remember when I first read a story about mo‘o, which are large reptilian-like beings that can shift into beautiful women or men, and I thought, “Wow, what are they? What do they do? Why did they do that? What are they at their core?” I guess, for me, a story is captivating if I have to peel back many layers to

figure out what makes the character tick or where the story is going. I want to be

surprised.

ML: How do you feel emotionally when reading a great story?

BH: Emotionally I feel like these characters are my best friends and that we are all going

through this trauma together. I remember reading Twilight back in the day—yes, way

back—and when I finally closed the last page of the last book, I felt like I lost contact

with all my friends, like I would never see them again or know what they’re doing or

how their life is going. Dramatic I know, but that’s how I felt. I ended up reading that last

book again just so I could stay with them longer.

ML: What are some of your favorite books? What would you recommend to someone new to fiction?

BH: Currently, my favorite books involve faeries, vampires, werewolves, or dragons and a

very fierce, dark and sassy heroine, but my favorite book of all time is, not surprisingly,

the Harry Potter series, which has none of those.

For someone new to fiction, I would probably recommend A Court of Thorns and Roses

by Sarah J. Mass. It’s very popular right now and I don’t usually do popular, but man, is

that series good. I had nothing to read for awhile—I usually have 2-3 books lined up—and I just needed something. This book kept coming up in book circles and google searches, so I finally gave it a try. It was a gateway into a whole new (world) like I didn’t know I

needed.

ML: What kinds of stories do you enjoy telling? Is there a common theme or element?

BH: Usually mo‘olelo. I love talking about people and things that lived here and could live

here today. The gods and goddesses that brushed their long black hair beside ponds,

luring men to their deaths or the ones that pulled the islands from the sea or the ones that created these islands or the ones that conquered them. I think I like telling these stories because like this video I once watched said, “You can go out and see these gods. You can touch them. You can feel them.” They are real.

ML: Why is storytelling important to you?

BH: Stories have a way of changing you—especially stories you haven’t heard or read before. Stories tell you about people and places and all the possibilities that exist and could exist for you. Great stories and characters inspire us and make us contemplate this life that we are living.

Is it the life we want? What else could exist for us?

Mo‘olelo in particular is super important to me because these need to be told. These tell of a people, a place and a time that have long since passed and yet have a direct impact on its people. These mo‘olelo tell us who we are, where we come from and what we are

capable of. I think our people today really need to know that in today’s time—what we

are capable of.