Hawaiians are Struggling to Survive
Native Hawaiian people require more; our ongoing claims will not disappear. We must work hard now for peaceful change. The injustices of the
overthrow, past promises unmet, racist & militarist suppression, are sufficient to trigger bitter complaint and retaliation. I do not want violence, loss
of life, ethnic cleansing, destruction of property.
Native Hawaiian people must regain control of our inheritance. I hope we can reaffirm neutrality, and aim to demilitarize. There are many
collaborative models to investigate, such as those of other Native American nations with the USA or Canada, Wales & Scotland with England and
the UK, the Sami people with the Nordic nations, Svalbard, etc.
At the time of the overthrow, the colonial powers operated differently than nations today. Local people throughout the world were belittled, and some
were eliminated. The Hawaiian Kingdom had late & limited access to the language, knowledge and tools necessary to navigate the many tempests
suddenly brought to our shores. A large proportion of our people were killed by foreign viruses. Those who survived needed to contend with abrupt
modernization, new language, and often devious cultural encroachment. Many English-language press reports of the 1890s were disinformation,
"news" created to support strategy, with undisguised contempt for "natives & half-castes" obstinately in the way of personal profits & colonial
expansionism. Yet our people survive!
Native Hawaiians now have spokespersons, legal representatives, and widespread energies for achieving justice & wresting back control of our
inheritance. For example, Mauna Kea is continually desecrated for global scientific purposes; the workers know little or nothing about Poli
ʻahu, and
possibly don't care. The world's tallest mountain deserves respect. We've learned to respect the churches & historic sites of other cultures; our local
people and cultural sensitivities are important. Outside-generated projects need more oversight.
As our world changes, news is almost instantaneous, reported from multiple perspectives. Brute military force is often ineffective, and increasingly
resented. Could it soon be advantageous for the USA to cultivate Hawai
ʻi as a neutral central Pacific partner? We're tough & forward
-looking. Most
of us recognize the beauty & wonder around us, even amidst irksome tasks. Hawai
ʻi has much to offer the world. I'd like to se
e well-built Aloha
Centers in many communities, including some on the mainland and further afield, to showoff Hawaiian diversity to the world. We need a Hometown
Hawaii process to mitigate our crippling diaspora; outreach is key to our success.
We must prepare for assorted troubles. We cannot expect U.S. Federal occupation will smoothly end with graceful withdrawal. It is essential we
generate support. We’ll need help on legal formats and tactics; we now need better publicity. The upcoming congress will trigger major boredom &
active ambush; supporters of Hawai’i might please start seeking ways we can outsource and overcome predictable roadblocks.
Can we find ways to get wide segments of our community working together? Many find politics, law & administration tiresome and ill-suited.
Looking at
the wider success of the Hōkūleʻa, I imagine we can (re)generate community success with fishponds and hukilau, getting down & dirty in
a taro patch, evening meetings, children’s games, local food appreciation. We must continually mobilize diverse native Hawaiian fronts and keep a
wide range of ongoing cultural projects and practices active.
Hawaiʻi's long history as a welcoming community is extremely valuable & need not be damaged. Let's widely spread Aloha.