Post #327442 by Okolehao on Wed, Aug 22, 2007 2:20 PM

I've always had a very hard time with the idea that somehow native cultures are superior to modern, homogenized cultures and that the present generation should atone for crimes of the past. From what little I know about the ancient Hawaiian culture, it was not paradise as some would have us believe. If looked at by today’s standards we would consider it a brutal theocracy. Absolute power was concentrated in the hands of a few and justice, if you can call it that, was often unfairly bloody. Many people only concentrate on the artistic elements of cultures without looking at the whole structure of the societies. Yes, much was lost with westernization, but I think more was gained. It is sad that things like disease came with foreigners, but how could that have been prevented in that time in history? Devastating diseases were a fact of life for the entire world. There was no way that contact with any visitors, East or West, could have been stopped. Even the native peoples of the first outside contact were eager to gain the technology and goods that were available to them. Yes, oppression, marginalization, and poverty came with outside contact, but that is changing as we speak. Even since statehood our country has made terrific gains in recognizing the rights of all peoples and that inequity is something that hurts everyone.

Sovereignty would do nothing to change present day Hawaii except stoke the fires of racism. The unspoken element in the discussion is the belief that having true Hawaiian blood should make one superior in the decisions about the islands destiny. This belief seems silly on many levels, not the least of which is the fact that there are only a handful of people who can claim a full Hawaiian pedigree. Most people who claim to be ‘real’ Hawaiians have a mixture of many nationalities and races in their family tree. I can trace my family tree back to Jamestown, but I’ll never be considered a Native American. How long is it supposed to take to become a native? It can even be argued that ancient Hawaiians are not really an ancient people. The migration of Polynesians to Hawaii took place between 300AD and 600AD. That is certainly within the time frame of recorded history, not ancient history. Should pre-Roman Anglos consider themselves more native than the present day English because of the mixing of people after the Viking conquests? We all came from somewhere else. We all can claim some sort of oppression in our past. Just ask the anthropologists who believe there was a ‘menehune’ race that was wiped out with the Polynesian migration.

I do believe in a people’s right to control their destiny and if Hawaii decides to become sovereign, they should be able to do that. But everyone, not just those that claim a certain blood line, should be a part of that process. I don’t believe we, meaning all of us, should feel guilty for the past. It’s what we do today that matters.

The world is getting smaller as we speak. There is no reason, nor any way, to turn back the clock of time. We are here, now. We should be working to make our future, as one people, the best it can be.