Did Tiki Fail to Protect the Hawaiian 'Aina? - General Tiki

T Tiki-bot Member Joined: Jun 24, 2002 Posts: 1345	T Tiki-bot Posted posted on Tue, Jan 6, 2004 12:55 PM No disrespect to native Americans or Hawaiians (whatever a native Hawaiian is), but a common thread in the downfall of many indiginous populations was their own participation in it. Just like today, many people are just out for personal gain and ignore their greater cultural heritage out of economic necessity. How could it hurt us if I can trade these goods with the white men so I can better support my family? Why shouldn't we let them use our harbor? We need the bucks (or rum or weapons or textiles or whatever). I'm not saying that the cultural usurpers were not often opportunistic, thieving, lying, back-stabbing cretins, just saying that it's usually not such a clean-cut issue of the innocent idyllic natives being overrun by evil white men. A perfect example of this today is in South America where native indian populations have been forced by their intense poverty (partially brought on by the native rulers' short-sightedness) to "sell" large tracts of forest to developers or become what are essentially enslaved farm workers. Starve to death and lose my family or work for the men who are destroying my land and culture? Oh, and isn't "tiki" a haole bastardization of the Hawaiian "nihi"?

No disrespect to native Americans or Hawaiians (whatever a native Hawaiian is), but a common thread in the downfall of many indiginous populations was their own participation in it.

Just like today, many people are just out for personal gain and ignore their greater cultural heritage out of economic necessity. How could it hurt us if I can trade these goods with the white men so I can better support my family? Why shouldn't we let them use our harbor? We need the bucks (or rum or weapons or textiles or whatever).

I'm not saying that the cultural usurpers were not often opportunistic, thieving, lying, back-stabbing cretins, just saying that it's usually not such a clean-cut issue of the innocent idyllic natives being overrun by evil white men.

A perfect example of this today is in South America where native indian populations have been forced by their intense poverty (partially brought on by the native rulers' short-sightedness) to "sell" large tracts of forest to developers or become what are essentially enslaved farm workers. Starve to death and lose my family or work for the men who are destroying my land and culture?

Oh, and isn't "tiki" a haole bastardization of the Hawaiian "nihi"?

Post #67933 by Tiki-bot on Tue, Jan 6, 2004 12:55 PM