Ancient Hawaii’s resource management systems called the “Kapu,” “Ahapua’a,”
“Makahiki” were very effective systems and I believe that these were the cause of the Hawaiians
being very successful in surviving for a very long period of time. According to article called
“Ahapua’a,” Hawaiian’s highest chiefs would rule over the land even though it was divided into
smaller parts which were ruled by smaller land lords. This system was called “Ahapua’a,” and it
was a very effective strategy for the preservation of animals. The “Kapu” system was for all
Hawaiian and it controlled the people’s lifestyle, gender roles, politics, and religion. `The
“Makahiki” was a festival in which the Hawaiians honored the God Lono in Hawaiian religious
beliefs. These
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three systems was what really made Hawaii a very powerful island force and this powerful force was so strong, it killed Captain James Cook when he tried to take advantage of the islanders of their riches.
The “Ahapua’a” system in my opinion was a very well thought out system and it was
what I believe made the Hawaiian Islands so successful for a long period of time. This system
was so effective in spreading out land for all people. This system prevented the islanders from
fighting over land since everyone had land. These divided land lots were called “Mokus” and
according to www.hawaiianhistory.org , the island of O’ahu had six mokus. These mokus were
run by the hononikis (present-day mayors), and they would regulate water use and animal
hunting to preserve them for the future generations. This system made the Hawaiian Islands so
sustainable and if it wasn’t for European colonization in Hawaii, the system would still be
beneficial today.
The “Kapu” system was a code of conduct that controlled all of the Hawaiian’s moral
codes such as their religion, gender roles, lifestyle and politics. This system was so effective and
it was used in all of the “Ahapua’a” systems. According to an article called “Kapus,” the word
Kapu is translated to “forbidden” and it was used by the honohikis to tell the Hawaiian what
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and what not to do. The punishment for breaking this code of conduct would be death and it was so effective in my opinion because the ancient Hawaiians were so scared to break the rules for the fear of death.
If it wasn’t for this system, the people of Hawaii would have acted like savages
because they would have had no moral, and this is why this system was so important to the
Hawaiian people.
The “Makahiki” was a system that made the Hawaiians create festivals every lunar month
to honor their God Lono. During these festivals, the Hawaiian people practiced their dances,
sports, feasting and renewing their communal bonds. This system was so effective because it
kept the Hawaiians active and it made the bonds between landlords and chiefs stay strong. These
festivals were so important for keeping the Hawaiian religious beliefs alive and even to this day,
Hawaiians still celebrate “Makahiki.” Without this system, the Hawaiian people wouldn’t have
anyone to worship which meant they would have no fear and committing sins or breaking moral
codes; they would become savages without this system.
These are my opinions on the “Ahapua’a,” “Kapu,” and the “Makahiki” systems. The
“Ahapua’a”system was effective for diving land and preventing feuds over lands. It was also
effective for honohkis to establish their “Kapu” system. The “Kapu” system was effective for
giving the Hawaiian people a code of conduct. They would have to follow these codes or
else they would be punished by death. This fear of being punished made the Hawaiians scared to commit crimes which made the islands a lot safer. The “Makahiki” system was effective for bringing all of the Hawaiian people together to bond and worship their God Lono. If it wasn’t for this system, the people wouldn’t have a fear of an almighty god and it would result in them committing crimes and sins because they had nothing to fear. In my opinion, these three systems were very important to the Ancient Hawaiian people and it made their islands very sustainable. If it weren’t for these systems, the people of Hawaii wouldn’t have been as successful as they once were; they could have possibly died off thousands of years ago without these three systems
Often times, the history that is being told is one of Hawaiian weakness, and defeat. The Bayonet Constitution of 1887, the Overthrow of 1893, and the Annexation of 1898, are all often used as examples of moments of powerlessness in the Hawaiian Kingdom. What about all history prior to, in between, and after, these major dates? Surely, it did not just disappear. In the last few decades, Hawaiian history has changed dramatically due to the works of many Hawaiian historians. The history that was lost has been found, and new discoveries are still being made. Hawaiʻi’s history is a story of resistance, pride, and unity. Included within this history is a man named Robert William Kalanihiapo Wilcox. Wilcox was a revolutionist, and a leader, but he enjoyed being a politician the most. Wilcox was the beacon of hope that helped guide the people of Hawaiʻi through darkness. Wilcox was and still is today a symbolic figure in Hawaiʻi’s political history.
Kuykendall, Ralph S. The Hawaiian Kingdom, 1854-1874: Twenty Critical Years. Honolulu: University of Hawaii, 1953. Print.
The role of a kahuna in the Hawaiian culture takes on the responsibility of keeping a balance between the people and the nation. In doing so, they apply their field of expertise towards assisting the aliʻi and the makaʻāinana. In ancient Hawai’i, there were many different types of kāhuna that had a skill set that contributed or benefited the community. In this paper I will discuss the different ways a kahuna achieves this type of balance within the lāhui. These kuleana include advising the aliʻi to make pono decisions, guiding the makaʻāinana in their daily lives and practices, and taking care of the spiritual side of the Hawaiian culture and traditional practices of the people.
A small company of thirty-four New England missionaries came to Hawaii between 1820 and 1930, were the first modern immigrants. (Lind p.59) Missionaries were powerful agents of cultural destruction, coming to Hawaii to settle and teach their ways and beliefs. Bloodthirsty priests and despotic chiefs had ruled one reason for missionaries arriving and settling in Hawaii, due to the fact that they believed ancient Hawaiians. (Trask p.14) Bringing along cultural havoc by establishing a western style educational system, which included the first textbook as the Bible. The most critical change was in the use of language as a tool of colonization. Language had once been inseparable from the Hawaiians and their history by communicating their heritage between and among many generations, now came to be used as the very vehicle of alienation from their habits of life.
The Hawaiian culture is known throughout the western world for their extravagant luaus, beautiful islands, and a language that comes nowhere near being pronounceable to anyone but a Hawaiian. Whenever someone wants to “get away” their first thought is to sit on the beach in Hawai’i with a Mai tai in their hand and watch the sun go down. Haunani-Kay Trask is a native Hawaiian educated on the mainland because it was believed to provide a better education. She questioned the stories of her heritage she heard as a child when she began learning of her ancestors in books at school. Confused by which story was correct, she returned to Hawai’i and discovered that the books of the mainland schools had been all wrong and her heritage was correctly told through the language and teachings of her own people. With her use of pathos and connotative language, Trask does a fine job of defending her argument that the western world destroyed her vibrant Hawaiian culture.
The Hawaiian Islands are well known for their beauty, tranquility, and unique culture that have shaped this state into what we see today. The special bond that the natives have formed between themselves and nature is not exactly one of a kind, but it is something that can truly be admired. Around approximately 300 AD, Hawaii was discovered by Polynesians who arrived by canoe from Tahiti. These migrants brought their polytheistic spirituality and formed a large intricate society with hierarchies consisting of many chiefs. Alongside the ruling of the chiefs, the newborn Hawaiians followed a strict belief system known as Kapu akua otherwise known as the “law of the gods”. The Kapu was a strict set of rules and restraints that dictated all aspects of ancient Hawaiian life, including political. These rules were used as a means to control the lives of lower class and female population in order to honor their gods and maintain balance within their Mana.
The arrival of the missionaries in Hawaii changed the lives of the natives in huge ways that lasted forever. The introduction of western houses and culture had a big influence on Hawaii. The native Hawaiians built their houses out of grass and had very simple villages, but when the missionaries established their settlement they built more sophisticated and sturdy homes out of coral and used western architectural methods to construct buildings. The Hawaiians soon following their lead and the royalty all had western palaces for homes. This also lead to an increase in technology, such as the use of wells and water lines to store fresh water for the towns. They also began to bring in and
While walking down the beach, the white, warm sand mushes between your toes. The sun’s radiant rays beam off your glowing skin. The sound of waves crashing blocks out the external world. There is no other place like the gorgeous tropical islands of Hawaii. The wide range of flowers, cuisine, and wildlife makes it one of the most picturesque places on Earth. It also leads the United States with the highest racial minority rate making it the most diverse state. However, there are numerous hidden dangers of Hawaii, and not all ethnic groups get along causing sharp tensions across the island.
...e" (Trask xix). This incident beautifully illustrates and signifies tourism's impact in American society. Like most Americans, this woman uses a discourse that has been shaped by tourist advertisements and souvenirs. The woman's statement implies that Trask resembles what the tourist industry projects, as if this image created Hawaiian culture. As Trask asserts, Hawaiian culture existed long before tourism and has been exploited by tourism in the form of advertisements and items such as postcards. Along with the violence, endangered environment, and poverty, this exploitation is what the tourist industry does not want to show. However, this is the Hawai'i Haunani-Kay Trask lives in everyday. "This is Hawai'i, once the most fragile and precious of sacred places, now transformed by the American behemoth into a dying land. Only a whispering spirit remains" (Trask 19).
They believe chanting is a very personal way of expressing feelings and thoughts on a higher level of communication. The topics of the chants may include warfare, death, sex, birth, chiefs, gods, the beauty of the island and water, or even surfing. This exotic culture was hidden from the world until 1778, when Captain James Cook and his men became the first westerners to discover the islands of Hawaii. When they arrived on Kaua’i, the islanders performed the hula dance as a way of greeting the strangers. Later in 1820, Christian missionaries from New England came to the islands, armed with the Bible and narrow-minded thoughts.
Racism in Hawaii has caused various issues, and one of them is racial tension. It states that “ some say…”[there are]”...racial tensions between the islands white community and native hawaiians” (Hansen, paragraph 3). Well, in history, it was quite difficult for most of the
...Hawai`i’s economy is very dependent on tourism, however many locals are possessive of their land, and as they stereotype tourists, many do not accept others as they have a unity for their own. Numerous individuals feel the desideratum to fit the local stereotype because they prefer not to be labeled as a “haole”. It becomes tough and rather intense for an individual, because becoming haole betokens that you forgot and disregarded the local or Hawaiian quality values and ways of routes, as well as the flowing stream of life in the islands. We need to remind ourselves that regardless of where we emanate from, our skin tone, race, physical characteristics, and so forth, everybody ought to acknowledge just for who we/they are and treat one another like 'ohana and show "aloha", and subsequently, we can determinately verbally express "This is it. This is Paradise" (33).
Jovik, Sonia P. and James O. Jovik. (1997). “History.” Atlas of Hawaii. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, p.408.
The gods and their fighting are responsible for much of the weather. Tawhiri, who is the god of wind, creates the winds and hurricanes. Tane is a god specifically for forests, typical of a tropical island. Tangaroa is the god of the sea, given that the Polynesians are an island culture. He accounts for the waves and whirlpools. Rangi and Papa’s tears due to separation are responsible for rain and dew in the mornings. (“Creation Myth – Maori”) The Polynesian diet consists of many organic roots and crops. Rongo is the god of sweet potato and other cultivated foods, illustrating the importance of sweet potato itself, being that it has its own god. Rongo also means “peace,” further strengthening the importance of their agricultural lifestyle. (“Maori Gods and Goddesses”) There is also a god for fern root and wild edible plants, named Haumia. Earthquakes are explained in the creation myth as well. The Polynesian are located in the Ring of Fire, an area in the Pacific of active volcanoes and earthquakes, which explains it scientifically. However, in their creation myth, Hine Timata’s son, Ruaumoko, causes earthquakes when he walks around in the Underworld. The creation of New Zealand segments provides a detailed explanation of the mountainous formation of the island, due to Maui’s mischievousness and the inability of his brother’s to follow orders. The Polynesians have carefully supplied explanations and corresponding gods and goddesses for each part of their culture and environment. Much of the Maori creation myths intertwine emotion and divinity together to form realistic situations on a larger scale in order to explain the formation of the world the Maoris know