EA Field School 2018 Journal #4

EA Field School Journal #4

  What if instead of using all of our time, energy, and resources on developing our personal structures (homes, buildings, shopping centers, etc) and accumulating resources (material goods, entertainment, and excess) and we spent some attention and a little more energy on helping to restore and revive our natural systems on Maui,  strengthen community, and build up future leaders in helping to shape this island towards a more sustainable lifestyle.
  Ahupuaʻa around Maui start to produce highly nutritional food that we could distribute to our Schools, community neighbourhoods, food banks, and feeding the less fortunate.  Members of the community would be able to work alongside each other sharing, communining, and getting to know one another on deeper levels creating a tight mutual network built on authentic relationships.  And future generations would come to know and experience this kind of environment creating a solid foundation deep within, building character, and producing healthy individuals with a sense of kuleana for their ʻĀina.
  What if wholistic natural food systems were put back into place?  What kind of benefits or challenges would that bring?  What would it require?  Is it possible?
  For millions and millions of years the creation of Hawaiʻi was built with certain potentiality in mind.  It would have seen the most poetic songwriter, romantic artist, insightful and wise creator(s) orchestrated every mountain top, valley, kahawai, wai puna, makani, all pieces of this island to work and function together in interdependency.  Each land feature, territory was given a god to cultivate and teach the coming of kanaka to survive and mālama ʻāina.  It was as if each wahi was treated with purity, sacredness, and respect, first by the god guardians that protected it then passed unto the kupuna and aliʻi who held those secrets.
 Modern insights in todayʻs world has given another angle of perspective.  The geographical landscape and natural catastrophes create the foundation and resources for life.  From volcanic explosions to ice glaciers on top of Haleakalā falling and creating rides in the landscape, to massive mudslides and pounding winds building and blowing minerals originated as far as China.  The ahupuaʻa such as Kaupō area are filled with exciting geographical stories to be rediscovered.  With each geographical realization brings deeper validation of the kupuna who lived on these lands and cultivated them.
  With some problems we face today such as importing 80%+ of our food, materialism, excess entertainment, etc.  Reestablishing a sustainable ahupuaʻa system within the community, from the community, by the community I believe would alleviate many of the tensions and pressures that come from a european westernized culture.  To set up the success of that vision it is necessary for the proper research to be done ma mua.  Research experts such as Scott Fischer, Kiana Frank,  and Noah Lincon are provided important groundwork for the vision of restoration and malama ʻĀina.  As we continue into the vision of a sustainable Hawaiʻi once again models such as Aunty Dona provide a visual for us to experience this dream.
  As we continue to look into the past to gain wisdom on how to move forward it would seem the biggest barriers can be the comfortable chains that bind the mind to greed, apathy, and selfish ambition that come from generations after generations of institutionalized brainwashing.  It is not only till we are exposed and experience “Aloha ʻĀina” for ourselves that we can truly dive deep into being truly connected to the values of the Lā Hui Hawaiʻi.  This experience not only requires deep intellectual understanding but also hard work and dedication, and mostly passionate spirit to truly live out Aloha.

EA Field School 2018 Journal Entry #3

“E ui aku ana au īa ʻoe, Aia i hea ka Wai a Kāne?”

Microbes and Lepo
-Connect kanaka to ʻĀina
-EA through oxygen “breath” entering through the flow of fresh water
-Can create favorable Conditions for Kalo in a complex community of Microbes
How are kanaka connected to the ʻĀina?
  Kanaka have inherited the world of microbes into their kino through the foods we eat, people we surround ourselves, and the world around us.  In the most literal sense we are what we eat.  Our body if not only made of these microscopic organisms but we ingest them in everything we eat.
  In the loʻi water is necessary for the growth of the kalo.  Water from the kahawai is diverted into the patches.  As water flows and moves the EA “air/ breath” gets mixed into the water molecules creating a more “mana full” energy source for the microscopic world to gain of of.  The EA of our foods are truly found in the foods found in traditional practices.
  Microbes create resources for plants, animals and environment to thrive.  Like a social community they work together feeding and communing to create a potent atmosphere for life to thrive.

Microbes and Moʻolelo 
Some moʻolelo of kahiko use traditional storytelling to describe the microbe world:
-Moʻolelo to pass down key information about wahi
-Moʻolelo to remember key times and events
-Moʻolelo to teach valuable lessons to generations
Are moʻolelo kahiko unscientific?
  Those not familiar with the concept of kaona would not be able to appreciate the multi dimensional multi purpose of moʻolelo.  Many misconceptions about Indigenous stories come to the conclusion that these kinds of stories are irrelevant to today's world.  In recent studies this could be the farthest idea from the truth.  Many examples found in moʻolelo kahiko of wahi show how many of the “magic, mystical, even mysterious” events and phenomenons can be traced empirically.  Such as the changing of colors in wai, kumu lāʻau, fish disappearing, etc.  Moʻolelo turn interest not only to the valuable lessons and haʻawina the story holds, but is traced to the natural science of what is happening with its respected worldview.

Microbes and Networks 
Microbes Communicate with each other like as in a network
Microbes create atmospheres for multi cultural environments for diversity of species
Microbes interact in peculiar ways not yet fully understood by science world

“Aia i ke kuahiwi, I ke kualono, i ke awaawa, i ke kahawai; Aia i laila ka Wai a Kāne.”

O Na Kumu Akua

May 17, 2018

O Na Kumu Akua a Pau

 In this naturalistic worldview of our post - enlightenment culture, the idea of gods and goddesses, spirits, and shapeshifters are only held in fairy tales, myths, and children stories.  The modern western man has found himself comfortable in this matrix of the natural unguided process of science and nothing else.  There is no room for what we cannot see with our natural eyes.  There is no sacred (connection with God or gods), only the secular ( whatever club they chose to be a part of, and the “cult”ure attitudes and behaviors). 

 In many indigenous world views the world is saturated and highly active with spirits.  There is a yet another layer to what we can see with our natural eyes, the realm of the sacred.  In this realm there are powers, principalities, and forces manifested by free agents with unimaginable qualities (Iʻo, Kane, Ku, Lono, Kanaloa, Wakea, Papa, Pele etc.).  With many of the world tribes (such as the Babylonians, Canaanites, Egyptians, Sumerians, and even the greek philosophers)  and upon thousands of thousands of years many of the worlds tribes have come to known these forces, ideals,and powers and may have even found ways to harness, collaborate, and maybe even work with these unseen agents.  

  In Christianity,  most evangelical theology regarding Godʻs sovereignty and angels, these principalities and unseen forces are just extensions of Godʻs will.  As if these agents were just divine robots, extensions of this kind of god.  These gods, spirits, angels, whatever you call them are static beings without the choice of making their own will come to pass.  Some sects of christianity would even go so far as to say not only this is true, but that all of humanity shares this same kind of static, zombie like, notion of a highly controlling dictatorship.  In other words we are all robots, mechanically programed, made to do the bidding of a cold distant creator.  But is this true?

 In the Hebrew bible in the book of Daniel chapter 10.  We see interactions with angels/ spirit beings taken on human forms who are either cooperating with the will of God or battling against it.  In this chapter we see the “guardian” Michael battling the god of Persia and soon awaiting the god of Greece.  There is a kind of warfare that the natural eye cannot see.  It was an assumption in the Hebrew culture of the existence of other godʻs.  And that each supernatural being like humans had free will choice to participate or wage war against each other.  Here a different perspective is seen.  One where the world we live in is as dynamic as the personalities of the individual himself as well as this free will is extended to the unseen forces and “gods” as well.  

 We see more examples within scripture of free agents choosing their own will such as the Behemoth, Leviathan, Yam (in the Psalms), Rahab, “the serpent of the air”, satan, etc.  It would not be a far assumption to take this idea and project it to the different cultures and ancient stories of other gods, goddesses, and supernatural agents.

 In Hawaiʻi there is a pantheon of gods and goddesses (akua), guardian spirits (ʻaumakua), wandering spirits (huakaʻi pō), and a deep connection to the Kupuna ( ancestors and aliʻi).  It is a life of rich and deep connection to the ʻāina and the moʻolelo in which is passed down from generation to generation.  The awareness of the activity of the spirit world was woven into every activity through pule, oli, and aloha ʻāina.  Just as Daniel was able to familiarize himself with the guardians of the geographical territories the Hawaiian people (like many indigenous people groups) were able to recognize the imprints of these gods and goddesses.  Not only there was an awareness to this reality, Hawaiianʻs took it a step further through the Aliʻi.  Aliʻi were manifested gods on earth.  They were the representation of the powers and authorities that were required to maintain Pono (ballance).  Some Aliʻi were so sacred that if even their shadow were casted on you the consequence would be death.  The spiritual world was not even hinted as a joke to the Hawaiian people.  Much care, attention, and sacrifice was given that they would be in harmony with all of creation (seen and unseen).   

 With the coming of the Calvinistic Christians to Hawaiʻi in 1819, came many positive and negative impacts.  With Calvinistic Christians from the ABCFM  leaning more to a hellenistic Aristotelian view as God as an Infinite in power, knowledge, and size (omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent etc.), God became less personal and relational and more abstract and authoritative.  And all gods and goddesses were reduced to evil and wicked in the eyes of the uncultured missionaries.  With this hellenistic christianity hints of Gnosticism became yet another invasive species.  The idea of the physical being evil and only the “spiritual” is good, came many destruction of the sacred sites, places, and geographical locations.  Another school of thought that came with the missionaries were the “Apatheia” of Stocisim.  Where in Hawaiian worldview you are an active agent with the gods, the school of greek thought that influenced these missionaries came the idea of “gods providence”.  That whatever happened you could not change it, it is the natural, unstoppable will of god.  

 Here we start to see the sterilization of religion and spirituality and the split between the sacred and the secular.  Does one leave the complex dynamic interconnected spiritual world for a more straightforward, academic, greek focused religion?  While both alternatives donʻt seem very outdated these were some of the very questions the people of the past (and present) have to answer deep within.  Is it easier to stay objective and passive?  Yes.  It seems better to not event mention these types of topics at all.  But is it beneficial to for the spirit of a man to see beyond himself and into the realm of the unknown?  Yes, but only with guidance and council from the spirit of wisdom and the guardians entrusted to keep pono in their respective territories.

 

KUMULIPO

Sam Peralta

Kumulipo

Did The Universe Have a Beginning?

 The question “Why is there something rather than nothing?” has been one of the deepest philosophical questions of mankind which all worldviews must answer.  In the Hawaiian world view the creation of time, space, and matter is infused with the culture, traditions, and history of the Hawaiian people.  The Kumulipo is interested in allowing the listener to be connected and somewhat involved in the process and ongoing of the creation of the universe in contrast to most 16th century philosophy where the individual remains detached and “objective” in his own sense from the universe.  Here from the start we see the Hawaiian worldview interested in calling mankind into history, inviting him to take part in the development of the unknown to the known.  Rather than the question “why is there something rather than nothing?” The question seems more like “what part does humanity have in the history of the universe?”

From the Unknown to Known

 The Kumulipo starts off the first section with the idea of “Po”.  Po can mean a variety of things in the Hawaiian language, and in context of the Kumulipo and various interpretations the definition can include darkness, obscurity, mystery, realm of the gods, and or chaos.  It is interesting to note that the idea of the formation of order of the universe has always come from disorder, this idea has been throughout all creation stories and legends of the major ancient world religions (Mesopotamians, Babylonians, Persians, Egyptian, Judeo Christian, etc).  With the evolution of consciousness creation chants, stories, and legend were effective ways to make sense of the dangers and unknown mysteries of the world.  And as man could articulate more and more of the mysteries and sacred it seemed he could now organize beauty out of the chaos.  And even start to make sense of his surroundings by the world around him.  

Biological Evolution

 Charles Darwin’s theory of Natural Selection gave science and philosophy new ways of seeing the human body development within the context of creation.  In the Kumulipo the stages of the development and process of creation appearances give me the sense of the same kind of idea.  It seems that the evolution of the human body came from stages of animal development, selection, and adaptation.  Each stage of creature development allowed and paved a way for more complex creatures to appear until the first functional human appears. 

Consciousness of the Sacred Realm

 For the first seven or so Wa (epoch/ time span), the Kumulipo finishes with the saying “O ke Akua ke Komo, ‘a’oe komo kanaka”.  Here we are given insight to the awareness of not only the deep understanding of the biological evolution of the human body, but also of the awareness to the realm of the unknown “the spiritual”.  Hawaiians were intune with creation and the force(s) in which sparked life.  They were not naive or ignorant of the fabric layer of the immaterial.  In the Kumulipo we see that this immaterial world is actually the foundation on which the first humans, even gods, could live in.

Consciousness of Creation

 The land and all of creation were in perfect harmony long before humanity became consciousness.  Here in the Kumulipo it is expressed at the end of the first 7 Wa as “Po No”.  “Po No” in the context of the Kumulipo has two possible meanings.  One meaning “darkness indeed”, implying the great mystery that none can fathom in the creation process.  And the other meaning “Pono” the Hawaiian word that cannot be fully expressed in a single English articulation, but is seen or known to mean balanced or in perfect harmony.  Here in the consciousness of creation the Kumulipo is expressing the idea of complete self sustainability as a functional interdependent organism system. 

 One of the hints Hawaiians had the idea of creation being a self sustaining organism is their idea that before the first humans were conscious everything was “Pono”.  

 Other Thoughts:

 Some other thoughts while pondering the Kumulipo is the understanding of the Consciousness of Self, understanding of Social Consciousness, and the Ethical and Moral Implications implied.  Those discoveries are made in the second section of the Kumulipo called “Ao”. 

 The Kumulipo is a very advanced complex narrative of the creation of the universe while weaving in social, moral, and sacred codes to help guide a society of pioneers, adventurers, and warriors.  What made the Kumulipo even more impressive was the writer’s ability to use the Hawaiian language in its most raw original form through melody and rhythm. 

Sources:

Kalekoa Ka’eo HWN Culture 231

Kiope Raymond HWN 107

“Reading Kumulipo” by Peter 5/07/97

Kumulipo “Wikipedia”

Kumulipo Translated by Martha Warren Beckwith

 

Behaviors, Race, and Truth Paper

Behaviors, Race, and Truth

9/21/2017

 Growing up in the public school system here in Hawaiʻi I was introduced quickly to the diverse cultures and traditions from all around the world that make up the community here on the islands.  Being raised on the island of Kauaʻi with the spectrum of ethnic backgrounds within my extended family members the kind of racism in the negative sense didn’t seem to be a big issue.  Racism in my family circle seemed something in which jokes, passive aggressiveness, and some friendly venting could occur.

 For example when at a family reunion every knew to excuse my grandpaʻs obnoxious rude loud comments because he was “Portuguese”.  On the other side of the room where it smelled like fried fish and patis it didn’t matter if it was stinking up the room (in which most cases you would not want that smell lingering in a social setting) but because they were filipino it was ok.  And when my older cousins got angry for no apparent reason “..it because he was elokano..”  And being elokano a type of filipino apparently they got mad for no reason and it was ok.  Just some of these strange family mannerisms dominated our family social gatherings.  

 I remember as a keiki seeing my cousins who hunted and fished who were white in skin color but yet were considered the most “local”.  I also remember some of my most Hawaiian relatives who were actual Hawaiian, acted the most western with their suit and ties and preaching at a charismatic service.  Skin color, race, and behaviors to me just meant that it was ok for a certain time of person to do something and it be ok because they were ________ (fill in the blank)________.

 As I grew older I saw the down side of using race or ethnic background as a crutch for bad habits and vices.  I remember going to visit my cousins on Kauaʻi after living on Maui for a while, I would be teased because my pidgin wasn’t too pidgin enough or because I wore different type of closes (mostly clothes with no holes in it).

 One of the “bad habits” I grew up recognizing, was when I would visit my cousins and they would not say complete sentences.  After a while I would just tell them what are you saying, speak clearly!  But it would be replied back with a mocking sarcastic tone of “why you not local enough dats why.”  As if the assumption here was the more someone couldn’t understand you gave you more local credits. 

 Another “local” thing to do was drink green bottle beers.  It was ironic to me even as I teenager to think that was local because it said imported.  And who said that drinking beers was a local thing to do?  It was something I picked up in my intermediate school days from my classmates who probably saw their uncles drinking on the beach and rumors spread that if you drink lots of beer (the green bottle kind) you are more local.  I wonder how much sales Hawaii has given to that company just by marketing off it. 

 My experience as a local here on the island of Maui when I was younger was that race usually associated with the kinds of behavior patterns people wanted to associate themselves with.  It was like you could almost choose your “racial preferences” by doing certain behaviors, like wearing board shorts only, drinking green bottled beers, and speaking only in pidgin you would be considered local.

 

 Growing up on a transit island like Maui you meet countless amounts of people on a daily.  You create close ties quickly and just as quickly you see them leave.  With Maui having 1,000,000 tourist a year it gets a little tiring having to share spaces with the tourist and their lifestyle I feel that I was starting to create prejudices and perceptions of my own.  

 Some of my prejudices and perceptions happen to come out of close friends who I became close with but after a short time left the island which took a tole on my heart, other prejudices came from working in the tourist industry where high expectations and demands were made upon you (rightly so because they were paying for it) but created a kind of resentment towards visitors, and another ingredient towards my racial bias came from diving deep into the western christian culture.  Each example has tainted and colored my view on race; but more specifically culture. 

 In my teens, assuming like all teens, they are trying to find their identity.  This deep philosophical question (who am I?) is yet one of the deepest human mysteries and as a growing islander from Hawaii it seemed that my past education didn’t equip me with answers to ground myself in.  So just like any other teen trying to find who they are in this complex world media, friends, and music was my go to identity getter. 

 I think about the quote from David Hume on identity “How can you know something if you don’t know what it is?”.  Here doing a paper on racial experience and culture I am still trying to find out what people are trying to really articulate when they point fingers at another human being and use skin color as a target for their offense.  

 How am I writing this paper exactly?  Well upon reflection upon this short time of writing it seems that the history of my life has been filled with contradictions, paradoxes, and human emotions because of the diversity and complex beliefs within this close quartered multi nation rock in the middle of the pacific.  I am realizing that there is something inside me that is used to these anomalyʻs found in Hawaii.  Upon further reflection I perceive maybe it isn’t about skin color or behaviors but about the hidden walls, bitterness, and tensions between human to human interactions. 

 Maybe Iʻm going way left field on this target but from my experience one of the biggest human problems is the lack of clear vulnerable authentic communication.  It seems that without that kind of communication, protective personalities, walls, and false personas fill the forefront of our interactions with the unknown world and people in it.  

 Maybe all this pretending to behave a certain way or even communicate in a certain way has been shaped by the hardships and pain of betrayal, un forgiveness, and maybe false beliefs.  Itʻs like we wrap up all the dark emotions of our heart and project them unto others finding any hint or clues that we can persecute in the name of taking justice and self righteous duty.  

 Or maybe this racial tension and language it is a reflection on what we do really believe in our hearts and minds.  That our club is the superior club and that all other “others” should do it our way.  Maybe this kind of vulnerability and authentic language is one where we can use power to dominate and push the weaker group over.  Itʻs a power versus power war.  Though I doubt it. 

 One of my conclusions is that because most people donʻt really truly understand who they are (history, traditions, purposes, and beliefs) it is like people with no foundation have become like sponges that soak up the plethora of beliefs and ideas coming in from the world.  With so many choices, view points, and contradictions its no wonder that I see most younger generations here in Hawaiʻi with a lack of security, trust, and resistance.  It may be so that we are tired of following empty ideas, false doctrines, and even seeing our hard working parents make it paycheck to paycheck.  What better persons to blame than the “other”.

 

 Traveling to many places around the world it seems that no matter where you go there are timeless values that stand across the board.  One of the most important moments in my life was when I was introduced to the concept (some would say a person) of truth. Truth became the sword that cut through all the empty ideas and gold and glitter of the world.  I started to see racial terminology as excuses for a lack of discernment or understanding, and I started to see peopleʻs actions as either true or less true.  And by that I mean their efforts to come to a place within themselves to do things out of a place of free will choice rather than self biases, socio cultural narratives, and robotic systematic procedures.  

 Telling the truth is easy but getting to a place where you can actually see past the control, manipulation, and the patterns of the world can be the most difficult obstacle.  

 

 So in closing for now.  It seems that trying to get the obstacle of untangling the complex beliefs of the world and or taking out the walls and protective personalities that were built over the years from pain (sometimes not realizing that its there), seems more of a daunting task.  So instead of getting help from others learning how to navigate through the puzzle of ideas, it seems quite easier to just be a racist and write people off because it seems more convenient.  No one likes confrontation and getting deep into their gushy issues of the heart, in fact most people have not even started to learn that there is such a thing.  But as for me traveling the world, going back to school and learning from others here on this beautiful island of Maui I can feel new hope rising in my core that is about to permeate the islands. 

HWN Studies 107 ESSAY #2

Sam Peralta

HWN 107

   
 With the first European arrival in 1778 came an introduction to the western worldview.  A worldview very different than the particular conception of the world, or a philosophy of life as the Hawaiian people.  At the start of the 18th century the “Age of Enlightenment” became the dominant view in which much of Europe and the American people have come to known.   The Enlightenment included a range of ideas centered on reason as the primary source of authority and legitimacy and came to advance ideals like liberty, progress, tolerance, fraternity, constitutional government and separation of church and state.  During this “Age of Discovery” period in Europe and America, there were many catalyst that gave these explorers/ voyagers this sense of mission, “calling”, and or duty to “Manifest destiny”.  

“Historian William E. Weeks has noted that three key themes were usually touched upon by advocates of manifest destiny: 1) The virtue of the American people and their institutions; 2) The mission to spread these institutions, thereby redeeming and remaking the world in the image of the United States;  3) The destiny under God to do this work”.  These ideas were willing to become manifested by the people who held them, all that was needed was the places to do so.

 Landing in the 18th and 19th century to Hawaii was not only this type of worldview but things like free ranging livestock, diseases/ sicknesses (which brought losses of human life at the highest levels), and diversion of malama ‘aina to more commercial activities all contributed to the shaking of the core of the Hawaiian worldview which was directly related to the relationship of the ‘aina.  For example because of the commercial venture of sandalwood harvesting and production many of the daily cultural practices were put aside.  Large amounts of sandalwood would take the places of natural resources in which provided nurishment, quality of living, and a relationship to the ‘aina.  Another example would be the types of material goods that was brought in.  The concept of exchanging paper for more choice options such as alcohol, trinkets, and gun powder became a temptation, bartering no longer was the common norm but longing of these foreign material items became a disruption to the social fabric of the Hawaiian people.  With new diseases, desires, and delicacies the people of Hawaii was dealt with even greater pressures and tensions in an ever increasing, changing, and what one could perceive as unstable environment.  With the death of Kamehameha in 1819, Hawaii was now in an ever increasing fragile state.  The lifting of the “Ai kapu” and the time period of the “Ai noa” was now instated by Kamehameha’s son Liholiho.  During this time frame the Ali’i called for a breaking of the “Ai kapu” by presenting an act of defiance to the ancient traditional ways.  This sparked a chain of events that leave some of the Hawaiian people in total trust of their Ali’i nui and the unseen forces and others willing to sacrifice their very lives against this act of negligence.  Within less than a year another universe of ideas are introduced to the Hawaiian people by the ABCFM Calvinist Missionaries.  With ever increasing change these new sets of ideas in politics, economy, spirituality, religion, and tradition bring in new challenges that Hawaiian people had to navigate though.  Learning to read and write english and hawaiian was a great advancement for Hawaii.  This gave great insight to both cultures and an open door to the world and even the next.  But in the back drop of this story, businessman, pharisees, and, schemers continued to investigate ways on how to suppress, steal, and destroy this relationship the people of Hawaii had with their Akua, aumakua, kupuna, and ‘aina.  Here we start to see the denigration of the Hawaiian beliefs and practices, the regulating of the Hawaiian language, and harmful prejudices.  Education systems become english speaking only schools, businesses and churches strive for land ownership, and the replacement of natural land resource managements for exportation of commercial use.  The western mindset becomes a bully in the home lands of the Hawaiian people using its political manipulation for its own selfish gain in the name of “providence”. 

 Ancient cultural practices kept Hawaiians connected to their comlex value system.  It was a way to live in the sacred and to be aware of the unseen.  With oppression facing the Hawaiian way of living, and the forces of colonialism in act, Hawaii was at constant threat by hungry land owners.  These ingredients all added up to the overthrow of the Hawaiian Monarchy in 1893.

Sources:

Changes in Society and Plant Use After 1820

Brief Chronology of Post-contact Hawai’i

Bud Clark Philosophy 101

Kiope Raymond HWN 107

Video: Act of War

Settler Colonialism For HWN 107 Class

Sam Peralta

HWN 107

Settler Colonialism

   Settler colonialism can be used interchangeably with the idea of “dominance hierarchy”.  But first let us look at the world colonialism and its origins.  This idea of extending power over for the purpose of control has been traced first back to Greek influence after the fall of the Bronze Age with population growth no longer sustainable they looked towards seas to direct their people too.  This hunger and need for “tribe” survival no matter how sophisticated they may be now called “colonialism” can be examined further and deeper by looking at the natural structured system found in the the very similar concept in Colonialism called “dominance hierarchies”.   

Dominance hierarchies arises when members of a social group interact, often aggressively to create a ranking system.  Ever since the start and development of creation, dominance hierarchies have been a huge part of survival and adaptation for all of life.  This power struggle and hunger is embedded deep within creation history.  From humanity's most basic beginnings found within the darwinism evolution theory ( or found in Kumulipo) as a basic single celled organism, to the fierce almost impossible odds of organizing and adapting to more complex creatures, for millions and millions of years this dominance power struggle has been the norm for creation.  The necessity of one power (or group of powers) overcoming another for survival has been almost genetically wired within this worldʻs inhabitants.  From the earliest of tribes aiming for survival, conquest, and urges to satisfy their desires, settling and extending collective power for personal gain has, is, and will always be the case.

 But the Hawaiian Story like many other indigenous stories (Africans, Hebrews, Indians, Polynesian islands, etc.) premises their human consciousness not on the random, cruel, and unguided materialistic/ naturalistic processes of evolution.  Life does not begin with the carnal beastly urges for survival, but life begins with the touch of the divine.  The idea of settler colonialism is an ideology of power and hierarchy that stems from the animal kingdom.  Power takes on different forms such as military, diplomacy, science, etc. and uses it for its own tribes agenda, purposes, and wantings.  In the Hawaiian Kingdom like many other cultures in tune with creation and the Creator, life isnʻt random but is built in with sacrifice, offering, and the awareness of the principalities, powers, and authorities seen and unseen.  Life isnʻt about fending for the individualistic self but a more holistic, accountable, consciousness for Akua, others, and self.  Bob Marley sang “emancipate yourself from mental slavery, for none but ourselves can free our minds..” Here I believe he is singing about getting out of the world system of dominance hierarchy, colonialism, imperialism, babylon etc. and stepping where this game cannot be played.  Bob Marley continues to sing about prophets and fulfilling “the book”, he sings about the realm of the sacred, of the unknown, of a reality more real than the ones we can only see with our naturalistic eyes.  The Hawaiian people were deeply in tune with this reality way beyond the years of its oppressors (americans) who only formly copied their oppressors (europeans) and so on (greeks).  As Dr Keanu Sai has said “Sovereignty Continues” for the people of Hawaii.  It is only this ghost or a structure that tempts mankind to participate with this game of power, oppression, and apathy.  With deeper meditation and reflection the structure of “settler colonialism” controls and consumes only those who want to play that game.  For those who have been lead out of this suppressive system structured by the powers of this world it is plain to see that greed, selfish ambition, and apathy has colonized the hearts of persons who have not noticed its enemy of the soul.  In the book of Ephesians chapter six verse twelve it says “... for our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, authorities, powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of this evil in the heavenly realms.” 

 E mālama ʻia nā pono o ka ʻāina e na ʻōpio.  ( The traditions of the land are perpetuated by its youth).  Maybe itʻs a lack of knowledge of what the Kupuna already knew and the practice of the sacred traditions, sharing of stories, and prayers that those who have/ are waiting for their salvation really need.  A lift from the structures of this secular world into the realm of the sacred and the tools and wisdom in how to navigate within it.  Settler Colonialism to me seems like a “western world” concept.  For those who do not want to participate in that system, deep thought, council, and wisdom can be taken, to take a leap into the unknown.  For those who have taken that leap into the unknown without wisdom, council, and help most of them do not come back in a sane state.  But the benefits if one makes it to the consciousness of a grand narrative beyond human constructs find themselves surely liberated.  Hawaiian people served their Aliʻi in representation to their faith in the sacred realm.  And for one to leave the sacred, the very reality of living, the place where identity dwells in replacement for a materialistic existence is surely a bad trade off.  In this paper hopefully I tried to make a distinction between “Settler Colonialism” (or Dominance Hierarchy) is in the reality of this world and its powers.  Where if one can take a different approach, and not play the games of this world, and be a -tune with the sacred realm, focusing on words like calling, vision, mission, prophecy, destiny become world's available to discover and adventure in.  I guess when it comes down to it, the attitude and free will choice to choose freedom or slavery, history has shown that humanity usually chooses what its used to.

Refrences:

https://globalsocialtheory.org/concepts/settler-colonialism/

Bob Marley “Redemption Song”

Ephesians 6:12    

Dominance Hierarchies:  Jordan Peterson