Ko’u Houna (My World): English’s Quest to Dominate the Hawaiian People
Before Captain James Cook stumbled upon the small pacific islands in 1778, around 250,000 to one million Hawaiians occupied the islands. By 1848, the population decreased to around 88,000, while American missionaries were dissolving their religion and culture. In these seventy years, volunteers came to the Hawaiian Islands seeking to “help” the native peoples; but left them abused, used, and their unique culture Americanized, as portrayed in the movie Hawaii. This shameful moment in our country’s history proves on how once a culture feels developed enough, in this case the English speaking culture, it spreads to other countries controlling the native languages, religions, and traditions.
Before Euro-American exploration, Hawaii had a unique language. Having but a few choice words, explaining their environment, relationships, and feelings, British or American missionaries found these words different from anything they had seen before. The Hawaiians seemed to “click” their vowels and accentuated sounds in different words. Once Euro-American settlers came to the islands, the language dissolved into a more English dominant world. Missionaries and settlers taught the natives English, and then later forced them to use the dominant language. They had pure intentions; in order to trade with one another English became necessary. In the movie, many Hawaiians asked American teachers to teach them English. But this was because they needed to reach out to the President of the United States to ask if he could help their people from further abuse. When they alienated those who chose not to speak English, they lost support from the Hawaiians. Missionaries taught them basics to work in society (vowels, structure, etc.) but they also taught the Hawaiians that their culture could never satisfy their standards.
Looking at the English language today, one can find very little Hawaiian influences. Many would assume the word pineapple had some Hawaiian origin, but in reality, it came from a late Middle English origin, and the Spanish introduced the fruit to the Hawaiian people in 1813. Considering the language is like a sponge allowing words from other cultures to enter in its dictionary, the idea that Hawaiian had no influence on English surprises me. The reason for this disconnect between the two cultures is due to the arrogance of the European and American teachers. English speakers saw it as their way or no way at all when it came to transforming Hawaiian culture, this characteristic can be seen in the character Reverend Hale in Hawaii. He never learned much Hawaiian in the forty years he was on the islands, he learned just enough to get by and teach Christianity; in any other situation he just used a translator.
English speakers also have a difficult time speaking Hawaiian words. The clicks, and drops the sounds go through has differences than speakers are used to and they found it easier to teach Hawaiians English. They did not want to learn Hawaiian and so as a result, the language became unpopular quick, and now very few people know Hawaiian. Words used in pop culture references like big kahuna, hula, aloha, and other words used in American songs. Now over five million people visit Hawaii each year and their language has become a tourist attraction, like their beaches and hula dancers.
In Hawaii, the Euro-American settlers also demolished their polytheistic religion. Protestant ministers, like Rev. Hale, could not wrap their heads around the fact that the native peoples did not believe in God. They decided to make their way to the islands to teach the native peoples how to lead Christian lives, thus proving to God that they are worthy enough to in His eyes. However, these ministers did not treat the Hawaiians with respect, instead they demanded that they should resent their Gods or they will burn in Hell’s hottest depths. This scare tactic worked to convert many Hawaiians, but like the language barrier, many found themselves left on the other side. It came as a cultural shock to the Hawaiians; they did not prepare for such a change. To be told that something they believed in, something that created their entire existence does not exist, and that by believing in it they will burn in Hell when they die would be a terrifying experience, I am surprised they had any converts at all.
With every culture comes its own traditions, and to the Protestant missionaries these traditions seemed barbaric, and to them showed signs of weakness and impurity. King Kamehameha II started to dissolve traditions, starting with creating a law allowing women to eat with men. Some traditions needed to be dissolved, such as the twenty six types of adultery and incest discussed in the film. However, the manner in which the Euro-American settlers caused these changes showed arrogance. They pressed Euro-American ideals on to the people and demanded that they see change soon, as opposed to letting the change take place in peace. This would have prevented riots such as the ones in 1887 and 1893, and America’s forced abdication of Queen Lili’uokalani. Queen Lili’ukoalani’s resignation marked the end to the Hawaiian monarchy, a strong tradition in the islands. She left promising to the United States government her possible return:
“Now to avoid any collision of armed forces, and perhaps the loss of life, I do this under protest and impelled by said force yield my authority until such time as the Government of the United States shall, upon facts being presented to it, undo the action of its representatives and reinstate me in the authority which I claim as the Constitutional Sovereign of the Hawaiian Islands.” (Queen Lili’ukolani January 17, 1893)
Hawaii was annexed as a territory in 1900 and was used as a constant resource for sugar cane production until 1995.
Americans and Europeans came to the small islands thinking they were helping the native people by introducing their languages, religions, and traditions; however, they brought disease and outside pressures. Missionaries taught that the unique Hawaiian language could not work in society, and today that language is slipping into extinction. Like language these people were also taught that the Gods they followed their entire lives did not exist, and they were pressured into following a Christian God. The Hawaiians were also force fed Euro-American traditions, and watched as their Queen was forced to leave her throne to American rule. When that first ship landed in 1778, the Hawaiian people could not have imagined the fate their culture suffered. For those who did not succumb to leprosy, measles, or small pox they witnessed their culture die instead.
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