Do you think interracial love is beneficial? Is the question worth asking? Have you heard the phrase "Houlu i ka Lahui Hawaii"? At this point are we Hawaiian if only by blood? What are the results of interracial coupling on Lahui Hawaii? Suggestions? -- Kainoahemolele
This subject goes back over a hundred fifty years. The Monarchs seeing the diminishment of the population with foreign illnesses and diseases, and out-migration, added vocal concerns of the gleeful haole melika that soon the ethnic Hawaiians would be no more; then terra nullius could be really employed. Seeing as how many were intermarrying, the Kings encouraged natives to marry their ethnic group and increase their numbers; moreso by Kalakaua, seeing the effect it was causing his Kingdom. He was also combating the whites who were trying to mix the Hawaiian blood with asians and other people to build a unique-looking race of people in Hawai'i which was their personal gene-splicing laboratory and to mix good working skills and habits for endurance of the physical labor that they had in mind for them. If the Hawaiians died off; there would be no one to do the work for them.
It wasn't difficult for Na iwi to intermarry for they never saw racial lines; but they did notice better treatment if you resemble the white people of America and the advantages that were given them. A few families were affected by it and favored the lighter skin brecause those would be more accepted which would be to their advantage in life.
When you come down to it; it's not your ethnic make-up but how much you embrace the host society; this being the Polynesian-Hawaiian society enriched with its culture, language, heritage, and legacies that affirm its over a thousand year existence. We were raised Hawaiian with Hawaiian values that can be classified as the greatest contribution for mankind. Race is not an issue but the soul of being Hawaiian in your thinking. We were raised to revere our ancestors no matter where they originated from because without them; we wouldn't be here. We got the best of all worlds and should relish that distinction.
Remember that God created so few of us that he didn't want to give too much of a good thing to the ungrateful world. Welcome to our paradise; not made for everyone but many want to be here.
Aloha mai e Tane,
This is beautiful. And I always learn so much from your posts.
Yes, I can see that Hawaiian values are among the greatest contributions to humanity. No question! If we all lived by these values, this entire world would truly be "a paradise."
Ironic that the state of "paradise" sought by so many, often with greed and avarice and a focus on "real estate," is only obtainable through giving up all pretensions to grasping and ownership.
Mahalo for all you do,
Amy
I did not know what it meant, so I looked it up. But the source is Wikipedia, so let the buyer beware.
Terra nullius (English pronunciation IPA: /ˈtɛrə nəˈlaɪəs/, Latin pronunciation IPA: [ˈtɛrːa nʊlːˈiːʊs]) is a Latin expression deriving from Roman Law meaning "land belonging to no one", "nobody's land" i.e. "empty land" "desolate", applying the general principle of res nullius to real estate, in terms of private ownership and/or as territory under public law.
Modern applications of the term terra nullius stem from 16th and 17th century doctrines describing land that was unclaimed by a sovereign state recognized by European powers. This modern term refers to a specific application of the concept of res nullius.
During the era of European colonialism the doctrine gave legal precedent to the claiming and settlement of lands occupied by "backward" people, where no European system of laws or ownership of property was held to exist. The Swiss philosopher and international law theorist Emerich de Vattel, distorting the philosophy of John Locke and others, proposed that terra nullius applied to uncultivated land. As the indigenous people were not (in this view) using the land, those who could cultivate the land had a right to claim it.[citation needed]
This is all part of the Manifest Destiny doctrines. There were three edicts from the pope of Rome which formulated this for the European Christian civilization which they brought to the New World and that of places throughout the globe. The Boston missionaries carried this mentality despite the fact that Hawai'i was already culturated. Their journals were complete opposite than that of the seafarers. While the missionaries character-assassinated the Hawaiians, the seafarers in their journal wrote of how amazed they were with Hawaii. Back then, Hawai'i was a highly structured society with cultivated crops (Lo'i terraces for kalo, agricultural plots for the wauke from which they made kapa; enclosed mounded plots for 'uala. They were even amazed that some Hawaiians even had european-type beds before the arrival of Europeans which they found no other Pacific groups had. The tapa clothes were colorful and with different textures and thicknes from sheer lace-like cloth to heavy thickness. Their governance were highly structured with laws, balanced out with frivolity during Kau Makahiki. Their commodities ran the gammit as it would in Europe.
It appeared Hawai'is development and progress far exceeded the rest of the Pacific Islanders and I would think Aotearoa was close to what Hawai'i had already established. Looking back, Hawai'i was a pretty amazing place and very progressive. ....E kala mai ia'u, I had to unbutton the top button of my shirt; I needed room to breath. LOL..... As a Kingdom, it surpassed many European countries of its day. It was the most modern and richest per capita than most of them. Of course, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, eh? We made the most use of what we had and did things better.
I'm not saying we lived in a utopic society; but it was hard to beat and we modernized ourselves quickly with an open-mind and zeal for new things we never experienced. The na iwi were highly disciplined in their everyday life. Yes, laws were strict and severe then; but we had the pu'uhonua for relief and the Kau makahiki after a laborious eight months. We ALL took care of our kuleana and helped others.
I could go on and on about the great things our people accomplish and a few things our monarchs did before it was ever done by the western world. We had great monarchs and high chiefs back then that were brilliant and so were the common masses.
I'd better stop here, I'm preaching to the choir and I have to undo another button. LOL.... To know us is to love us and we love them right back!
This needs to be carved in stone................Tane mana'o from the na'au.
When you come down to it; it's not your ethnic make-up but how much you embrace the host society; this being the Polynesian-Hawaiian society enriched with its culture, language, heritage, and legacies that affirm its over a thousand year existence. We were raised Hawaiian with Hawaiian values that can be classified as the greatest contribution for mankind. Race is not an issue but the soul of being Hawaiian in your thinking. We were raised to revere our ancestors no matter where they originated from because without them; we wouldn't be here. We got the best of all worlds and should relish that distinction.
Remember that God created so few of us that he didn't want to give too much of a good thing to the ungrateful world. Welcome to our paradise; not made for everyone but many want to be here.
Aloha mai,
Seems like you have complex issues contained in this question. It brings up a lot of different thoughts.
People fall in love and "couple" for other purposes than to produce children. And not all "couplings" are heterosexual either! What sort of benefits are you wondering about?
But I understand that within the context of the ongoing genocide of kanaka maoli, not to mention the "blood quantum" stuff, the issue of koko is charged, and the issue of children, and who the ancestors are, and who the descendents will be is also charged.
However, I am haole and my partner is Maoli and Pake. We're too old to produce children now, but we love each other just the same. We have met late in life and in our case, how we love each other surpasses what we were capable of in our youth, with other partners. Based on a purely personal experience, I would say our love is very beneficial and being so much in love helps us to do all the things we do, including independence activism.
So, in your question, are you asking it only about young, heterosexual couples who may be having children? And does the issue of koko or the idea of "benefits" diminish somewhat in importance in your question if the lovers are old, or same gender, or unable to have kids for some reason?
And what of loving relationships where both are working for the greater good, and one is Maoli and one is not? I am thinking of a certain couple who create important documentaries. I don't think anyone could question the benefits of that particular relationship.
I am also wondering if your question about benefits also includes all the ali'i who married foriegners. Like the Queen, and others. In some ways, the attention to the geneology of potential mates, which was so important with regard to the ali'i, also seems to flow in this qeustion.
And again in the old days, among maka'ainana, there was a point in time when this question was answered by tragedy. It's a terrible irony that when Cook arrived, that sorry lot of pox-ridden sailors were perceived to have desirable mana, just because they were exotic newcomers and arrived in a very large ship, with metal implements.
This is an interesting thing for people to think about, I guess, but as people generally fall in love with just about anyone and everyone, and the heart is quite rebellious in many ways, there are bound to be thousands of viewpoints and answers to your question.
Just my mana'o - about two cents worth!
Malama pono,
Amy
Mahalo nui for your thoughts. I didn't first consider that lahui benefits from other aspects of people getting together beyond children. My question was more narrow and aimed at weighing the feasibility and value of the effort to keep the koko "pure." But you are right, there are the benefits of camaraderie, innovation, and added human power to the movement that cannot be discounted. So many things I did not consider at first. And I truly appreciate your acknowledgement of the wide variety of loves that are out there. My kane is haole. I have to think more on what you said before I make a response.
Waihili > KainoahemoleleFebruary 19, 2009 at 8:02pm
Aloha mai e Kainoahemolele,
It's a complex topic, isn't it?
Mahalo for all you do,
Amy
Replies
It wasn't difficult for Na iwi to intermarry for they never saw racial lines; but they did notice better treatment if you resemble the white people of America and the advantages that were given them. A few families were affected by it and favored the lighter skin brecause those would be more accepted which would be to their advantage in life.
When you come down to it; it's not your ethnic make-up but how much you embrace the host society; this being the Polynesian-Hawaiian society enriched with its culture, language, heritage, and legacies that affirm its over a thousand year existence. We were raised Hawaiian with Hawaiian values that can be classified as the greatest contribution for mankind. Race is not an issue but the soul of being Hawaiian in your thinking. We were raised to revere our ancestors no matter where they originated from because without them; we wouldn't be here. We got the best of all worlds and should relish that distinction.
Remember that God created so few of us that he didn't want to give too much of a good thing to the ungrateful world. Welcome to our paradise; not made for everyone but many want to be here.
Aloha ia kakou a pau!
Tane
This is beautiful. And I always learn so much from your posts.
Yes, I can see that Hawaiian values are among the greatest contributions to humanity. No question! If we all lived by these values, this entire world would truly be "a paradise."
Ironic that the state of "paradise" sought by so many, often with greed and avarice and a focus on "real estate," is only obtainable through giving up all pretensions to grasping and ownership.
Mahalo for all you do,
Amy
Terra nullius (English pronunciation IPA: /ˈtɛrə nəˈlaɪəs/, Latin pronunciation IPA: [ˈtɛrːa nʊlːˈiːʊs]) is a Latin expression deriving from Roman Law meaning "land belonging to no one", "nobody's land" i.e. "empty land" "desolate", applying the general principle of res nullius to real estate, in terms of private ownership and/or as territory under public law.
Modern applications of the term terra nullius stem from 16th and 17th century doctrines describing land that was unclaimed by a sovereign state recognized by European powers. This modern term refers to a specific application of the concept of res nullius.
During the era of European colonialism the doctrine gave legal precedent to the claiming and settlement of lands occupied by "backward" people, where no European system of laws or ownership of property was held to exist. The Swiss philosopher and international law theorist Emerich de Vattel, distorting the philosophy of John Locke and others, proposed that terra nullius applied to uncultivated land. As the indigenous people were not (in this view) using the land, those who could cultivate the land had a right to claim it.[citation needed]
It appeared Hawai'is development and progress far exceeded the rest of the Pacific Islanders and I would think Aotearoa was close to what Hawai'i had already established. Looking back, Hawai'i was a pretty amazing place and very progressive. ....E kala mai ia'u, I had to unbutton the top button of my shirt; I needed room to breath. LOL..... As a Kingdom, it surpassed many European countries of its day. It was the most modern and richest per capita than most of them. Of course, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, eh? We made the most use of what we had and did things better.
I'm not saying we lived in a utopic society; but it was hard to beat and we modernized ourselves quickly with an open-mind and zeal for new things we never experienced. The na iwi were highly disciplined in their everyday life. Yes, laws were strict and severe then; but we had the pu'uhonua for relief and the Kau makahiki after a laborious eight months. We ALL took care of our kuleana and helped others.
I could go on and on about the great things our people accomplish and a few things our monarchs did before it was ever done by the western world. We had great monarchs and high chiefs back then that were brilliant and so were the common masses.
I'd better stop here, I'm preaching to the choir and I have to undo another button. LOL.... To know us is to love us and we love them right back!
When you come down to it; it's not your ethnic make-up but how much you embrace the host society; this being the Polynesian-Hawaiian society enriched with its culture, language, heritage, and legacies that affirm its over a thousand year existence. We were raised Hawaiian with Hawaiian values that can be classified as the greatest contribution for mankind. Race is not an issue but the soul of being Hawaiian in your thinking. We were raised to revere our ancestors no matter where they originated from because without them; we wouldn't be here. We got the best of all worlds and should relish that distinction.
Remember that God created so few of us that he didn't want to give too much of a good thing to the ungrateful world. Welcome to our paradise; not made for everyone but many want to be here.
'anake Meliss
Seems like you have complex issues contained in this question. It brings up a lot of different thoughts.
People fall in love and "couple" for other purposes than to produce children. And not all "couplings" are heterosexual either! What sort of benefits are you wondering about?
But I understand that within the context of the ongoing genocide of kanaka maoli, not to mention the "blood quantum" stuff, the issue of koko is charged, and the issue of children, and who the ancestors are, and who the descendents will be is also charged.
However, I am haole and my partner is Maoli and Pake. We're too old to produce children now, but we love each other just the same. We have met late in life and in our case, how we love each other surpasses what we were capable of in our youth, with other partners. Based on a purely personal experience, I would say our love is very beneficial and being so much in love helps us to do all the things we do, including independence activism.
So, in your question, are you asking it only about young, heterosexual couples who may be having children? And does the issue of koko or the idea of "benefits" diminish somewhat in importance in your question if the lovers are old, or same gender, or unable to have kids for some reason?
And what of loving relationships where both are working for the greater good, and one is Maoli and one is not? I am thinking of a certain couple who create important documentaries. I don't think anyone could question the benefits of that particular relationship.
I am also wondering if your question about benefits also includes all the ali'i who married foriegners. Like the Queen, and others. In some ways, the attention to the geneology of potential mates, which was so important with regard to the ali'i, also seems to flow in this qeustion.
And again in the old days, among maka'ainana, there was a point in time when this question was answered by tragedy. It's a terrible irony that when Cook arrived, that sorry lot of pox-ridden sailors were perceived to have desirable mana, just because they were exotic newcomers and arrived in a very large ship, with metal implements.
This is an interesting thing for people to think about, I guess, but as people generally fall in love with just about anyone and everyone, and the heart is quite rebellious in many ways, there are bound to be thousands of viewpoints and answers to your question.
Just my mana'o - about two cents worth!
Malama pono,
Amy
Mahalo nui for your thoughts. I didn't first consider that lahui benefits from other aspects of people getting together beyond children. My question was more narrow and aimed at weighing the feasibility and value of the effort to keep the koko "pure." But you are right, there are the benefits of camaraderie, innovation, and added human power to the movement that cannot be discounted. So many things I did not consider at first. And I truly appreciate your acknowledgement of the wide variety of loves that are out there. My kane is haole. I have to think more on what you said before I make a response.
It's a complex topic, isn't it?
Mahalo for all you do,
Amy
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