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The Honolulu Advertiser

Posted on: Sunday, June 5, 2005

Hawaiians best served by accepting change

By Jerry Burris
Advertiser Editorial Editor

One often hears that the players most left out of Hawai'i's modern history have been, well, Hawaiians, the host culture.

The culture has been capitalized, exploited, promoted and even celebrated. But more often than not, the profits and glory have gone elsewhere, leaving Hawaiians to watch from beneath their palm trees.

It's a compelling story, with considerable truth to it. But it also fails to deal with the nuances that make the story a bit less dramatic, perhaps, but far more informative.

Take, for instance, the matter of politics. In the early territorial days Hawaiians played a major — some might say dominant — role in the territorial legislature and in municipal affairs.

And from Mayor Johnny Wilson (part Tahitian, part Hawaiian) through part-Hawaiian Mayor Neal Blaisdell, Hawaiians (along with Portuguese) played a dominant role in municipal affairs.

There was a down time for Hawaiians in politics, but later Islanders saw, among others, a Hawaiian or part-Hawaiian as their chief justice, governor, leader of the state House and Senate, congressman and U.S. senator — often at the same time!

In arts, of course, Hawaiians have always played a leading role. While "western" arts such as the symphony and ballet struggle to survive, hula halau and other indigenous art forms flourish and grow.

Still, there is a feeling that Hawaiians have been left on the sidelines as opportunities emerge.

This was a point made last week at a major conference on biotechnology and other prospects. Supporters of biotech were direct in their acknowledgement that this promising new field will not succeed without the cooperation and advice of the host culture.

Already, there are complaints that biotech is racing ahead of the cultural norms and values of Hawaiians. Most recently, this has emerged in the discussion of genetically engineered taro.

Peter Apo, a prominent and eloquent spokesman for Hawaiian values and culture, made the point well at the conference: "Every major economic activity that occurred in Hawai'i since contact — fur trading, whaling, sugar and pineapple and now tourism, has occurred without the consent of the Native Hawaiian community," he argued.

Well, yes and no. The sandalwood trade, for instance, depended deeply on the enthusiastic consent and support of the indigenous Hawaiian government.

Still, the point is valid. Hawaiians have always valued technological innovation and change, as Bill Souza, officer for the Royal Order of Kahu Po'o Nui, pointed out at the conference.

Hawai'i was one of the first places to have electric lighting, telephone service and — not to make too fine a point of it — near universal literacy.

So science, change and economic progress are not in conflict with the host culture. Going forward, the trick will be to respect that culture, make use of what it has to teach us and accept that the world constantly changes. And all of us, Hawaiians included, must change with it.

Jerry Burris is The Advertiser's editorial page editor.