Kaho'olawe: Rebirth of the Sacred

Abstract

In the 1970s, the island of Kaho'olawe stirred the ancestral memory of Native Hawaiians and inspired the first cultural renaissance in Hawai'i since the islands came under American control in 1898.Throughout the twentieth century, America colonized Hawai'i through social, economic and military institutions. The American public education system mandated English as the medium of instruction. American sugar and pineapple planters displaced Native Hawaiian subsistence farmers and exploited Asian immigrant labor. American military bases were developed upon Hawaiian national lands. In 1959, American colonial policy culminated with statehood for Hawai'i.Surprisingly, rather than leading to fuller assimilation into the American culture, statehood sparked a reassertion of Native Hawaiian rights and a revitalization of Native Hawaiian language, culture, and spirituality. The island of Kaho'olawe served as the unexpected catalyst for this dynamic native rights movement.