Andrés Quiroga posted: " by Andres Quiroga When one thinks of Hawaii-– it's not unlikely that the first thing to cross their mind are the sandy beaches, palm trees and all-inclusive resorts. The islands that make up the state are known to this day for the beautiful beach shor"
When one thinks of Hawaii-– it's not unlikely that the first thing to cross their mind are the sandy beaches, palm trees and all-inclusive resorts. The islands that make up the state are known to this day for the beautiful beach shores and warm weather they offer year round, or in other words, the things tourists who come and go can benefit from. Often overlooked by outsiders are the native people of Hawaii who rely heavily on the islands' resources and economic balance for their livelihood. And what most don't realize is that increasing rates of tourism are causing the cost of living to rise to nearly unachievable levels. The native population are finding themselves at odds with outsiders who come to benefit from the islands' natural beauty only to disrupt the way of life of the people living there. Increased tourism and real estate from outsiders is rapidly increasing and directly causing the cost of living to spike. According to a study conducted by Stanford, 51% of the houseless population in the island of Oahu is indigenous. The very people who lived on the islands to begin with are essentially being driven out of their homes due to outside influence. And because of laws in place by the government preventing houseless individuals to sit on sidewalks and benches, settlements have been created by natives for their communities to reside in instead of utilizing city provided shipping units as shelter.
Pictured: Twinkle Borge, the leader of Pu'uhonua camp/village, organizing community work amongst the houseless members of the group
Tourism is also directly tied to increasing climate change through increased industrialization and overfishing. In Native Hawaiian culture, fishing is a sacred practice and is urged to be done in reasonable amounts so as to not disrupt the natural ecosystem of the ocean. For them, overfishing is considered 'Kapu,' which meant it was forbidden and taken very seriously in ancient practice. However, with overfishing on the rise, fishing industries have caused the fish species around Hawaiian islands to decrease 75%, according to a 2017 study by Alan Friedlander. Presumably, the affect of helplessness and frustration within the Native population is overbearingly present when something they value so much is completely disregarded, resulting in detrimental consequences for only themselves. The Pacific Islands Oceans Observing System explains well how reliant the Native population is on fishing and just how important it is to maintain fishing to a reasonable standard,
"The people of Hawaiʻi depend upon a healthy nearshore ecosystem for food, clean water, protection from storms, commerce, recreation, and culture—tipping points can dramatically alter these benefits. Once a tipping point has been crossed, restoration can be very costly and may not be feasible over reasonable time scales" (PacIOOS).
Food forests, healthy shores, and a stable economy are all crucial components of what the native population relies on for their livelihood. With the rise of tourism, every one of these is affected. What is not visible from the surface is that Hawaii's coastline is undergoing active erosion. Hawaii's coastlines have already eroded 70%. Moreover, the rainfall patterns in Hawaii have also been significantly impacted by the changing climate. This means that some parts of Hawaii are suffering droughts, while others are experiencing severe flooding. This is directly impacting the food sources for much of the Native population.
Amongst the famine and destruction of climate change, the voices of Native Americans become even easier to be drowned out. Despite being of the communities that are most affected by climate change, they are very often appeased and dismissed by the government and receive minimal aid to combat the destructive forces that climate change brings and tourism perpetuates. Significant legislative movements are dire in order to redirect the destructive path of Hawaii's sacred islands.
"Ocean Tipping Points: Hawaiʻi Case Study: PacIOOS." Pacific Islands Ocean Observing System (PacIOOS), http://www.pacioos.hawaii.edu/proj ects/oceantippingpoints/#casestudy.
Yerton, Stewart. "Economists: High Living Costs Continue Driving Hawaii Residents Away." Honolulu Civil Beat, 5 Mar. 2020, https://www.civilbeat.org/2019/12/econo mists-high-living-costs-continue-driving-hawaii-residents-away/.
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