From Evolution to Revolution
From comparing our ancestors and native people I am familiar with, I can see that people must adapt to their environment to survive. Characters such as Molly had to take what she could get for her to survive along with her sisters. She had to forage to get her food and sometimes even had to resort to stealing. People were forced to evolve and make changes to evolve to have the agricultural societies that we have today. The people who influenced the agrarian society would be the Hawaiians because of their system that they made to make food for themselves and live sustainably. They relied on the environment and used tactics such as redirecting the water and using irrigation ditches to have a complex but efficient system. Some of the pros of being independent and sustainable are being able to only rely on ourselves and having the confidence to survive alone. Sustainability helps us and the earth to be healthy for a long amount of time and to use it to the best of our ability. In the past, we would try to take as much as possible without thinking that we would run out of resources.
The importance of old native traditions, farming, hunting, and gathering is clear when you see the issues our modern world is facing. With overpopulation in some places, food insecurity in others, the ever growing problem of a loss of biodiversity, and other issues that rise from our current society; These unique practices that have been developed over hundreds of years allowed people to be a part of, and work with their environment. Forming what many people now know as substainability. As such, the importance of understanding and futhering these practices is all the more present. To solve our issues now, we can turn to the past and incoorperate what we learn there into our everyday lives. People have feared and been trying to push away nature for centuries, despite being a part of it. Now we have run ourselves into a different kind of environment that should be feared. If we continue at the rate, we will run the world dry of all resources. In 2019 National Geographic stated that “A third of commercial fish stocks are being harvested at biologically unsustainable levels and 90 percent are fully exploited, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization. The population of Pacific bluefin tuna, for instance, has plunged 97 percent from historic levels due to rampant overfishing of one of the ocean’s most ecologically and economically valuable top predators”. A more present example of this might be “Deforestation and other land-use changes are responsible for up to 31% of emerging diseases. As we encroach into natural habitats, we are more likely to come into contact with pathogens from wild animals, who often are forced to adapt to urban settings”. So not only are we now forcing ourselves into a corner by letting go of these old ways of life, but also the natural world around us. What if we instead implimented the ways of our ancestors into our everyday lives and furthered them? Such as the ancient Hawaiian fish ponds in which “Fishpond activists and scientists working with them to restore these systems believe there is a more sustainable model, inspired by the wisdom of the ancient Hawaiians”. They go as far to say “The ancients,” adds Ritte, “were fish-rearing geniuses.”
Our Kahiau topic is teaching sustainability and various sustainable practices to others. Hunter-gathering societies lived by foraging and hunting/killing wild animals for food. Agricultural societies depend on agricultural practices such as farming for survival. Hunting for and growing our own food impact our project topic because they allow us to depend more on the land rather than getting food from overseas. When COVID hit, many people lost their jobs and couldn’t afford groceries/food. Teaching those people how to grow their own food would mean that they wouldn’t have to worry about things like that. They would be able to depend on themselves to acquire a food source. Our topic could also impact the future of our lāhui because it would mean our generation and the generations below us would be able to rely more on our land and be closer to our own culture as Hawaiians.
Sources
A community event at Heʻeia Fishpond in Kāneʻohe Bay on Oʻahu. (2017). [Photograph]. University of Hawaiʻi News.
Amazon Aid Foundation. June 5, 2020. “The Amazon and Disease: how rainforests protect our health”. Amzon Aid Foundation.
Boon, K. (2018, June 12). Taro patches are classrooms for These Nanakuli Students. https://www.civilbeat.org/2018/04/taro-patches-are-classrooms-for-these-nanakuli-students/.
Dezdemona. Wallpapers. Wallpapercrafter.com
E. (2017, June 21). Why human EVOLUTION Matters: Crash course big History 204. Retrieved April 06, 2021, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHz74SD0Nc0&t=10s
Gies,E. June 12, 2019. “Hawaiiʻs Ancient Agriculture Revival”. Biographic.
Woody.T. October 8, 2019. “The sea is running out of fish, despite the nationsʻ pledge to stop it”. National Geographic.
Impacts of Religion, Culture, Enlightenment,
& Exchanges through Expansion
Given what we learned, there were other parts of the world experiencing their own “Dark Ages” as well. Mainly due to the fact that previous ages were coming to an end and many things were changing. Some of the things that made Europe’s Dark ages so dark, as well as the cause was the fall of the roman empire. One of the causes of the Dark ages was the fall of the Roman Empire. The empire had been falling apart for hundreds of years, but in 476 AD it finally fell. Rome was thrown into chaos. A chain of events were happening post fall. Libraries were destroyed and the languages Greek and Latin fell out of use, so no one was able to communicate with each other. Many things about the empire were forgotten, plunging the world into darkness.
The Prodestent Reformation helped shift religion away from culture as controlled by the church because it allowed the common folk to read and understand the Bible. This shift helped fuel the Enlightenment, during which culture was further separated from the church. This thinking impacts my modern Kahiau issue because it focuses on the education of the proletariat.
Exploration, exchanges, and the Silk Road played a huge role in history that impacted everyone. You would think that all of these events only involved goods, but they also involved things such as culture, diseases, and globalization. Using this knowledge we are able to realize that everything that we do has a history behind it from wearing clothing, to even playing outside. Even though the Silk Road is gone today it has made such an impact with connecting cultures with one another and causing everything to be intertwined. This affects our Kahiau issues because this shows that we are able to teach others about the past and how everything is connected. We focus on teaching sustainability so, by being able to learn that everything comes from different places, we can appreciate it and preserve these goods. The local version of this issue connects greatly with both our history as Hawaiians and people around the world. For example, our ancestors were very sustainable people who could even do things such as make irrigation ditches and have many farms. This is what caused foreigners to come to Hawaii, to obtain cash crops and claim land. This is how Hawaii was introduced to exploration and exchanges. The history behind Exploration, exchanges, and the Silk road is what gives us evidence that we are all connected in some way.
Understanding history and the who, what, where, when, why, and hows can be invaluable information for everyone. By understanding our past we actively shape a better future, while having the ability and knowledge to recognize and prevent ourselves from repeating the mistakes of the past. When we use true uncensored history, we can understand why things are the way that they are today and find a way to help solve or heal them now. Every culture in the word knew the importance of the past and learning from it. This is why we have so many stories and writing found on walls going as far back as the cavemen. Continuing into today we can use what our ancestors left for us to understand their world and where they came from. “philosopher George Santayana’s oft-quoted aphorism: “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it”.”
APA Citations:
CrashCourse. (2012b, May 3). The Crusades - Pilgrimage or Holy War?: Crash Course World History #15 [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0zudTQelzI
CrashCourse. (2012, April 26). The Dark Ages. . .How Dark Were They, Really?: Crash Course World History #14 [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QV7CanyzhZg
Don. (2019, February 19). Dark ages Europe teacher resources. Retrieved April 20, 2021, from https://historyhustle.com/teacher-resources/dark-ages-europe-teacher-resources/
Green, J. (2012, April 26). Nerdfighteria wiki. Retrieved April 20, 2021, from https://nerdfighteria.info/v/QV7CanyzhZg
The Protestant Reformation and Human Rights. (n.d.). [Illustration]. CUNY Academic Commons. https://historyprogram.commons.gc.cuny.edu/may-3-conference-on-the-protestant-reformation-and-human-rights/
Green, J. (2012, March 22). The Silk road and ancient TRADE: Crash Course world HISTORY #9. Retrieved April 14, 2021, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vfe-eNq-Qyg
Mark, J. (2021, April 13). Silk road. Retrieved April 14, 2021, from https://www.worldhistory.org/Silk_Road/?visitCount=4&lastVisitDate=2020-10-19&pageViewCount=9
Prof. Bernie Marshall. Drew Roberts. Marie Gaspar. 2018. “Four reasons why you should study history”. Deakin University. https://this.deakin.edu.au/study/four-reasons-why-you-should-study-history#:~:text=Studying%20history%20enables%20us%20to,appreciation%20for%20current%20events%20today.
Dec 19, 2006. “Learning from the Past for a Better Future”. Blog. FLCC. https://www.floridaconstructionconnection.com/learning-past-better-future/
CrashCourse. (2012b, May 3). The Crusades - Pilgrimage or Holy War?: Crash Course World History #15 [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0zudTQelzI
CrashCourse. (2012, April 26). The Dark Ages. . .How Dark Were They, Really?: Crash Course World History #14 [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QV7CanyzhZg
Don. (2019, February 19). Dark ages Europe teacher resources. Retrieved April 20, 2021, from https://historyhustle.com/teacher-resources/dark-ages-europe-teacher-resources/
Green, J. (2012, April 26). Nerdfighteria wiki. Retrieved April 20, 2021, from https://nerdfighteria.info/v/QV7CanyzhZg
The Protestant Reformation and Human Rights. (n.d.). [Illustration]. CUNY Academic Commons. https://historyprogram.commons.gc.cuny.edu/may-3-conference-on-the-protestant-reformation-and-human-rights/
Green, J. (2012, March 22). The Silk road and ancient TRADE: Crash Course world HISTORY #9. Retrieved April 14, 2021, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vfe-eNq-Qyg
Mark, J. (2021, April 13). Silk road. Retrieved April 14, 2021, from https://www.worldhistory.org/Silk_Road/?visitCount=4&lastVisitDate=2020-10-19&pageViewCount=9
Prof. Bernie Marshall. Drew Roberts. Marie Gaspar. 2018. “Four reasons why you should study history”. Deakin University. https://this.deakin.edu.au/study/four-reasons-why-you-should-study-history#:~:text=Studying%20history%20enables%20us%20to,appreciation%20for%20current%20events%20today.
Dec 19, 2006. “Learning from the Past for a Better Future”. Blog. FLCC. https://www.floridaconstructionconnection.com/learning-past-better-future/
Competition for Resources in a Global Society
Given what we learned about World War, specifically WWI, the “War to End All Wars” I don’t think Wars really ended. One of the obvious examples being WWII. One of the various causes of WWII was the impacts on Germany from the Treaty of Versailles. Germany was forced into many unfair terms, which caused it to suffer economically and in terms of military strength. This caused the need for someone like Hitler to rise up, claiming he could make Germany great again by announcing WWII. In the end WWI was not the “War to End All Wars”, and was in fact the opposite by having the aftermath being the direct reason for WWII. Some of the things we can learn from this is that war can happen no matter what and it never changes in any era. Also, bad terms of peace will just lead to more war and conflict.
The arrival, discovery, utilization, and pursuit of new technologies or information has led to the ultimate rise of our current society. In the past, these advancements enhanced life and helped people in their everyday tasks. So the pursuit for this technology became one of the most valuable assets of survival. However, once we were safer from the natural world, we soon turned to compete against each other. Followed by wars, technology only skyrocketed, and as competition only further the need for technology did as well. Later things like the era of Enlightenment when people began to understand their own behaviors, question their understanding of what they previously thought was fact, and explore different ways of living. Allowed us to understand that with our greatest competitors being our own kind, we have created specialized technology to combat just that. We have essentially created technology to destroy ourselves. This ties into my Kahiau project as it reflects how through what many might call progress we have also found ourselves in direct competition with others. So I think that in order to avoid unnecessary conflict, it is important that we redefine what we see as progress. Seeing as our Kahiau project focuses on exploring and teaching a diverse train of thought in order to understand and come up with solutions to pressing issues, it could be the perfect place to redefine the way that our youth sees the world and themselves in relation to others. With hopefully a more empathetic view that would carry on throughout their adult lives.
World War 1 and 2 shows us that there are many factors that can cause World War. This can go from money, power, greed, to racism, and technology. Some examples of this is how World War 2 started due to Britain and France waging war on Germany for their greed for money and power. Imperialism, socialism, and nationalism all are different factors that cause the atrocities in war. This impacts the local version of this issue because Hawaii becomes involved in these wars for many different reasons. The most important one is the fact that we are part of America's, and we are forced to be involved. Another important reason is that when the things that get put into the ocean, it affects everyone in Oceania, such as the nuclear bomb testing. We can fix this ourselves in Hawaii by being able to remember in history that war and fighting usually comes from corrupted people wanting power. We can advocate for a better society by making it fair to others.
Apa Citations:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1IlYBBgWxxgIvdNfWSdl61WwyJofM7iuPbYcMg2vyb78/edit
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1QMf1b5c3b9532e9dvyWp57zYxS8c3dRGElWZQ8Ozo5U/edit
Frydenborg, B. (2018, December 20). The urgent lessons of World War I. Retrieved May 10, 2021, from https://mwi.usma.edu/urgent-lessons-world-war/
Horowitz, A. J. (2012, April 09). DOXA 2012 | nuclear savage. Retrieved April 15, 2021, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqdRIt1EnkY
https://images.theconversation.com/files/127389/original/image-20160620-8894-1jm2q75.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip
Simms.B. June 21, 2016. “Britian and Europe: a long history of conflict and cooperation”. The conversation. University of Cambridge. https://theconversation.com/britain-and-europe-a-long-history-of-conflict-and-cooperation-61313
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1IlYBBgWxxgIvdNfWSdl61WwyJofM7iuPbYcMg2vyb78/edit
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1QMf1b5c3b9532e9dvyWp57zYxS8c3dRGElWZQ8Ozo5U/edit
Frydenborg, B. (2018, December 20). The urgent lessons of World War I. Retrieved May 10, 2021, from https://mwi.usma.edu/urgent-lessons-world-war/
Horowitz, A. J. (2012, April 09). DOXA 2012 | nuclear savage. Retrieved April 15, 2021, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqdRIt1EnkY
https://images.theconversation.com/files/127389/original/image-20160620-8894-1jm2q75.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip
Simms.B. June 21, 2016. “Britian and Europe: a long history of conflict and cooperation”. The conversation. University of Cambridge. https://theconversation.com/britain-and-europe-a-long-history-of-conflict-and-cooperation-61313
Final Group Reflection
What I have learned about my role as a future graduate of Kamehameha schools, is the importance of advocating for both the land and indigenous people. This is as my school repeatedly reiterates the importance of empowering our people and giving voice to our needs. From within my own community I'm often reminded of the importance of diversity and acceptance. Although it is not extremely diverse, living here in Hawaii I always think it is beautiful to see all of these people originating from different places, ethnic backgrounds, religions, and lifestyles together in the community. Many of which are often drawn here by the beauty of the land, reminding us of also the bond between land and people. I think that the best ways that I can utilize the opportunities and education that I've received from my school and community is through advocating for causes like the UN sustainability goals. One of the parts of advocating that have always stood out to me the most include spreading awareness and understanding throughout the community. This is because I believe that doing these things are the first steps for creating cohesive and cooperative action within the community.
APA Citations:
- Eco-Business. (2020, June 8). “Care for nature” to keep people safe and well, leaders urge. https://www.eco-business.com/news/care-for-nature-to-keep-people-safe-and-well-leaders-urge/
From my education that I've received from Pauahi and the school, I can use my abilities to make a difference in my community and for indigenous communities in my own way. By using my talents from my education, I am able to advocate and change the communities that I came from. My example would be my dream job of becoming a doctor so that I can help and inspire others to do the same. Everyone has their own way of advocating for change because everyone has their own individual talents. This contributes to our UN sustainability goal because people can have their own love for helping then environment, helping others, and more, so if we are able to reach our goals, we can inspire others which will cause a cycle of our society becoming a better place.
APA Citations:
About pauahi. (n.d.). Retrieved May 17, 2021, from https://www.ksbe.edu/about_us/about_pauahi/
Sustainable development goals to kick in with start of new year | | UN NEWS. (n.d.). Retrieved May 17, 2021, from https://news.un.org/en/story/2015/12/519172-sustainable-development-goals-kick-start-new-year
About pauahi. (n.d.). Retrieved May 17, 2021, from https://www.ksbe.edu/about_us/about_pauahi/
Sustainable development goals to kick in with start of new year | | UN NEWS. (n.d.). Retrieved May 17, 2021, from https://news.un.org/en/story/2015/12/519172-sustainable-development-goals-kick-start-new-year
I have learned that my role as a Pua a Pauahi and future graduate of Kamehameha within my community is to utilize the opportunities that this school has offered me until I am able to give something back to my community. Whether the opportunities are scholarships or admission to a prestigious university, it is my responsibility to give the fruits of my labor back to my community and the people of Hawaiʻi. One of the best ways I can utilise the opportunities I receive as a student to contribute to my community is by using the resources available to me to create digital media that advocates for such ideals as the UN Sustainability Goals. My laptop, editing software, and IT help is just a handful of the many resources that are available to me as a student. These resources can help me produce creative works that I can share on social media to inform the public.
APA Citation: How social media is shaping political campaigns. (2020). [Photograph]. PennToday. |