With the sharp rebound in tourism in Hawai'i, writer and Native Hawaiian SAVANNAH DADDION wrote for us about how Indigenous Hawaiians view the rebound in tourism and what they want tourists who visit the islands to know before arriving. We use native spellings in this article.
The beautiful weather, majestic mountains, and inviting beaches of Hawaii make it a popular destination for tourists. Residents saw the beauty of the islands when tourism stopped.
Two years ago, Kapulani Antonio was taken aback by her experience of the islands.
She says the roads weren't crowded with tourist cars during the Pandemic. There is no film on the water from all the sun tan lotion at the beach. It appeared to be cleaner. I remember when I was a child. It was like the elements were talking to you again.
For a short time, that lasted. Many Native Hawaiians felt like the colonial past of the islands was mirrored by tourism's rebound. They are trying to raise awareness through social media and design a sustainable future for the tourism industry.
On October 15, 2020, Hawaii launched the Safe Travels program, which allowed out-of-state visitors to pass a negative COVID-19 test in order to enter the state. The tourists were unable to travel abroad. There was a rise in COVID-19 cases.
During the Pandemic, Native Hawaiians and locals were priced out of their communities due to the high cost of living in Hawai'i. The median sale price of a single- family home on Oahu was more than one million dollars in June. Three years ago, that was $835,000.
Many locals worried that the finite amount of resources wouldn't be enough to sustain residents and tourists during the Pandemic. While tourists lined the beaches to bask in the sun, local families were frustrated that they had to watch their children's soccer games from the car.
There were many photos and videos of vacations to Hawaii on social media. Tourists travel off the beaten path to secret locations, disturbing native environments and force rescue teams to be on high alert. When most tourists stayed home, the Honolulu Fire Department reported that they averaged two land or ocean rescues a day.
The behavior of tourists and the state's handling of the Pandemic felt familiar to Native Hawaiians.
Antonio says it all began with the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom by the United States in 1893. The United States could not ignore the strategic military location and fertile lands of Hawaii.
Antonio says that the way Hawaiians see it is that they are still occupied by the US.
The state of Hawaii was created on August 21, 1959.
Native Hawaiians pushed back on social media with posts about social justice and historical information, drawing attention to ways they saw tourism exploiting and profiting off Indigenous culture.
ina Momona is a non-profit that focuses on land restoration, reclaimed Hawaiian lands and sustainable futures for Hawai'i. The organization is well known for its Native Hawaiian social justice account.
According to Julie Au, Education, Research and Outreach director of ina Momona, Native Hawaiians didn't vote for Hawaiian statehood.
According to records from the Library of Congress, Indigenous Hawaiians made up 97 percent of the population in 1893.
When we became a state, they began marketing Hawai'i as a paradise vacation destination. We are not normal. America's vacation state is us.
People will always be drawn to the islands, which is why Native Hawaiians and locals have been speaking up about the importance of education.
ina Momona wants visitors to learn.
Antonio says that tourists need to know that they're in a place with a long history. When they arrive, they need to be responsible.
Antonio wants visitors to see if they can make a difference in Hawaii instead of just taking.
It's okay if they decide that Hawaii isn't their place after reading up. Just be a good steward of the land, have fun, and then go home. She says that we have aloha, but you have to act right.
The percentage of Native Hawaiians in the population continues to decline. Native Hawaiians make up less than 10% of the population in Hawaii.
In 1987, a collection of around 1200 iwi kpuna were exhumed in Honokahua to make way for a Ritz-Carlton resort. The resort was pushed further inland after a lot of Native Hawaiian activism. The resort still works with those communities today.
Native Hawaiians are still upset that the sacred site was disrupted.
Our political control was taken from us at the start. Antonio says that making decisions that are good for island people is no longer possible. We don't have a say in what happens to ina.
Au wants visitors to think about the consequences of their trip.
People hop on a plane, visit all these sites, drink all of our limited water, and fuel into this capitalist economy that is building condominiums for them instead of housing for us and building resorts for them instead of agricultural land for us.
It is important to follow protocols if visitors decide to visit Hawaii. She points to a sign in Molokai that says "visit, spend, go home" Tourists are advised to tread lightly.
She wants people to respect the fact that there are a lot of fun things to do here.
Hawaii visitors are warned to avoid monk seals.
Along with obeying rules on the island, make sure you practice the principles of leave no trace. Don't take nature from the islands.
If you want to avoid needing rescue crews to get you, make sure to properly plan and prepare for hiking. Avoid areas with high foot traffic to prevent erosion.
To be a good steward of the land, you need to preserve as much of the natural environment as possible. Keep your distance from marine life and wear reef-safe sunscreen.
Locals use many scenic roads that tourists frequent. There is a 64.4-mile stretch of the Road to Hana. Some residents are concerned about visitors slowing down or blocking roads. Take a tour to see how much traffic there is on the road. Pull over if you decide to drive the scenic routes. Pull over if you see a vehicle behind you.
Prebooking a trip to this Hawaiian state park is necessary.
Give back as well. If visitors really care about Hawai'i and want to make a difference, they should donate to Native Hawaiian non-profits.
She suggests researching Native groups that are trying to help our islands. Help all these people.
Native Hawaiians have a lot of cultural and historical trauma and are upset about the effects of tourism.
She says that people think that the foreigner is bad and that the foreigner is going to take from her again. To show us that they aren't here to hurt us, haole. They are learning about our culture. To lend a helping hand. You should be an ally to Hawaiians and Hawai'i.
Antonio says it hurts to see their homeland devastated by development, tourism or the government.
She says that they will fight to protect the ina like they would protect their own ancestors. We have become strangers in our own homeland because we feel that this is our homeland. We don't enjoy it.
Efforts to bridge the gap between Native Hawaiians and the tourism industry are being made and there are small signs of progress.
The Council for Native Hawaiian advancement was selected by the Hawaii Tourism Authority to manage brand management and support services in the US market.
The council aims to improve the cultural, economic, political and community development of Native Hawaiians.
According to Oralani Koa, Manager of Hawaiian Programming at The Westin Maui, there are more Native Hawaiian cultural advisers in the tourism industry today than there were 10 years ago.
She says that they are able to speak for the community. Progress is a good thing. It may not be as fast as we want it to be, but we are seeing some movement. There is still a lot of work to be done.
Koa helps facilitate authentic Native Hawaiian cultural experiences for guests through activities such as weaving, education on plants and their uses and learning oral history through moolelo. She makes sure that the resort is representative of Hawaiian culture.
Koa says that the value of culture is something that the industry sees.
According to Koa, resorts can't give a number on cultural adviser positions because they don't know if the positions will bring in more money or a return on their investment. The fact that more resorts are choosing this position shows that cultural advisers are needed more than ever.
It opens more seats for our people to be at this place that we should have been at before.
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