Pacific Islands Languages and Societies Commons^™

Vol. 42 No. 1/2 (2019): Pacific Studies Full Issue, The Jonathan Nāpela Center For Hawaiian And Pacific Islands Studies

Pacific Studies

Pacific Studies is published two times a year by The Jonathan Nāpela Center for Hawaiian and Pacific Studies, Brigham Young University Hawai‘i #1979, 55–220 Kulanui Street, Lāʻie, Hawai‘i 96762, but responsibility for opinions expressed in the articles rests with the authors alone. Subscription rate is US$40.00 yearly, payable to The Jonathan Nāpela Center for Hawaiian and Pacific Studies. The Jonathan Nāpela Center for Hawaiian and Pacific Studies (formerly The Pacific Institute) is an organization funded by Brigham Young University Hawai‘i. The Center assists the University in meeting its cultural and educational goals by undertaking a program of teaching, research, and …

Primates Of The Padangtegal Monkey Forest: Aggressive, Submissive And Affiliative: Interactions Between The Balinese Long-Tailed Macaques And Tourists, Marleigh Jenkins-Morse

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Bali is one of Indonesia’s seventeen thousand islands and it has become a major tourist destination for visitors from all over the world. One of the most sought after attractions are the various monkey forests on the island, and one of the most renowned is the Padangtegal Monkey Forest in Ubud. As someone who studies Biological Anthropology, I am fascinated by primates both human and non-human. Within the Ubud Monkey Forest these two species come into contact on a daily basis.

Ethnoprimatology is a growing study, and it refers to the “interconnections between human and nonhuman primates” (McCarthy et al. …

Subsistence In Samoa: Influences Of The Capitalist Global Economy On Conceptions Of Wealth And Well-Being, Tess Hosman

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This paper studies Samoa’s position in the global economy as an informal agricultural economy. A country’s access to the global economy reflects a level of socio-economic development and political power. It is also reflective of the country’s history of globalization. This research uses an analysis of past and current forms of colonization that continue to influence cultural and ideological practices, specifically practices regarding food. Concepts of wealth and well-being in subsistence and capitalist economies are compared and contrasted. Research takes place on the main island of Upolu, in and around the capital, Apia. Information is accumulated from previous research and …

Endangered Danger: Christianity, Affect, And Harmless Snakes In Samoa, Ariel Abonizio G. S.

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The Candoia bibroni (Pacific Boa), is a non-venomous Samoan snake that recently become an endangered species, possibly due to human killing on sight. This interdisciplinary research investigates how Pacific Boa came to be perceived as dangerous animals that need to be killed. Following snake tracks through the history of Samoa and into the present, this research suggests that the relationship between Samoans and the Pacific Boa questions the simple binaries of real/imagined, material/semiotic, subjective/objective, and material/immaterial. Particularly with the introduction of Christianity by missionaries in the early-1800s, the Pacific Boa snake came to inhabit the liminal space between these apparent …

Vol. 42 No. 1/2 (2019): Pacific Studies Front Matter, The Jonathan Nāpela Center For Hawaiian And Pacific Islands Studies

Pacific Studies

Front Matter for the Vol. 42, No 1/2-April/August 2019 edition of the Pacific Studies Journal.

We Are All Alive: Understanding Connections Between People And Coral Reefs In Samoa, Kalamakaleimahoehoe Porter

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This work seeks to incorporate ecological research methods, socioeconomic data analysis, and local story collection into one understanding of coral reefs on the island of Upolu in Samoa. Data collection utilized transects and timed dives to assess four reef health indicators, and socio-economic indicators were sourced from the Samoa Bureau of Statistics. Interviews were also conducted to gain Samoan perspectives on the importance of coral reefs. Findings include patterns between the socioeconomic factors of population demographics, unemployment rates, education, and improved water, waste, and sanitation facilities and the environmental indicators of prevalence of plastic, percentage cover of living coral, parrotfish …

Dignity In Decision-Making: Modernity And Social Navigation Among Rural French Polynesian Youth, Laura Jarvis

Anthropology Theses and Dissertations

This research examines critical questions about the experiences of youth through the lenses of modernity, subjectivity, and the lifecourse. Growing up in a (post)colonial context of shifting definitions of adulthood, youth from the rural island of Rurutu, French Polynesia must navigate various decisions and transformations with little information to base their future aspirations on. This dissertation identifies dignity as the main motivating factor in youth decision-making, one that is constantly redefined as youth navigate shifting social fields. Dignity, as used here, is a target youth strive for in order to contest feelings of social precarity stemming from unaccommodating education systems …

An Exploratory Study Of Acculturation Experiences Of Graduate Student Immigrants At The University Of San Francisco, Courtney Lamar

Master's Theses

This study explores the shared challenges during the acculturation process of graduate student immigrants pursuing higher education in the United States. 13 graduate student immigrants at the University of San Francisco discuss their experiences of cultural adjustment into U.S. culture. Through qualitative interviews and thematic analysis, this study seeks to understand the acculturation experiences of graduate student immigrants in the San Francisco Bay Area of the United States. This analysis is based on the individual-level experience examining attitudes and acculturation strategies in the dominant society. Analysis, possibly policy implication for institutions of higher education, and possible directions for future research …

The Canoe, The Wind, And The Mountain: Shunting The “Rashomon Effect” Of Mauna Kea: An Aloha Aina Response, Manulani Aluli Meyer

Pacific Studies

Manulani Aluli Meyerʻs response to Hereniko and Schorchʻs "THE CANOE, THE WIND, AND THE MOUNTAIN: SHUNTING THE RASHOMON EFFECT OF MAUNA KEA".

A Critique Of The Youth Bulge Theory In Papua New Guinea And Melanesia, Patrick Kaiku

Pacific Studies

In this presentation, I address a pressing development issue in Papua New Guinea, an independent nation in the subregion of the Pacific known as Melanesia. Papua New Guinea is undisputedly the largest country in Melanesia in terms of land mass and population size. The sociocultural diversity and complex precolonial history of Papua New Guinea is highlighted as one of many contributing factors to the contemporary challenges it faces as a nation.

Betel Mania, From Culture To Cancer: Digestive And Discursive Uses Of The Betel Nut (Areca Catechu) In Guam, Anne Perez Hattori

Pacific Studies

Chewed in the Marianas for centuries, pugua, known scientifically as Areca catechu and colloquially as betel nut, is the world’s fourth most commonly used psychoactive substance after tobacco, alcohol, and caffeine-containing beverages. It has and continues to serve numerous cultural, social, political, medicinal, and economic purposes. At the same time, health concerns are mounting against pugua due to its classification as a carcinogen by the World Health Organization, as well as to high rates of cancer among Chamorros and to federal research funds that promote an antichewing agenda. This paper uses a range of sources to examine the historical use …

Vol. 41 No. 3 (2018): Pacific Studies Front Matter, The Jonathan Nāpela Center For Hawaiian And Pacific Islands Studies

Pacific Studies

Front Matter for the Vol. 41, No 3-Dec 2018 edition of the Pacific Studies Journal.

He Lani Ko Luna, A Sky Above, Kalepa Baybayan

Pacific Studies

My remarks are written in response to a paper by Vilsoni Hereniko and Philipp Schorch entitled “The Canoe, The Wind, and The Mountain: Shunting the Rashomon Effect of Maunakea.” This paper is not intended to be an academic response, it serves simply as an opinion piece from an oceanic wayfinder with forty-three years of canoe sailing experience. I use the favored grammar practice of Hawaiian linguists of spelling all proper names as a single word; hence, “Maunakea” and not Mauna Kea. I write this paper while the Supreme Court of Hawaii is deliberating on the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) appeal …

Ka Ulu Koa Ma Kai: The Koa Grove Rises In The Sea, Ty P. Kāwika Tengan

Pacific Studies

Ty P. Kāwika Tengan's response to Hereniko and Schorchʻs "THE CANOE, THE WIND, AND THE MOUNTAIN: SHUNTING THE RASHOMON EFFECT OF MAUNA KEA".

Vol. 41 No. 3 (2018): Pacific Studies Full Issue, The Jonathan Nāpela Center For Hawaiian And Pacific Islands Studies

Pacific Studies

Pacific Studies is published two times a year by The Jonathan Nāpela Center for Hawaiian and Pacific Studies, Brigham Young University Hawai‘i #1979, 55–220 Kulanui Street, Lāʻie, Hawai‘i 96762, but responsibility for opinions expressed in the articles rests with the authors alone. Subscription rate is US$40.00 yearly, payable to The Jonathan Nāpela Center for Hawaiian and Pacific Studies. The Jonathan Nāpela Center for Hawaiian and Pacific Studies (formerly The Pacific Institute) is an organization funded by Brigham Young University Hawai‘i. The Center assists the University in meeting its cultural and educational goals by undertaking a program of teaching, research, and …

The Canoe, The Wind, And The Mountain: Shunting The Rashomon Effect Of Mauna Kea, Vilsoni Hereniko, Philipp Schorch

Pacific Studies

Akira Kurosawa, one of Japan's famous directors, made a movie in 1950 about a murder and a rape in a forest that was witnessed by four people, all of whom have contradictory interpretations of what happened. Titled Rashomon, this film became one of the best-known movies by cinephiles around the world (1). Soon, different and conflicting accounts of a particular incident or event became generally known as the Rashomon effect (2). In this paper, we deploy this term to refer to the present controversy surrounding Mauna Kea, a mountain in Hawai‘i, and conflicting interpretations about what it is or should …

Authors’ Response, Vilsoni Hereniko, Philipp Schorch

Pacific Studies

Author's response to the forum of ideas created through the responses by Manulani Aluli Meyer, Ty P. Kāwika Tengan, and Chad Kalepa Babayan.

Voices Of Liberation: Indigenous Political Writings In Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, And Vanuatu During The Decolonization Era, David Chappell

Pacific Studies

Historians of post-1945 decolonization in Oceania often say that British “administrations were pushing for independence more than the islanders” (Thompson 1994, 153), and a literature scholar criticized indigenous political writings for their “absence of a truly revolutionary heritage [or] utopian schemes” (Subramani 1992: 18–20). Yet, considering the arbitrary colonial bordering in linguistically diverse Melanesia, “national” political consciousness was still under construction. Islanders had governed themselves in local village councils for millennia and had very limited access to colonial education, so grassroots movements for self-empowerment rarely embraced the entire colonial territory. The foreign-derived names of Melanesian countries typified their nation-building challenges: …

“The Lolelaplap (Marshall Islands) In Us: Sailing West To East (Ralik→Ratak) To These Our Atolls (Aelon Kein Ad) Ad Jolet Jen Anij (Our Blessed Inheritance From God)”, Desmond N. Doulatram

Master's Projects and Capstones

This paper discusses the expansion of Oceania through a Marshallese indigenous lens as a focal point. It explains that decolonizing methodologies allows reclaiming of space for mental liberation and reassurement of constitutional rights. It highlights similar occurrences of decolonization practices meeting resistance in the 21st century all while strengthening the human right argument that no human deserves any less than their fellow human brothers and sisters. It argues that an indigenous imagery can only be viewed through an indigenous lens where the researches’ level of purity is retained and unfiltered. It nevertheless argues that Marshallese ethnolinguistics reveal the same cultural …

Vol. 41 No. 1/2 (2018): Pacific Studies Full Issue, The Jonathan Nāpela Center For Hawaiian And Pacific Islands Studies

Pacific Studies

Pacific Studies is published two times a year by The Jonathan Nāpela Center for Hawaiian and Pacific Studies, Brigham Young University Hawai‘i #1979, 55–220 Kulanui Street, Lāʻie, Hawai‘i 96762, but responsibility for opinions expressed in the articles rests with the authors alone. Subscription rate is US$40.00 yearly, payable to The Jonathan Nāpela Center for Hawaiian and Pacific Studies. The Jonathan Nāpela Center for Hawaiian and Pacific Studies (formerly The Pacific Institute) is an organization funded by Brigham Young University Hawai‘i. The Center assists the University in meeting its cultural and educational goals by undertaking a program of teaching, research, and …

Europe And The Pacific: Introduction By The Guest Editor, Toon Van Meijl

Pacific Studies

Introduction article to the special issue, "Europe and The Pacific" by the guest editor, Toon van Meijl.

Anthropology Between Europe And The Pacific: Values And The Prospects For A Relationship Beyond Relativism, Joel Robbins

Pacific Studies

Joel Robbins expresses the relationship between Europe and Pacific peoples by analyzing the nature of anthropology in both areas of the world.

Le Fuia, Le Fuia, E Tagisia Lou Vaelau “Starling, Starling, We Pine For Your Nimbleness”: Towards A Samoan Indigenous Framing Of Responsibility For “Climate Change”, Tui Atua Tupua Tamasese Ta‘Isi Tupuola Tufuga Efi

Pacific Studies

"Over a century ago Augustin Kramer recorded a Samoan song with the line: le fuia, le fuia, e tagisia lou vaelau. I have translated this into English as “Starling, starling, we pine for your nimbleness.” The references to nimbleness and to the fuia, or native Samoan starling bird, are literal and metaphorical and were chosen deliberately for their ability to make visible an indigenous context. The line reminds that, with skill and dexterity, one can find in nature balance, hope, and support despite the potentially harmful effects of gravity. This address uses this phrase and its Samoan indigenous …

Our Rising Sea Of Islands: Pan-Pacific Regionalism In The Age Of Climate Change, Katerina Teaiwa

Pacific Studies

"Both Oceania Rising and the Climate Warriors represent postcolonial, antihegemonic movements that are grounded in contemporary customs, realities, and cultural identities, while simultaneously championing broader regional identities and unifying concerns. This essay tentatively explores these twenty-first century expressions of a shared Oceania in relation to earlier unifying concepts such as those expressed by the late Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara (1997) and Professor Epeli Hau‘ofa (1994)."

Vol. 41 No. 1/2 (2018): Pacific Studies Front Matter, The Jonathan Nāpela Center For Hawaiian And Pacific Islands Studies

Pacific Studies

Front Matter for the Vol. 41, No 1/2-Apr/Aug 2018 edition of the Pacific Studies Journal.

Ocean In Us: Security Of Life In The World's Largest Ocean, Joeli Veitayaki

Pacific Studies

"The sea is our pathway to each other and to everyone else, the sea is our endless saga, the sea is our most powerful metaphor, the ocean is in us. (Hau’ofa 2008, 58)

Climate change has arrived. It is the greatest threat to the livelihoods, security and well-being of the peoples of the Pacific and one of the greatest challenges for the entire world. (Majuro Declaration 2013, Article 1)"

The Sharing Of Cultural Heritage Between Europe And The Pacific: The Kanak Experience, Emmanuel Kasarhérou

Pacific Studies

Emmanuel Kasarhérou's article on the sharing of cultural heritage between the Pacific and Europe, specifically in relation to New Caledonia.

Suicide In Federated States Of Micronesia: A New Direction, Francis Hezel

Pacific Studies

This paper is written to convey survey findings on the rate of suicide in the Federated States of Micronesia.

Being Rotuman On The Internet, Alan Howard

Pacific Studies

This paper is written to show how Rotuman cultural identity is affected and expressed on the internet.

Artefacts Of Encounter: Cook's Voyages, Colonial Collecting, And Museum Histories, Jeffrey Mifflin

Pacific Studies

Book review by Jeffrey Mifflin of "Artefacts of Encounter: Cook’s Voyages, Colonial Collecting, and Museum Histories".