Pacific Islands Languages and Societies Commons^™

Full Issue

The Forum: Journal of History

No abstract provided.

Sovereignty, Statehood, And Subjugation: Native Hawaiian And Japanese American Discourse Over Hawaiian Statehood, Nicole Saito

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

Although discourse over Hawaiian statehood has increasingly been described by scholars as a racial conflict between Japanese Americans and Native Hawaiians, there existed a broad spectrum of interactions between the two groups. Both communities were forced to confront the prejudices they had against each other while recognizing their shared experiences with discrimination, creating a paradoxical political culture of competition and solidarity up until the conclusion of World War Two. From 1946 to 1950, however, the country’s collective understanding of Japanese American citizenship began to shift with recognition of the community’s military service record and an increased proportion of veterans elected …

3rd Place Contest Entry: Sovereignty, Statehood, And Subjugation: Native Hawaiian And Japanese American Discourse Over Hawaiian Statehood, Nicole Saito

Kevin and Tam Ross Undergraduate Research Prize

This is Nicole Saito's submission for the 2021 Kevin and Tam Ross Undergraduate Research Prize, which won first place. It contains her essay on using library resources, a three-page sample of her research project on the consequences that Japanese American advocacy for Hawaiian statehood had on Native Hawaiians, and her works cited list.

Nicole is a junior at Chapman University, majoring in Political Science, History, and Economics. Her faculty mentor is Dr. Robert Slayton.

The Past As "Ahead": A Circular History Of Modern Chamorro Activism, Gabby Lupola

Pomona Senior Theses

This is not a traditional thesis of the Pomona College History Department. Spanning over a century from start to finish, this work tracks the history of Guam’s political status from 1898 to 2021. To support such a lengthy timeline, snapshots of key events and trends are recounted each chapter. Chapter 1 focuses on the Spanish-American War and the local struggle for acting governorship. Chapter 2 documents the impact of World War II, the Organic Act of Guam, modernization and early Chamorro activism on island. Chapter 3 depicts the evolution of late 20^th century Chamorro activism through a model of …

Vol. 43 No. 2 (2020): Pacific Studies Front Matter, The Jonathan Nāpela Center For Hawaiian And Pacific Islands Studies

Pacific Studies

Front Matter for the Vol. 43, No 2-Dec 2020 edition of the Pacific Studies Journal.

Naming The Cook Islands: Articulation Theory And ‘Akapapa‘Anga, Emma Ngakuraevaru Powell

Pacific Studies

The Cook Islands has existed as a formal polity for roughly one hundred years. There is no antecedent Māori name for this nation. Referencing the explorer Captain James Cook, it has been the nation’s primary identifier since the late nineteenth century despite the nation comprising fifteen islands and various and distinct cultural genealogies prior to European arrival. In this article, I ask how might we effectively describe the formation of the Cook Islands’ national identity and understand its name given its underlying genealogical and cultural diversity. In asking this question, I consider the utility of cultural studies’ articulation theory for …

“Taiwan’S Ally Tuvalu To Soon Become A Water World”: Language, Place, And Taiwan’S Popular Discourse On Tuvalu, Jess Marinaccio

Pacific Studies

Carol Farbotko has argued that the “islands of Tuvalu, largely absent from Eurocentric imaginings of the Pacific region, have become meaningful spaces in cosmopolitan discourses only as they disappear” (Farbotko 2010, Wishful Sinking: Disappearing Islands, Climate Refugees and Cosmopolitan Experimentation; Asia Pacific Viewpoint 51 (1): 47–60). Similarly, although Tuvalu is more present in Taiwan because it is one of Taiwan’s few diplomatic allies, Tuvalu has also become more significant in Taiwanese discourse with increased coverage of climate change. However, whereas in the West, Tuvalu and climate change are mainly linked to (often self-serving) environmentalist narratives, in Taiwan, Tuvalu and climate …

A Response To Marinaccio’S “Language, Place, And Taiwan’S Popular Discourse On Tuvalu”, Niuone Eliuta

Pacific Studies

No abstract provided.

Love Of Place: Toward A Critical Pacific Studies Pedagogy, Emalani Case

Pacific Studies

Growing up in Hawaiʻi, I was raised with aloha ʻāina. Loosely defined as “love of place,” aloha ʻāina is a way of being in and with the world. It is built on relationship and stewardship. In this article, I will use aloha ʻāina to reflect on my role as a Pacific studies teacher and on what responsibilities educators may have to confront our common challenge and most dire threat: the destruction of the natural environment. I will articulate “love of place” to a critical Pacific studies pedagogy, one that addresses environmental issues, contributes to the well-being of the Pacific (people, …

Redefining Gendered Spaces: The Case Of The Indofijian Female Qawwal, Vicky V. Shandil

Pacific Studies

Qawwali, an IndoFijian musical performance, links directly to first generation Indian indentured laborers brought to Fiji by British colonizers between 1874 and 1916. The form of qawwali considered in this paper is performed as a challenge between two vocalists both assisted by musical ensembles, respectively. Firstly, this paper describes IndoFijian qawwali and its connections to South Asia and then pays attention to IndoFijian identity because the female qawwal’s ethnic identity precedes her performance-based identity. Through Qawwali female performers created a new public identity, that of a female qawwal. This transpired through the inclusion of females on a stage traditionally exclusive …

Vol. 43 No. 2 (2020): 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 …

Desegregation Through Entertainment: Rodgers And Hammerstein’S South Pacific As An Instrument Of Military Policy, Leana Sottile

Voces Novae

In the aftermath of the Second World War, the 1949 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical South Pacific became a staple of mainstream popular culture. However, the musical also served a specific function within the American military where its usage by the United Service Organizations and Department of Defense was widespread. This case study examines how South Pacific arguably served a way to ease the blow of desegregation on the military by other means, in this case, entertainment. This was achieved by combining the show’s progressive views on racial tolerance with the prevalent wartime nostalgia and romanticism in the piece. All of …

“Oceania Is Us:” An Intimate Portrait Of Chamoru Identity And Transpacific Solidarity In From Unincorporated Territory: [Lukao], Maressa Park

The Criterion

Guåhan’s history of Spanish colonization and inflicted genocide, Japanese occupancy, and American militarization poses profound effects on CHamoru land, rights, physical health, and language survival. These include instances of “celebration colonialism” such as Liberation Day, in which CHamorus celebrate the date that the United States dropped 124 tons of bombs on Guåhan to liberate them from the Japanese ([lukao] 44). Through an analysis of his 2017 anthology from unincorporated territory: [lukao], this essay examines how Dr. Craig Santos Perez casts light on the complex inheritance of native CHamorus via an intimate portrait of diasporic CHamoru identity. Furthermore, I argue that …

Mai Te Kopu O Te Wahine: Considering Maori Women And Power, Ngahuia Te Awekotuku

Pacific Studies

Moko kauae: female Maori facial tattoo. This is the subtle power of maintaining a femininity that offends, that endures, that persists in the face of the settlers’ and invaders’ descendants; threatens sensibility and comfort levels; and continues to fascinate and challenge, charm and repel. Whether or not they were aware doing this, the elderly women who continued to inscribe their faces into the final decades of the past century and wear their identity and heritage with pride, were effectively confronting the colonizer and saying, we are here, and we will never ever go away. My face may make you uncomfortable, …

Reflections On Women, Power, And Faith In Prechristian And Postchristian Polynesia, Penelope Schoeffel

Pacific Studies

In this article, I aim to draw attention to the scholarship of Alan Hanson and Neil Gunson, demonstrating that throughout pre-Christian Polynesia, chiefly women—even more so than chiefly men—possessed great mana and the powers to make or remove tapu. Gunson identified many great women chiefs and rulers in ancient Polynesia believed to have been descended from the gods. Hanson showed that the tapu on women in ancient Eastern Polynesian societies was because of their dangerous affinity to the gods. The missionary notion that pre-Christian Polynesians were mired in darkness led to the subordination of women when Christianity replaced the religious …

Women, Power, And Place In Polynesia: Articulations From Samoa And Aotearoa, New Zealand, Melani Anae, Penelope Schoeffel

Pacific Studies

Introduction for the Vol. 43, No 1-Jun 2020 edition of the Pacific Studies Journal.

“Filling Up The Other Kete”: Ambivalence, Critical Memory, And The Resilience Of Older Māori Jewish Women, Hadas Ore

Pacific Studies

This article is part of the first study on the memories that Māori Jews share growing up and living in contemporary Aotearoa/New Zealand as well as the effect of their memories on their well-being and success in life. The study was conducted through open-ended in-depth interviews during 2016–2017. Examining more closely how six older women negotiate power and constitute indigenous agency, the analysis in this article looks into the particular way they employ their critical memory in order to overcome their ambivalence toward tertiary education. In my analysis, I apply the recent development in the theory of nostalgia with empirical …

Vol. 43 No. 1 (2020): 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 …

Papatūānuku, Karlo Mila

Pacific Studies

No abstract provided.

Women Matai (Chiefs): Navigating And Negotiating The Paradox Of Boundaries And Responsibilities, Sailiemanu Lilomaiava-Doktor

Pacific Studies

This paper examines Samoan conception of gender roles and transformations examining women's status and situation in light of ideological changes regarding gender relations and expectations in contemporary Samoa. I situate my paper in Samoan ways of knowing regarding gender roles and norms and draw on feminist (Trask 1984) works to provide guiding light for the cross cultural use of feminist theory to Samoan concepts of feagaiga, fa‘a-matai (chieftainship system), and gender equality. I study women's roles especially as they take on matai titles and examine what gains have been made and the dynamics involved for matai in the masculine (read: …

Vol. 43 No. 1 (2020): Pacific Studies Front Matter, The Jonathan Nāpela Center For Hawaiian And Pacific Islands Studies

Pacific Studies

Front Matter for the Vol. 43, No 1-Jun 2020 edition of the Pacific Studies Journal.

Matai Tamaitai: “The Mistress Of The Family”, Melani Anae

Pacific Studies

This article examines faamatai (the Samoan chiefly system) and the impacts of globalization that have disempowered or reempowered women in new ways. The discourse of “women” in a transnational context is explored by perspectives from six life-story interviews of matai tamaitai in Hawaiʻi, Sydney and Oceanside and data from 88 women matai from a global online faamatai survey. It explores the faamatai tenet of ‘lima malosi ma loto alofa’ (strong hands and a loving heart), experienced as the exertion of her pule (secular authority), malosi (economic strength), mana (spiritual power), and mamalu (reverence, dignity, and social power) free from ‘traditional’ …

The Colonial Gaze In Aotearoa New Zealand: Origins, Residue, And Means For Mitigation, Juliet Levesque

History Honors Papers

No abstract provided.

Friends In The Making: The Contextual Framing Of Jerā- Relationships Among Marshall Islanders, Laurence Marshall Carucci

Pacific Studies

No abstract provided.

Vol. 42 No. 3 (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 …

Land Groups, Land Registration, And Economic Development Projects On Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, Tarcisius Kabutaulaka

Pacific Studies

Neoliberal economic development requires that land boundaries and land groups be identified and registered, creating property rights and titles that can be bought, sold, and transferred. Registration makes land and land groups legible, thereby allowing states to exercise control and make land accessible to potential investors. This process of commodification creates changes that are often socially traumatic. In many Melanesian societies, individual and group rights to land are traditionally fluid and dynamic. Registration, however, freezes them. This paper examines how the process of land registration not only identify but also create land groups and influences how they respond to economic …

Transnational Journeys: Samoan Migration And Remittances Reconsidered, Paul Shankman

Pacific Studies

In her work on Samoan population movement, Sa‘iliemanu Lilomaiava-Doktor criticizes earlier approaches to migration and remittances as “wrongheaded” because they were based on an “economistic” Euro-American model that did not sufficiently include indigenous perspectives. She then offers an approach that focuses on Samoan conceptions of movement, obligation, and connection. This article addresses her critique and examines the role of indigenous concepts in understanding and explaining trends in Samoan migration and remittances over the past several decades. As important as indigenous perspectives are, a number of the trends that Lilomaiava-Doktor derives from her approach are problematic. Furthermore, a review of the …

Vol. 42 No. 3 (2019): Pacific Studies Front Matter, The Jonathan Nāpela Center For Hawaiian And Pacific Islands Studies

Pacific Studies

Front Matter for the Vol. 42, No 3-Dec 2019 edition of the Pacific Studies Journal.

Temple Excursions From Tonga To New Zealand: Stories Of Faith, Mark D. Ogletree, Ph.D.

Mormon Pacific Historical Society

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has had a presence in Tonga since July of 1891, when Mormon missionaries, Brigham Smoot and Alva Butler arrived in Nuku’alofa on the island of Tongatapu.1 Although the Tongan mission was organized as early as 1916, the Church did not began to grow at a steady rate in Tonga until the 1920s. The first stake in Tonga was created in 1968, and the Nuku’alofa Tonga Temple was dedicated in 1983. However, where did Tongan Latter-day Saints attend the temple between from the 1920s until 1983?

Swagriculture: A Qualitative Examination Of Women’S Participation In Samoa’S Agriculture Industry As Farmers And Growers, Charlotte Crandall

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study is an examination of how women participate in agriculture in Samoa as farmers and growers, what hardships women encounter and how they overcome these, and the organizations that influence people’s experiences. Censuses have historically undercounted the number of women in agriculture in developing countries, largely due to rigid international definitions of what counts as labor, which overlook cultural nuances, and this study aims to fill this gap in research. Data was collected through nine Talanoa-inspired interviews with women involved with farming or growing in Samoa, and overarching themes were analyzed. The themes have been grouped by the specific …