We were recently interviewed for Maui Time Weekly and I brought up Colonialism and Imperialism as one of the subjects White Rose speaks and sings about. I’m currently enrolled in a Hawaiian Studies class (for which I write this particular blog-posting for) which is directly involved in studying the history of Colonialism in Hawai`i. One of the few comments posted on the Maui Time Weekly website brought up an interesting point. What exactly is the solution to Colonialism and Imperialism in Hawai`i? Is de-colonizing the Islands possible? Maui Time Weekly Cover Story
Imperialism is defined in the Mac Dictionary as “a policy of extending a country's power and influence through diplomacy or military force.” Certainly, it is not difficult to see the US Military’s influence on and in Hawai`i. Hawai`i is a strategic outpost for the US Military for the entire Pacific Ocean. Therefore, if imperialism is a policy extending a country’s influence through… military force, then we can only conclude that the US is actively participating in imperialism in Hawai`i.
It’s a well known fact that the Military “owns” (I put that it quotes in order to question the legitimacy of ownership) countless thousands of acreage in Hawai`i. There are beautifully landscaped military bases all over Oahu. However, one example of the abuse of power by the military is Koho`olawe island. The entire island of Kaho`olawe was used as target practice by the US military until 2003. If you are not familiar with Kaho’olawe, it is an island that is 11 miles long by 6 miles wide. It is not a tiny little island, in fact, it is roughly the same size as Spring Lake Township in Michigan, where I grew up. In 1965, “Operation Sailor Hat” was a series of three explosives tests conducted by the US Navy which were used to simulate the effects of a nuclear bomb on ships. Over 500 tons of TNT were used to conduct these tests. The bombing continued for years. My friends who lived in Kihei told me that they could see and hear explosions from their homes until early 2000.
In 1976, nine people attempted to occupy Kaho`olawe and were subsequently arrested by the US Coast Guard after landing. (Two of the occupiers, Walter Ritte and Emmett Aluli headed for cover and spent nearly two days hiking around the island before they were tracked down, put in shackles on a chopper and flown off the island. In April, 2006, the Maui News had an article entitled, “The Kaho'olawe Nine 30 Years Later.” According to the article, the attempt to occupy Kaho`olawe was … “an extraordinary example of what looked like a lost cause," [Ian Lind] said. "How can you possibly challenge… government policy? Officials said if they stopped bombing Kahoolawe they would have to close down Pearl Harbor; the nation's defense will collapse. They gave one reason after another why it couldn't happen…People made it happen… So [the attempt at occupation is] an example of people acting together and not giving up and showing that in the long run you can make it work. You can make a difference…”
Our critic on the Maui Time Weekly website thought that our lyrical matter discussing imperialism in Hawai`i is something to be mocked and derided. In fact, I’m sure that the interview comes across as rather earnest, and I don’t have a problem with that. But, the “Kaho`olawe Nine” have shown that US imperialism can be challenged in Hawai`i. White Rose can be mocked for addressing these issues in our music, but we still believe that we should be singing about something and doing more than just being another dumb rock band.
US NAVY/Sailor Hat
Military Presence in Hawaii
Maui News
Ian Lind's Landing Photos
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