Thanksgiving, California, and Consumerism

Wednesday of last week I flew to San Jose, CA to see my big sister Lacy, her husband Cliff, my little sister Kallie, and my Mom. Even though it's not where I grew up and I am in no way familiar with the area, it felt like home. I realized that its not about where you come together or even how you come together, but instead simply that you do come together. I miss my family often; they are the only thing missing in paradise.

Anyway, I have never considered my family "consumeristic". By that I mean I never really thought that we were rooted in consumerism or normal Western ideas surrounding the holidays; I'm beginning to realize I was wrong.

I'm not saying it's terrible to splurge, go all out, and have one weekend that you treat yourself to something nice; instead I'm realizing that this desire to spend lots of money because it is a holiday (as if its a necessity, or justification at the very least) is engrained in us, so much so that I have always overlooked it. Maybe I'm just growing up; maybe I'm beginning to open my eyes. Either way it is becoming very clear to me that we, as modern people and especially Americans, have made consumerism a part of our culture, and this practice of spending ridiculous amounts of money around the holidays is a tradition or custom. It's kind of like those people who only go to church on Easter and Christmas. Instead, my family only goes all out on Christmas and Birthdays.

I think this says a lot about our culture. Why is it that people feel the need to spend money to mark a significant occasion? I am certain that my family and I still would have had an incredible time, even if we only had Spam. Instead, though, we felt it necessary to spend lots of money on food, as if to guarantee fellowship and togetherness.

I dont' mean to sound unappreciative here; I appreciate the food and time I had greatly (I'm lucky to get it once a year). Still, I don't think that it is necessary and I'm beginning to realize that most people, without even knowing it, do.

Kukaniloko and the Hawaiian Religion

This weekend I went on the Kukaniloko field trip. So much stood out to me from this experience it's almost overwhelming; I don't know where to begin.

Initially I was shocked by our surroundings. As we weaved through the newly built upscale offices and businesses I couldn't imagine where we were going. I thought this was supposed to be a sacred place, one of unsurpassed historical and cultural significance. While this is still true, I personally just assumed (in my naiivity) that the environment and surroundings would match traditionally; basically all I'm saying is I never thought a sacred place like that would be on the other side of some overgrown fence behind a park in the back of a business district. It's as if the State is trying to hide it; out of sight out of mind. Luckily they're not succeeding.

It wasn't until this outing that I began to understand the depth of Hawaiian culture, not only in tradition, customs, or food but also in religion. While it may not be a unified "religion" with a church and priest I feel it is deeper and bigger than that. The aina is the church, the pohaku and trees the priests. Still, Hawaiian culture contains everything from a creation story to rules on how to live a pure life; how is this not religion? I'm not saying that as a bad thing, I understand the connotations associated with "religion" vs. spirituality. Overall, from what I can tell, it is definitely more of a spiritual practice than a religious one, however I think it is important to note that this practice which may seem foreign and unbelievable to many is really no more far-fetched or crazy than our culturally accepted relgious myths and values (Christianity for many).

I could go on forever about the things that stuck with me from Kukaniloko. So much information and wisdom was shared, I only hope I am able to retain a piece of it. It was educational and inspirational, opening my mind and my soul. In these places of such cultural significance you can feel the mana. If you couldn't maybe you just needed to take off your shoes :)


Oh, and one last thing; even if you don't believe it, even if you don't understand, even if you don't give a shit - please respect the aina and the fact that some people hold these places/traditions/beliefs very close. I don't understand why considering others is such a difficult task for some people in today's society...

Forget saving the environment, save yourself.

Let me just start off by saying that, mentally, this book was intense. I'm not really one to just skim over things while reading, half-comprehending and not absorbing them. Instead I take my time with books and absorb all that is really being expressed by the author and the story being told. More often than not, especially in college, this is a bad thing and really slows me down. However, with this book I think it was necessary.

The shear amount of philosophical, spiritual, and physical ideas presented in Ishmael is overwhelming. The scope of the book is so broad, so vast, that when reading you understand that he's commenting on the entire world, almost all people, and the current concept of civilization. With every conversation between Ismael and the narrator traditional accepted norms are challenged and thrown aside. By analyzing every piece of the culture of mankind deeply, Ismael is able to point out the hypocrisy, environmental injustice, and complete idiocracy of the world we all live in. Throughout the course of the book these lessons are not only taught to the narrator but also to the reader.

At first I was kind of turned away from this book simply by the premise; telepathic guerrilla serves as philosopher and teacher, revealing to man his destructive ways that are engrained and no longer questioned. You have to admit this sounds a little crazy. So, I began doing what Ishmael would do; I questioned. I asked myself "Why?". Why is a guerrilla teaching these lessons? Why is the guerrilla portrayed as kapuna? And then I realized this was actually very key to the book. You see, genetically we are not that different than guerrillas; everyone knows that. Still, culturally we are incredibly different, largely due to the seperation created by civilization. In some tiny way guerrillas are almost us, just left to remain in the trees where we began. It is through our conquer of the environment (and thus destruction of it) that we have risen above guerrillas, and also, that in time, we will fall below.

This book, no matter how outrageous or impractical, emphasizes the notion that is beginning to be more and more evident; if we don't do something to save ourselves we will perish. As far as biodiversity goes man is no greater than the black bear (or any other specific top level predator); we are all simply one species. In the last 40 years the Earth's biodiversity has already fallen by 30% with thousands of species going extinct worldwide; who's to say that we won't be one of them? The Earth can no longer support civilization the way it is being enacted. People need to stop claiming the "green revolution" is one for Mother Earth, and the oceans, and the birds, and bullshit bullshit bullshit. Living environmentally sensitive is about saving ourselves! The Earth was here before humans showed up and as long as we don't literally blow it up in some nuclear warfare, will be here long after. It doesn't need us; actually, it would probably love it if we were gone. Then, for the first time in about ten thousand years, there would no longer be war waged against it, but instead life growing within it.

The Power of Poi

I have always been interested in taro. Ever since reading and hearing ancient Hawaiian stories of the creation of man and his connection to the kalo it's really kind of fascinated me. I will not claim to know these stories fully or even understand them, but the huge amount of emphasis put on it alone raises taro up above the mere status of food. At the very least it makes me reevaluate what food actually is. I think the modern concept of food is rather simple - it is what we eat. Anything and everything is food, from organic vegetables to preserved mass-produced chemically infused TV dinners. Taro and the food that comes from it goes beyond all of that. From it comes strength, life, ability; without it, it can be argued, that the Hawaiian civilization would have existed entirely differently, and probably with less success. When considering this the importance of taro begins to make more sense (to some haole boy from Texas at least).

For all of these reasons I could not believe it when Daniel walked in and said he had the real kine, the illegal kine. Illegal and poi in the same sentence? What? This is Hawaii for god's sake; how could something so historically significant, so rooted in tradition be outlawed? I just didn't (and still don't) understand.

Still, this doesn't stop Daniel, and for that I respect him greatly. I feel like in life everyone has to find their own way, their own balance, their own focus. Without this passionate focus there is simply to much to handle; I can not fight every battle, but I can dedicate myself to one with so much commitment and passion that I am unstoppable. This is what Daniel has done with Poi. While this may not be my focus I admire that he has found, and committed himself to, his. This I feel is the greatest battle that one can fight, the battle for justice, ending oppression of that which you believe in. This may come at great cost to yourself and others, however what is more worth it than that which you stand behind.