“We Are Our History”: Reviewing the History of Education in Hawaiʻi and Oceania

2020 ◽  
Vol 60 (4) ◽  
pp. 632-643
Author(s):  
Derek Taira
Keyword(s):  
Pacific Islands ◽  
History Of Education ◽  
Oral Traditions ◽  
Pacific Island ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
History Of ◽  
National Boundaries ◽  
Pacific Island Nations

There is a “world of difference,” anthropologist Epeli Hauʻofa argued, “between viewing the Pacific as ‘islands in a far sea’ and as ‘a sea of islands.’” The distinction between both perspectives, he explained, is exemplified in the two names used for the region: Pacific Islands and Oceania. The former represents a colonial vision produced by white “continental men” emphasizing the smallness and remoteness of “dry surfaces in a vast ocean far from centers of power.” This understanding has produced and sustained an “economistic and geographic deterministic view” emphasizing Pacific Island nations as “too small, too poor, and too isolated” to take care of themselves. The latter, in contrast, denotes a grand space inhabited by brave and resourceful people whose myths, legends, oral traditions, and cosmologies reveal how they did not conceive of themselves in such “microscopic proportions.” Rather, Oceanic peoples have for over two millennia viewed the sea as a “large world” where peoples, goods, and cultures moved and mingled unhindered by fixed national boundaries.

A Snare and a Delusion (Or, Danger, Europeans at Work)

1978 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. 43-61 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Henige
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Historical Linguistics ◽  
Oral Traditions ◽  
Pacific Island ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
Island Group ◽  
History Of ◽  
Derived Data ◽  
Orthodox View ◽  
Remote Past

This minor revision in Polynesian scholarship, the undermining of the authenticity of the traditions as historical … is one of the most significant developments in New Zealand archaeology.This [belief in a Great Fleet] arose out of the desire of European scholars to provide a coherent framework by which to interpret the prehistory of New Zealand.As heavily as historians must rely on orally-derived data for their study of the African past, historians of Oceania are far more in thrall to such materials in attempting to reconstruct the history of the various Pacific island groups. Although archeology and historical linguistics can sometimes help to provide broad sequences and interrelationships as well as evidence concerning origins, neither can, of course, provide circumstantial local detail or close dating. Oral traditions, often supported by genealogies of sometimes extraordinary length and complexity, have been collected in all parts of the Pacific almost since the time of Cook, but the latter part of the nineteenth century was a period of particularly feverish activity. The result is a vast body of material, much of it still in manuscript form. Of this corpus far more relates to the Maori people of New Zealand than to the inhabitants of any other island group.In the course of the first half of this century a homogenized orthodox view of New Zealand's more remote past developed -- an interpretation based on three pivotal events, each of which came to be dated calendrically by means of Maori genealogies. The first was the arrival of the “discoverer” of New Zealand, one Kupe, who was dated to ca. 950. Then, two centuries later, came Toi and his companions. Finally, so this version goes, the so-called Great Fleet, comprising about seven large canoes (the number varies slightly) arrived in about 1350, and New Zealand began to be well and truly peopled by Maori.

scholarly journals Treaty-Making in the Pacific in the Nineteenth Century and the Treaty of Waitangi

2004 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 165 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tom Bennion
Keyword(s):  
Nineteenth Century ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
International Law ◽  
Public Law ◽  
Original Text ◽  
Pacific Island ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
Treaty Of Waitangi ◽  
History Of ◽  
Pacific Island Nations

This paper discusses the history of treaty-making between Pacific island nations and European powers during the nineteenth century in order to assess the validity of the Treaty of Waitangi at international law. The author also draws some brief comparisons with treaty-making in Africa. The particular focus of the paper is an assessment of how the colonial powers would have viewed a document such as the Treaty. The conclusion of the paper is that the signatories would have presumed that the Treaty would have serious effect, and would be binding in international law.Editor’s note: This paper was originally written in 1987 as part of the Administrative Law LLM course at Victoria University of Wellington. After it was recently cited with approval in Sir Kenneth Keith's article "Public Law in New Zealand" (2003) 1 New Zealand Journal of Public and International Law 3, it transpired that access to the paper was very limited. Despite its age, and the fact that much scholarship has been done in the intervening time, on the Treaty in particular, the material is still of considerable interest. Some changes have been made to the original text to cater for the passage of time.

scholarly journals Estimated prevalence of hearing loss and provision of hearing services in Pacific Island nations

2015 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Sanders ◽  
Natasha Houghton ◽  
Ofa Dewes ◽  
Judith McCool ◽  
Peter Thorne
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Otitis Media ◽  
Pacific Islands ◽  
Census Data ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Accurate Information ◽  
Pacific Island ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
Prevalence Estimates ◽  
Pacific Island Nations

INTRODUCTION: Hearing impairment (HI) affects an estimated 538 million people worldwide, with 80% of these living in developing countries. Untreated HI in childhood may lead to developmental delay and in adults results in social isolation, inability to find or maintain employment, and dependency. Early intervention and support programmes can significantly reduce the negative effects of HI. AIM: To estimate HI prevalence and identify available hearing services in some Pacific countries — Cook Islands, Fiji, Niue, Samoa, Tokelau, Tonga. METHODS: Data were collected through literature review and correspondence with service providers. Prevalence estimates were based on census data and previously published regional estimates. RESULTS: Estimates indicate 20–23% of the population may have at least a mild HI, with up to 11% having a moderate impairment or worse. Estimated incidence of chronic otitis media in Pacific Island nations is 3–5 times greater than other Australasian countries in children under 10 years old. Permanent HI from otitis media is substantially more likely in children and adults in Pacific Island nations. Several organisations and individuals provide some limited hearing services in a few Pacific Island nations, but the majority of people with HI are largely underserved. DISCUSSION: Although accurate information on HI prevalence is lacking, prevalence estimates of HI and ear disease suggest they are significant health conditions in Pacific Island nations. There is relatively little support for people with HI or ear disease in the Pacific region. An investment in initiatives to both identify and support people with hearing loss in the Pacific is necessary. KEYWORDS: Health services; hearing loss; otitis media; Pacific Islands

Trends in Vulnerability to Climate-related Hazards in the Pacific: Research, Understanding and Implications

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Hay ◽  
Virginie Duvat ◽  
Alexandre K. Magnan
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Success Factors ◽  
Pacific Islands ◽  
Heat Waves ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Pacific Island ◽  
Effective Response ◽  
Hazard Exposure ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
Pacific Island Nations

The unique coping capacities and other attributes that Pacific island nations have been developing for centuries have sustained them in the face of an enormous range of local and global challenges. These include climate change-related hazards, and especially tropical cyclones and high-wave incidents that notably generate landslides and river and coastal flooding; droughts; heat waves; and ocean warming. Such hazards place resources, people, and assets at serious risk, as reflected by their vulnerability. However, measuring climate change vulnerability is problematic since climate hazards combine with anthropogenic and other physical drivers to influence the nature, levels, and variability of vulnerability. The few longitudinal studies that have been undertaken for the Pacific island countries show high and increasing vulnerabilities, despite considerable investment of money and other resources at community, island, sector, and national levels.Considering the elements of risk (hazard, exposure, vulnerability, and capacity to adapt), this chapter critically reviews the approaches used in the Pacific to assess vulnerability, analyzes recent changes in the vulnerability of island nations, and lays the foundation for some new thinking on island habitability and futures. It uses lessons learned, as well as success stories and success factors, to present priorities related to the assessment of climate change vulnerabilities, risks, and possible adaptation interventions in the Pacific islands region. These underpin a series of principles aimed at harmonizing understanding and action. Notably, the chapter concludes that transformational resilient development can provide a more effective response to increasingly unprecedented risks and higher vulnerabilities, for both high and low islands, including atolls.

scholarly journals Sport-for-Development in the South Pacific Region: Macro-, Meso-, and Micro-Perspectives

2017 ◽  
Vol 34 (4) ◽  
pp. 303-316 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emma Sherry ◽  
Nico Schulenkorf ◽  
Emma Seal ◽  
Matthew Nicholson ◽  
Russell Hoye
Keyword(s):  
Structural Change ◽  
Pacific Islands ◽  
South Pacific ◽  
Holistic Approach ◽  
Pacific Region ◽  
Pacific Island ◽  
Research Project ◽  
Sport For Development ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
Pacific Island Nations

As the field of sport-for-development (SFD) has developed, there has been increasing debate over the ability of SFD programs to effect lasting structural change on target communities. Highlighting the barriers to SFD program delivery in five Pacific Island nations, in this paper we argue that numerous challenges emerging at macro-, meso-, and microlevels must be explored, understood, and accounted for to enact structural change. Building on thematic findings from our empirical cross-nation research project, we discuss the importance of addressing SFD challenges at all levels of society to ensure that interventions are appropriately tailored for the specific and often divergent sociocultural contexts in the Pacific Islands region. We argue for a more holistic approach to planning, management, and evaluation when attempting to deliver structural change through sport.

New Zealand’s ties reset with Pacific will take time

2018 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Pacific Islands ◽  
Marine Resources ◽  
World Population ◽  
Pacific Region ◽  
Pacific Island ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
Pacific Island Nations

Subject New Zealand's foreign policy towards the Pacific region. Significance New Zealand is 'resetting' its relationship and engagement with South Pacific island nations, which includes increasing its financial contribution to the islands’ development and widening interaction, potentially to a genuinely two-way engagement in place of past ‘paternalistic benevolence’. This is important for Pacific security and prosperity. Impacts China is expanding its influence in the Pacific Islands; frictions may rise between Beijing and Wellington. Beijing and Wellington will compete for influence via infrastructure, trade and aid projects, and naval presence. EU, US and Japanese interest in the Pacific will grow; the United Kingdom is already expanding its diplomatic presence. Rich Pacific marine resources including fish will be increasingly important as world population and food demand grow.

scholarly journals Anaesthesia and Anaesthetic Training in the Pacific Islands

1989 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 56-61 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. H. Hatfield
Keyword(s):  
Health Services ◽  
Pacific Islands ◽  
Pacific Region ◽  
Pacific Island ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
Operating Theatres ◽  
Pacific Island Nations

These are thoughts and impressions on the practice of anaesthesia, the management of operating theatres, and a plan for the training of anaesthetists for the Pacific island nations. They are based on accumulated experience and personal observations gained over ten years of working and travelling throughout the Pacific region. The concepts and ideas expressed are a correlation and condensation of many conversations with local anaesthetists and people involved with managing hospitals and administering the health services of many of the countries in the Pacific.

Oceania and Australasia

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
paul d'Arcy
Keyword(s):  
Indigenous Peoples ◽  
Collective Identity ◽  
Pacific Islands ◽  
World History ◽  
The Philippines ◽  
Pacific Island ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
Settler Societies ◽  
Pacific Island Nations ◽  
Western Half

Oceania and Australasia are relatively recent and externally imposed terms. The term Australasia refers collectively to the lands south of Asia, or present-day Australia and New Zealand. Oceania refers to the Pacific Islands east of present-day Indonesia and the Philippines across to Pitcairn Island in the southeast Pacific and also includes the western half of the island of New Guinea, which is now part of Indonesia. These islands are generally divided into three geographical areas: Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. Present-day national borders cut across previous indigenous exchange areas or unite peoples with little previous sense of collective identity, especially in the larger Pacific Island nations of southwest Oceania. The region's value and prime relevance to world history lies in its comparative value in terms of European explorers and traders, and subsequent settler societies and their relations with, and impact upon, indigenous peoples.

Pacific islands present Paris diplomatic challenge

2015 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Pacific Islands ◽  
Extreme Weather Events ◽  
Pacific Island ◽  
Refugee Status ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Sea Levels ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
Rising Sea Levels ◽  
Pacific Island Nations

Subject The approach of Pacific island nations to the Paris climate talks. Significance The Pacific island countries face rising sea levels and increasingly destructive extreme weather events due to climate change. As such, they have played a key role in driving international negotiations ahead of the UN climate change conference (COP 21), which begins on November 30 in Paris, and have sought to mobilise networks of sympathetic groups and countries elsewhere in the world. Impacts Conservative contributions from Australia and New Zealand will strain relations with other Pacific nations well after Paris talks end. The Pacific islands are likely to push for an international legal convention on 'climate refugee' status. Developing country claims will limit international financial and technical aid available for the Pacific, even with increased donor pledges. Destination countries for climate-induced migration will face legal and financial challenges.

A Short history of the post-graduate surgical training in Fiji - where to from here?

2018 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 103-107 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jitoko Kelepi Cama ◽  
Sonal Singh Nagra
Keyword(s):  
Surgical Training ◽  
Training Programme ◽  
Post Graduate ◽  
School Of Medicine ◽  
Postgraduate Training Programme ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
National University ◽  
History Of ◽  
Training Of Surgeons ◽  
Pacific Island Nations

Post-graduate surgical training at the Fiji National University (FNU), previously known as the Fiji School of Medicine) has recently been updated by incorporating elements from the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS) training curriculum. The revised curriculum maintains strong contextual relevance to the needs and pathologies of the Pacific Island nations.  This paper outlines why the FNU surgical postgraduate training programme should be applauded as a successful programme in the training of surgeons for the region.

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