The Invasion of White Settlers in Hawaii and Its Impacts on Customs

Despite the island’s best attempts to keep native culture alive and thriving in a manner similar to post-invasion traditions, Hawaii and its customs have been drastically affected by the all-too-familiar plague of white settlers. Where once stood free-spirited religion and fruitful lands is suddenly replaced by political disorder and diseases of spotted skin. The changes, whether intentional or otherwise, set in motion by foreign invasion have irreparably altered the course of Hawaiian culture, for better or worse. As such, major shifts in tradition and even social order have followed, profoundly affecting both native staples of Hawaiian culture and more subtle aspects of day-to-day life on the islands themselves.

Most notably evident in the plight of the Hawaiians stands the introduction of disease, and, subsequently, the startling outbreak of leprosy. The so-called “disease of the despised” (p. 41), brought forth by settlers, rended Hawaiian society to shambles, splitting families and forcing the innocent into crippling isolation. Noted in the depressing Song of the Chanter Ka-’ehu, the plague carried with it crushing social and emotional tolls in addition to the sickness itself, forcing the otherwise-untouched by “white” illness into solitary suffering. As noted, it is “strange when a man’s neighbors become less than acquaintances” (41). Those suffering often found themselves caught up in a helpless role, comparing themselves to being “caught like chickens” or “cattle herded” (41). Segregation of the “diseased” and the “healthy” carried with it touches of racism, which quickly spiralled out of proportion into a legally-racist institution of separation and isolation. Additionally, this epidemic, strangely, became interpreted as a symbol of inferiority amongst the Hawaiians in comparison to their white invaders. Not only did these victims suffer physically, but socially, in terms of their appearance besides the white man, heavily damaging the view of Hawaii to the outside world. With the infected bound for a life of silent suffering at Kalawao, these once-human men, women and even children suddenly became “branded for exile” (41), shattering the essential family unit present in Hawaiian society in favor of the cruel “prisoner” treatment.

In the Kalawao of Malie, the temperaments of those who had narrowly managed to escape leprosy’s hands rapidly disintegrated. As haoles integrated themselves into modern Hawaiian society and the diseased piled up in the dark corners of Kalawao, local tensions ran high among the natives, culminating in indulgence of “the evils” (35) of alcohol, gambling and sexual desire. As mentioned, this behavior is characteristic of Honolulu--not pre-leprosy Kalawao. It is naive to assume that sexual harassment ran virtually undetected prior to the social shift in Kalawao, and yet the local attitude towards those who would commit these crimes allows them to continue without opposition. As said by Makaio, “this is not a new thing to Kalawao. This sickness: it does strange things to the appetites of people. But it is better now than it used to be” (36). Again, the onset of leprosy is immediately correlated with obscene behavior. However, in this scenario, those without leprosy have now become afraid, isolated victims among themselves. Despite leprosy’s physical effects, shifts in social power have occurred as a result of the outbreak.

One not-so-substantial change came in the form of the power of the Hawaiian king, Kalakaua, which persisted throughout the leprosy epidemic regardless of other underlying social shifts. Proven by Kewalo’s plan at the schoolhouse, the very mention of the king held enough power, both in the past and present, to demand respect and obedience. Despite leprosy “diseasing” the people of Kalawao, King Kalakaua still retained major influence over his people, whether words were spoken directly from his mouth or relayed by others. As Kewalo mentioned the “words of the King”, the unruly atmosphere settled immediately, followed by complete silence and respect for what were, presumably, demands of the most powerful in Hawaii. “Profound was the silence when he began” (p. 37) indicates the importance of such words upon the crowd when the king’s name is so much as mentioned in passing. After Kewalo’s reading of the false speech, the men who’d lurked about the schoolhouse vanished “without a sound, without a backward glance” (p. 37). The persistence of their absence solely in reference to the king’s words carried with it substantial weight and importance--illustrating, perfectly, the control the king retained over his plague-stricken people.

Considered a plague of ruin in the Bible and a serious illness still recognized in some areas of today’s modern world, leprosy in the hands of a thriving society carried only disastrous consequences for what had once been a teeming utopia of lush vegetation and free-spirited people. With the death of dozens of Hawaiians followed the death of dozens of aspects of Hawaiian culture, while some portions retained vitality and importance in the years to come. Regardless, culture so rich does not shift of its own accord--rather, it often takes calamity to bring around changes to sacred tradition, as leprosy carried forth to the innocent Hawaiians.