Hawaiians: People Of The Sea

Hawaiians: People Of The Sea

Hawaiians: The Floating Islands of the Sea People
ETH 125
March 20, 2011

Aloha! My name is Kimo Kapu (pronounced Key-Moe Kah-Pooh) and I will try my best to overcome a difficult task yet historically interesting in explaining how my people of Hawaii, the Hawaiians, and people of the sea came to existence. Many may ask how we Hawaiians come to occupy our beautiful islands. We, the people of the sea would like to say that through courage, competency and canoes our ancient ancestors, the Polynesian voyagers   left Africa and Asia through Oceania to explore the different islands of the Pacific Ocean some 3,000 years ago. To be able to survive on lands that were unfamiliar to them and where no humans had been before, food sources such as plants and animals were brought with them.   They voyaged through the island of French Polynesia and then to Easter Island. The only source of navigational devices they used was the moon and the stars. The islands of Hawaii were uninhabited until about 800 – 1,000 A.D. that the first colonization arrived. It was believed that it took over 1,500 years for this colonization group to reach Hawaii (Bose).
Soldiers from the island of Marquesas were believed to be the first to populate the island of Hawaii followed by the voyagers assumedly from Tahiti or French Polynesia. These groups of settlers found “Paradise” and kingdoms were formed and were ruled by sovereign. The sea people, the Hawaiians cultivated the land with plants they brought with them. They got their protein from the ocean and fish ponds they created. There were plenty to eat from the rich and fertile land with fresh water from waterfalls. Our people respected their chiefs and even though there were wars between each island occasionally, life on the Hawaiian Islands was isolated and unchangeable (Bose).
The arrival of Captain Cook changed Hawaii forever when although he was hailed and praised as a God by the natives, he overstayed his welcome. As a result of...