Western Lens vs Native Lens

[2liveque]

Western lens is highly influenced by Christianity and the belief that man claims dominion over just about everything. This has been indoctrinated in the thinking of many folks into believing that man can do anything "HE" puts his mind to. In short, if we can damn a river, fly to the moon, and explore the deepest recesses of the ocean, then by golly, we should be able to "divert" a freek'n lava flow! Arrogance often colors the western lens. And make no mistake about it, many non-westerners, have also subscribed to this ideology.

The Native lens speaks otherwise. While many of you may acknowledge the presence of the "host" culture and be so quick to drop Merrie Monarch reference or the name of Hawaiians who have either befrended you, or impregnated a family member, the truth of it all is that most (and I do emphasize most --if this dont' apply to you, then don't be offended), -- MOST transplanted folks sitting in the lava update meetings show that they could give a rats behind about Hawaiians and their tutu Pele. They may never admit it, but rest assured, body language and the eyes of the beholder tell the true story. Especially when the Hawaiians get on the mic. Kudos to that European lady who went up, made her feelings know about Hawaiians, and got booed off the mic. At least she had courage enough to say her true convictions. Unlike many others who keep their ethnocentric feelings under wraps. The native lens is a land/ocean/wind/sky NATURE based lens. Whether you chose to believe in Pele or not, the native lens allows for one to acknowledge the "godliness" of nature. Two very different ideologies at play in Puna and the rest of our state for that matter. I'm refraining from using the "H" word, as many seem to get too offended by the term. But make no mistake about it, all folks who continue to suggest diversion are in fact H____es. Transplants to Puna who have no true connection to the land beyond their 1-(insert your time in Puna here). As the years go by, many feel like they now have a say (AND A RIGHT!) to pretty much utter what they please. This certainly does not apply to all transplants, so please don't get offended if my observations don't apply to you. Those who I speak of come with an ideology that is very self-centered, based upon their own needs, and their own wants, their own "right," their own attorney, policies, laws, money. Money, which is a western God by the way, allows for folks to feel once again, like they the humans, can do as they please. Many come with continental-centric approaches that have them believing that they are 1) smarter than Hawaiians and locals, and 2) people should listen to them, because they are smart and they know more than these "experts" in Hawaii.

Well my friends, if the shoe fits -- Tutu Pele will remind you of how HOT the ground will get underneath you. 'Eo Tutu. Mahalo for presence.

[PaulW]

All these people who claim to understand Pele so well, please let us know which way the lava will flow.
Otherwise it's just the randomness of nature.

[csgray]

When I was taking a geography of religion class in college I wrote a research paper contrasting native American perceptions and definitions of "sacred places" with those of the European American culture and the ways those two value systems end up clashing because of those differences. The perceptual clash in part came from the way each culture denotes a sacred space.

To many native cultures if a place is sacred you deliberately have minimal impact on it, only going there at specific times for specific spiritual purposes. The European/American response is the opposite, if it is a sacred space you build a fancy cathedral on it, the more sacred, the bigger the building. These diametrically opposed perspectives cause a lot of friction, especially when dealing with potential development. On one side you have people who want to develop an area saying, "What do you mean that place is sacred, there is nothing there." and on the other side people saying "Can't you see how respected and sacred it is, we never altered the place, because it is so sacred."

The inherent contradictions between these two world views are unresolvable without both sides being willing and able to understand the others' perspective.

Carol

Every time you feel yourself getting pulled into other people's nonsense, repeat these words: Not my circus, not my monkeys.
Polish Proverb

[2liveque]

You call it nature. I call it Pele. Same Same PaulW. She/IT will go where she (randomly) pleases. As I have stated above, by my word choice of using the "she" or "tutu" or "kupuna" Pele references, the non-Pele acknowledgers/believers will often have a place in their gut that totally disregards how I or other Pele folks may reference the current episode.

[DanielP]

All two -legged beings are transplants to these islands.

[Derrick Barnicoat]

It's not really random though even christians should be able to understand this. Nature is never random. There is a universal intelligence that flows through everything. It is the unifying force some call it nature, judeo-christian religions call it god, some call it the unified field. It is real and the evidence is with in yourself. You have thoughts. Your mind makes decisions. It doesn't work at random it works in conjunction with or in reaction to its inner and outer environment, yet your brain is made entirely of organic material. Just as your brain is merely a part of your body, your body is a part of its immediate environment, which is a part of this planet which is a part of this galaxy, which is a part of the universe which is all a part of nature. Everything in nature works exactly as it has intended. Don't judge or question the intentions of nature because it is more intelligent than all of humanity combined. When we try to work against nature (notice I use the word "TRY" because we actually can't) or assume nature is random or stupid we shoot ourselves in the foot. We actually threaten our own right to exist as a species.

I am not religious, but I am spiritual. I meditate three times daily doing transcendental meditation. On occasion I watch or listen to Maharishi talks. Anyway,I like the description of universal intelligence that he gives. He says it is like the way a flower has petals, a stem, maybe thorns and a root system yet you can find the same sap in all those parts to varying degrees. This is why if you acknowledge that you can think for yourself you must realize that same intelligence runs through all of nature and nature can and will act upon it's own intentions.

So go ahead try to divert but you will end up screwing someone else or maybe yourself, but it will all work out as it should at the end of the day. In other words maybe some people need to get burned in order to learn about the power of nature.

[HereOnThePrimalEdge]

quote:

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Originally posted by DanielP

All two -legged beings are transplants to these islands.

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Including the nene, 'io, and coot.

[opihikao]

2liveque said: 'Eo Tutu. Mahalo for presence.

'EO!

[PaulW]

There is a difference. I'm not afraid of offending Mother Nature.

People are entitled to their beliefs, but what if your beliefs cause someone else to lose their property?

I agree with the idea that you should not divert from one subdivision into another but in this case diverting onto already-lava-covered land is a real possibility. Maybe it is beyond our capabilities now but it won't be forever. I'm not so sure cultural sensitivities will be respected as much if a future flow is heading straight for Hilo or Kona.

[punafish]

"All two -legged beings are transplants to these islands."

I agree. But I respect the folks who got here before me and the culture that evolved.

As Carol stated, the culture gaps are huge, the fundamental assumptions about reality sometimes polar opposite. To wit:

Western mythology puts man in charge of nature (and with it, license to control and manipulate as we wish); Hawaiian culture (and most of Asia) puts nature in charge of man.

Hawaiian culture (and its shamanistic cousins in Asia) believe nature is alive and conscious, and tend to assign motives to natural events accordingly; Western culture assumes nature is not conscious and we draw different conclusions accordingly.

Shaministic cultures animate nature with spirits; Western religion (the unscientific crowd anyway) likes its spirits in another world, apart from nature (call it "heaven").

Western culture believes that land can belong to man; Hawaiian culture believes that man in fact belongs to the land.

We've all heard the expression "imperialism." There is also such a thing as "cultural imperialism," the idea of one culture pushing its way of thinking onto another culture. (Kind of like an atheist insisting that religious people stop believing. How often do you suppose the atheist actually turns the believer?) Even if you believe in your heart of hearts that your way of thinking is correct, empathy and sensitivity to other cultures offers many more opportunities than alienating people by challenging their religious beliefs, no matter how illogical they may seem to you.