Student: Chrislyn DeMattos
Graduation date: May 2019
Type: Concentration (single major)
Date approved: November 2016
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Summary
The Pacific Ocean covers an extraordinary 50% of the earth’s ocean area, and is scattered with small, isolated Pacific Island Nations. The isolated nature of Pacific islands leads to unique island ecologies, a dependence on trade, and a rich history of marine navigation. Many island states have been previously governed by larger nations such as Britain, France, and the United States, as colonies or territories while other states are currently sovereign (Finin et al. 2000, Ware 2005). Pacific Island Nations are unique because they commonly have larger indigenous populations compared to continental nations (Ware 2005). The indigenous populations tend to be more active in voicing their opinions in policy and management. Environmental activism in Pacific Island Nations center around land use, urban development, and conservation because many indigenous cultures are dependent on the specific location and ecosystem (Finin et al. 2000, Lal et al. 2000, Krech 2005). Indigenous groups at times find allies in the local populations of residents, government officials, and businesses, yet at other times they can find themselves at odds with each other due to contradictory beliefs. Commonly, offshore stakeholders and nations (multinational corporations, environmental groups, national governments, and scientists) are confronted with the local populations and/or indigenous peoples (Dono et al. 2010, Wapner 1996). Pacific Island Nations offer a wide range of environmental conflict and how such situations can be handled.
On Kaho’olawe in Hawai’i there have been a number of environmental activist movements started by Native Hawaiians in opposition to U.S. military bomb testing that occurred from the 1930s up until the 1970s. This, partnered with introduced non-native grazing animals obliterated the local landscape. Issues of land rights and natural resource management have thus arisen. Politicians, activist groups, and Native Hawaiians created campaigns to begin restoration. For many locals “restoration also represented cultural renewal” (Blackford 2002, 544). Protect Kaho’olawe ‘Ohana (PKO), initiated by George Helm, was an organization that arranged protests and conversations regarding the restoration of Kaho’olawe. It was later discovered that the U.S. military did not provide a sufficient environmental statement; this was an opening for PKO and other politicians and activists to push for a policy change. In the end it was decided that “the navy was to give the PKO access to Kaho’olawe for at least four days each month, ten months of the year, for religious, cultural, scientific, and educational purposes” (Blackford 2002, 565) and they were “to recognize members of the PKO as stewards of Kaho’olawe” (Blackford 2002, 565). Many Native Hawaiians strived for complete land rights and ownership, yet this reform is a step towards successful policy and management change.
Marovo Lagoon, located in the New Georgia Islands, is known for extremely diverse reefs and rainforests. The majority of the lagoon is privately owned by the local population (Hviding 2006), producing important matters of land rights, which can trigger economic and developmental conflicts. Because of the high level of biodiversity at Marovo Lagoon many offshore environmental groups, large-scale corporations, and developers insert themselves into the local environmental issues and conflicts. However, since a majority of the land is under private ownership it is difficult for groups to be involved. Some locals are opposed to environmental groups in a fear that they could alter their way of life or damage the local economy. However, many have been interested in the idea of logging because it can benefit the local economy (Hviding 2006). Here the local and indigenous populations fail to share common ideologies regarding natural resource management, perhaps initiating more conflict. Furthermore offshore stakeholders aiming to enter Marovo Lagoon have had at times an “ignorance or disregard of the complexities of local people’s environmental knowledge” (Hviding 2006, 81) and as a result find themselves in legal and social conflicts.
In the Western Solomon Islands many environmentalist groups have attempted to persuade the local population to adopt conservationist developments (Faole 2001, 44) triggering conflicts of indigenous rights regarding land and development. It was common for residents to agree to development by NGOs because of large payouts. The goal of conservationist groups was to make locals more aware and conscious of their decisions and the ecosystem. As is expected, the WWF (World Wildlife Fund), who was heading the campaign, ran into to several issues when the onsite conservationists communicated with the locals. Often, they felt as if the WWF wasn’t understanding the local perspective. For many, allowing development by outside groups is a way to maintain a stable income. Offshore stakeholders failed in attempting to understand the indigenous perspective and their perceptions (if any) of the local ecosystem. Locals accused the WWF of not providing viable substitutions to the problem (Faole 2001, 47).
The instances of Kaho’olawe, Marovo Lagoon, and the Western Solomon Islands all prove that there is a range of possibilities in the interactions of local populations, indigenous groups, and offshore stakeholders. It is important to document studies on outcomes of environmental activism so future issues can be facilitated between varying parties.
Citations
Blackford, Mansel G. “Environmental Justice, Native Rights, Tourism, and Opposition to Military Control: The Case of Kaho’olawe.” Enterprise and Society 3, no. 02 (2002): 393–94.
Dono, Joanne, Janine Webb, and Ben Richardson. “The Relationship between Environmental Activism, pro-Environmental Behaviour and Social Identity.” Journal of Environmental Psychology 30, no. 2 (June 2010): 178–86. doi:10.1016/j.jenvp.2009.11.006.
Foale, Simon. “‘Where’s Our Development?’.” The Asia Pacific Journal of Anthropology 2, no. 2 (September 1, 2001): 44–67. doi:10.1080/14442210110001706105.
Finin, Gerard A., and Terence Wesley-Smith. “Coups, Conflicts, and Crises : The New Pacific Way?,” 2000. http://scholarspace.manoa.hawaii.edu/handle/10125/3611.
Hviding, Edvard. “Knowing and Managing Biodiversity in the Pacific Islands: Challenges of Environmentalism in Marovo Lagoon.” International Social Science Journal 58, no. 187 (March 2006): 69–85. doi:10.1111/j.1468-2451.2006.00602.x.
Krech, Shepard. “Reflections on Conservation, Sustainability, and Environmentalism in Indigenous North America.” American Anthropologist 107, no. 1 (2005): 78–86.
Freedman, Lauri. S. Environmentalism: Introducing Issues with Opposing Viewpoints. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2012.
Lal, Brij V., and Kate Fortune. The Pacific Islands: An Encyclopedia. University of Hawaii Press, 2000.
Wapner, Paul K.. Environmental Activism and World Civic Politics. Albany: State University of New Yourk Press, 1996.
Ware, Helen. “Demography, Migration and Conflict in the Pacific.” Journal of Peace Research 42, no. 4 (July 1, 2005): 435–54. doi:10.1177/0022343305054090.
Questions
- Descriptive: What types of environmental conflict are present in pacific island nations? How have indigenous people, off-shore environmentalist groups, and local businesses participated in environmental activism as an attempt to aid their goals in resolving environmental conflict? In which island nations has a situation of environmental conflict previously occurred?
- Explanatory: Why have previous instances of environmental activism influenced the change of policy? Why do certain groups choose environmental activism as an avenue for change? How do indigenous populations interact with environmental groups, businesses, and the local government?
- Evaluative: How can environmental activism be important in regions with heavy conflict? Which populations benefit the most and least from environmental activism? How much involvement and/or participation is necessary for environmental activism to change policy?
- Instrumental: In what cases can environmental activism prove to be successful in changing policy? How can environmental activism be adopted/utilized (if it proves to be most useful) in pacific island nations? How should interactions of environmental conflict with indigenous populations be handled?
Concentration courses
- SOAN 214 (Social Change, 4 credits), Fall 2017. This course examines the social interactions of conflicts regarding environmental, economic, and cultural issues. This is useful because this will give a background on how various actors handle social change and come up with successful situations.
- SOAN 349 (Indigenous People: Identities and Politics, 4 credits), Spring 2018. This course will give insight into indigenous peoples and their opinions regarding social issues. This will be useful in examining their identity and involvement in politics.
- SOAN 350 (Global Inequality, 4 credits), Spring 2018. Because this course examines conflicts between first world and third world countries it will be useful in this concentration, because this is a similar situation to outside groups attempting to get involved in interactions in Pacific Island Nations.
- HIST 335 (History and Culture of American Indians, 4 credits), Fall 2017 or Spring 2018. This course will specifically examine American Indians and their history during pre-colonial and colonial times. This course will be important in learning about how an indigenous people interact and change due to a colonial presence, similar to how Pacific Island Nations were taken over.
- ENVS 350 (Environmental Theory, 4 credits), Spring 2018. This course will offer a background and framework of how to analyze environmental problems and solutions. It will be useful in examining various environmental theories and how they can be utilized in activist movements.
- ENVS 460 (Environmental Law and Policy, 4 credits), Fall 2017. This will provide a foundational background on environmental policy and give insight into which laws various actors may want to change due to environmental conflict.
Arts and humanities courses
- HIST 261 (Global Environmental History, 4 credits). Pre-approved A&H course; no justification required.
- PHIL 215 (Philosophy and the Environment, 4 credits). Pre-approved A&H course; no justification required.