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MMNHWG REPORT II
<br /> Historically, Kanaka Maoli women were the first of systemic social and economic inequities that
<br /> to have their physical mana (spiritual power) kill and displace them.
<br /> controlled through violent, sexualized, patriarchal
<br /> colonial processes of erasure, sterilization, and The past has tangible impacts on the present and
<br /> birthing.Today, Kanaka Mach women continue to future. According to a study by Pokhrel & Herzog
<br /> be sexually subjugated. For example, the iconic (2014), 8190 of Kanaka Maoli college students
<br /> image of the scantly clothed, hip-shaking hula reported thinking about the loss of their ances-
<br /> dancer is one that makes Kanaka Maoli women tral lands, 8700 reported thinking about loss of
<br /> objects of sexual desire in the minds of foreign 'olelo Hawaii, 669/0 reported thinking about unfair
<br /> men. The commodifing and sexualizing of a treatment by the U.S.government, and 12-150/0
<br /> sacred Kanaka Maoli art form (hula) is validated reported thinking several times a day about the
<br /> through ideologies of Kanaka Maoli women as lack of respect for elders and traditional Kana-
<br /> uncivilized and needing salvation through rela- ka Maoli ways of being. These are factors that
<br /> tionships with white, western men. contribute to the prevalence of mental health
<br /> issues in Kanaka Mach. Speaking specifically to
<br /> Historical Trauma the ongoing effects of colonization on Kanaka
<br /> Colonization is not a one-off event of the past. Maoli health, Kanaka Mach on average, experi-
<br /> Colonization continues in practices of the pres- ence a shorter lifespan (Aluli et al., 2007,Johnson
<br /> ent. Today, colonization is maintained through et al,, 2004), a higher occurrence of heart attacks
<br /> imperialism via the heavy military presence and obesity (Mau et al., 2009), and higher rates of
<br /> and land holdings in Hawaii and capitalism via psychological and emotional difficulties (Burrage
<br /> the domination of the tourism industry. Both et al., 2021) than other major racial/ethnic groups
<br /> industries (military and tourism) are the most in Hawaii.Additionally, Kanaka Maoli have the
<br /> extractive industries in Hawaii in terms of envi- highest poverty, unemployment, and houseless-
<br /> ronmental and cultural resources. Militarism and ness rates of all major ethnic groups in Hawaii
<br /> tourism are justified through United States colo- (Look et al., 2020). Within compulsory education-
<br /> nial law that is upheld through the misplacement al systems Kanaka Maoli students perform lower
<br /> of Kanaka Maoli within the United States consti- on standardized tests, experience lower gradua-
<br /> tution.The Kingdom of Hawaii was not affiliated tion and college-going rates (Kana'iaupuni et al.,
<br /> with the United States during the writing of the 2021), are overrepresented in special education
<br /> United States constitution. Given that the United courses, and have lower math and reading pro-
<br /> States constitution and subsequent legislation ficiency rates than other racial/ethnic groups in
<br /> were not created with Kanaka Maoli in mind, Hawai'i (OHA, 2017).
<br /> those who remain the most constitutionally
<br /> protected by the power of the United States legal These statistics should be understood as conse-
<br /> system are people who are U.S. citizens, white, quences of colonization, rather than as a learned
<br /> male, upper class, and land-owning (i.e., the types or inherent deficiency of Kanaka Maoli individuals
<br /> of people who the law was written by and for). or communities. The harm caused by coloniza-
<br /> The State of HawaiTs current legal system was tion is intergenerationally transmitted in what is
<br /> built upon a foundation of Kanaka Mach erasure commonly known across disciplines as historical
<br /> that directly sustains the systemic inequities of trauma. Historical traurna is defined as "curnu-
<br /> today. An automatic acceptance of colonial juris- lative ernotional and psychological wounding
<br /> prudence that operates from a fallacy of equal across generations, including the lifespan, which
<br /> treatment regardless of race/ethnicity, class, emanates from massive group trauma" (Brave
<br /> gender/sexuality, etc ensures that Kanaka Maoli Heart et al., 2011, p. 283).
<br /> women and girls continue to be lost within a web
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