CommoditizationofTraditionalCultureontheIslandofHawaii

EmilyCottrellandJosephMandelko
May17,2016
UniversityofWisconsinEauClaire,DepartmentofGeography&Anthropology
Geography386:HawaiiFieldSeminar

Culture. It is the glue that bonds people together, the identity that humans hold onto
and is defined by the United Nations as
the set of distinctive spiritual, material,intellectual
and emotional features of society or a social group (UNESCO,2001).Cultureis,bynature,
diverse and it is this diversity that is both fulfilling and problematic for those it comes in
contact with. It is problematic in the sense that it is intriguing and because of this and
human curiosity people want to not only learn about, but immerse themselves in the
different cultures of the world. This intrigue,curiosityandtheeffectsofglobalizationarethe
cornerstone of the concept of cultural tourism. Through the development of new
transportation and communication technologies, humanity's desire to experience cultural
diversity has been largelyfulfilled throughtheideaoftourism.Thisconceptandthe resulting
commoditization of culture through the medium of tourism will be discussed in this paper
through a variety of lenses. First, the commoditization of culture on a global scale will be
covered, focusing on multiple examples, followed by an indepth study of the
commoditization of culture on the island of Hawaii. This focus onHawaiihasbeenchosen
due to a recent Geographies of Hawaii field trip and this paper is the result of our
experiencesandstudiesonthisspecifictopic.

The end of the Second World War saw an economic boom in Western countries that
resulted in the rise of the middle class (Merriman, 2004). Thismiddleclasswasabletohave
enough funds to go on vacation, allowing them to attempt to escape reality for a period of
time. This escape resulted in peoplebeingabletoenteraplacewheretheycouldbeontopof
the social class, much like the upper class was able to do without vacationing. Due to this,
vacation movements like the famous Club Mediterranee began toamasspopularity andwere
replicated across the globe, pushing the middle class to vacation in more exotic locations

(Furlough, 1993).Theselocations,likeTahiti andHawaii,allowedtouriststoescape,existon

the top of the social ladder and experience a simple life centered aroundanideaofwhatit
meant to live traditionally on the islands. What resulted was a constructed reality thatdidnt
reflect the actuality of traditional culture but the kind of reality that the tourist expected. A
paradise where life was slower and more beautiful was desired and delivered.Theresultisa
bizarre mix between realcultureandprojectedculture.Paradisevacationdestinationslikethe
island of Hawaii now have areas with the tourist idea of the local culture and piecesofreal
culture are mixed together and on top of each other. The mix of these two is distributed
uniquely across spaces and placesespeciallyontheislandofHawaiiwhere cultureissoldin
some places to a greater extent than others. By looking at the commoditizationoftraditional
culture as it is spread across the island it is possible to see trends based around the tourist
impact as wellasthedesire forlocalstograspaheritagethathas beenconvolutedbyyearsof
selling it to tourists. It is possible to see the benefits of this, and certainly Hawaii benefits,
but the flip side, the more difficult cost to analyze, is thatofthelongtermeffectsoflosinga
culture.Theglobaltrendincommoditizationofculturewillbediscussedfirstastherealityon
Hawaii is not unique to that island and those global trends will be compared to the local
scaleoftheislanditself.
As mentioned above, the global reality of commoditized culture saw its beginning
with the ability of the middle class to travel and vacation in numbers like never before
(Furlough,1993).Oneofthebestexamplesofwhat itmeanstosellanideaofaculture isthat
of Club Mediterranee (Club Med). Club Med was established in 1950 as a way for French
people to leavetheirpost

warrealityofhardtimesandrebuilding.Theoriginalestablishment
was on the shores of the Mediterranean and promised an antidote to civilization. The
post

war regime of accumulation, or the excess purchasing power of post

war economies,
2

was to be offset by a Club Med membership. Members would travel to a built community
where status did not exist and work was a choice. Many of the ideas now associated with a
paradise came from notions started in Club Med. The founder based his communities off of
Tahiti, or what he wanted their reality to be. Participants were known to say there are no
social differences when everyoneisinabathingsuit(Furlough,1993,70)whenasked about
structurewithintheClub.
Eventually this idea of a getaway gained so much popularity, with followers in the
hundreds of thousands, (Furlough, 1993, 74) that they expanded to establish a site in Tahiti
itself. This location became the destination for a kind ofpilgrimageforpeoplewishingtogo
totheoriginoftheiridolizedlifestyle.On arrivingatthesiteinTahititheydiscoveredexactly
what they had been sold, a paradisethatfeltmorerealthanthatwhichwascreatedinFrance.
Club Med was wildly successful and the effect of its version of Polynesian culture rippled
across the Pacific Ocean and was eventually replicated by other companies on the shores of
Hawaii. By the end of the 1960s the Club brought in over 20 million dollars (Furlough,
1993, 74)
of business each year. With its 31 villages across the globe Club Med set up
communities based off of different cultures including a Moroccan village. One journalist
(Furlough, 1993, 77)
reported a distinct difference between the roped off beachesfilledwith
members working on a tan and the open empty public beaches right next door as the local
Moroccans stayed away from the heat of the midday sun. Eventually the Club faded away
but the idea ofaparadiseretreatremainedandthedesiresofthetouriststayedmuchthesame
of the members of Club Med toescaperealitybytravellingtoadifferentworld wherelife
was slow and simple. As a result vacation destinations catered to the crowd searching for a
Club Med type experience andcertainlytheideaofresortsandtourist townsisa reflectionof
aconstructedculturedesignedforthetourist.

The Pacific Islander culture isnt the only location where this occurs. Another
example of a form of commoditization of culture is that which occurs with the European
CapitalofCulture.Thisisaninitiativedesigned by theEuropeanUnion(EU)torecognisethe
great diversity of culture that is represented in the cities of the many different countries
within the EU (European Commission, 2016). The aim ofthisdelegationistofirstrecognise
cities of cultural significance and then financeandpromotetheculturalregenerationofthose
cities. Hence, these designations coincide with a dialectic on the role of culture, the
significance of tourism, and the relationship between the two in societies in transformation
(Hall
in
Howard et al., 2003, 12). Due to this, and in more recent years withthisprestigious
title being awarded to postcommunist countries, the question of whether or not this process
is causing a mixing of identity and culture has arisen. For these postcommunist countries,
who are now trying to prove themselves to be accepted as a part of the Western European
Union, they, in many cases, are giving uptheirhistoricculturesforonethattheybelievewill
help in gaining this acceptance. Acceptance is soughtafter not only for the capital received
for the funding of gentrification, but also the eminent capital that is supposed to flow into
thesecitiesthroughtheincreaseintourism.Thisincreaseinculturaltourismis,inmanycases
due to the prestige that comes with beingdesignatedaEuropeanCapitalofCulture.Recent
studies on the changes to the requirementsandpoliciessurroundingtheEuropeanCapitalsof
Culture has shown that cultural policies have come to be regarded less as a means of
preserving cultural heritage and more as a meansofstimulatingrevenuesand employment
by encouraging inward investment and tourism (Howard et al., 2003, 13). The success of
such investments in cultural tourism and the, expected results [are however,]... debatable
(Howard et al., 2003, 14). In the article
The Significance of European Capital of Culture
for Tourism and Culture: The Case of Krakow 2000 (K2000) the types of cultural

gentrification that are typically employed, and especially in the case of Krakow, Poland, are
those pertaining to the high arts (including artwork and the performing arts). Despite
Krakows rich historical culture, much of which was showcased during 2000, and its stance
as Polands most popular tourist destination (Howard et al., 2003, 17), the planners of the
year long celebration of the Culture Capital also featured many performances from other
cultures and countries. This not only detracted from core Polish culture, but also deprived
local, lesserknown artists the exposure they could have been afforded from thisopportunity
(Howard, et al., 2003, 19). Overall, the outcome of K2000 was not widely perceived to be
positive [and] served to reinforce the role of culture as a tourist product. This is
exactly what is meant bycommoditization ofculturethroughthemediumoftourismandwill
belookedatinfurtherdepthwithregardstotheBigIslandofHawaii.

As with the people and culture of Poland, theBigIsland ofHawaiiisexperiencinga

heavy tourist draw totheirshoresfrompeoplesearchingforthetypeofculturetheyexpectto
experience. While the Hawaiian economy was once dominated by agricultural production,
over time the economic power switched to tourism (Armstrong, 1998, 239). Thedominating
economic force since the 1960s has been tourism. This industry's impact on the island,
which has resulted in a steep decline in the economic strength of goods like sugar and
pineapples, and the state's dependence on it, has only continued to grow. The island of
Hawaii specifically attracts relatively fewer tourists than the other islands, yet still 12% of
civilian employees are employed by hotel services. There has also been a rise since 1980 in
the number of tourists branching out from the more popular island of Oahu to the
neighboring islands, including Hawaii. The islands chain as a wholebringsinover4billion

dollars annually from visitors, a large sum when taking into account the relative size of the
statewhencomparedtootherpopulartouristdestinations(Armstrong,1998,258263).
It is important to draw a distinction between the island of Hawaii and therestofthe
islands within the state, as the tourism trend for the chain isnotacompleterepresentationof
each individual island. The island of Oahu can be characterized by having the largest
metropolis in the chain, while Maui has the most tourists per permanent resident.Theisland
of Hawaii falls somewhere in the middle, itisboththelargestlandmassalongwithhousing
a large permanent population. As aresult,therearemoretownsandsmallenclavesofculture
that have been allowed to flourish on the island without as much touristinfluenceastherest
of the islands (Armstrong,1998,306).Duetotheseculturalenclaves,theislandofHawaiiis
a good case study forthe developmentoftourism,astheislandencompassesbothendsofthe
tourism spectrum. It houses areas where the effects of tourismarestrong,weak, positiveand
negative, resulting in an eclectic mix of cultures, places and spaces. In the case of Hawaii,
there is however, much room for polarization of culture through the medium of tourism to
occur, some of which can already be seen simply by distinguishing between the windward
andleewardsidesoftheisland.

Amongtheareaswhere tourismhasbeenrepresentedandsucceeded on thisislandis a

Green Sand Beach on the south side of the island,aHeiau(traditionalHawaiiantemple)and
the birthplace of King Kamehameha on the West side of the island, and
Puuhonua o
Hnaunau National Historical Park. These are spaces on the island where tourism is present
yet not as comparatively degrading to the history of the Hawaiian people as other places
whichwillbediscussedlater.

Located on the southern point of the island and a popular destination for locals and
tourists alike is Papa
lea Beach, which boasts rare green sand.
As part of the unique
geological history of the islands this beach is specific to Hawaii and represents part of its
past,

one

that

few

people

understand.

In short, the beach is formed from the erosion of a Puu, a cinderconevolcano,theresult of

which is a steep walled beach with green sand due to themineralcontentoftheinsideof the
puu. What makes this location worth noting is the way thatit ispresented.Inordertogetto
the beach a long drive down a narrow road off the beaten track is required to get to the
parking lot. From there a 2 mile walk through dry grassland is required. Though locals hire
out Jeeps to deliver beach goers to the green sand, viaa2trackroad,themajorityofvisitors
choose to walk. It is this seclusion from paved roads and any kind of building and modern

amenities that makethisbeachspecial,nottomentionthegreensand.Theresult,asomewhat

hidden gem of a beach that is far from any modern comforts. In order to visit thisparticular
site,thetouristhastofirstfindoutaboutthislocation,thenlocateitandgettothebeach.This
process potentiallyweedsoutthetouristy effectthatispresent,aswillbediscussedlater,in
beachtowns.
Another location, along the
north west point of the
island, is a heiaudesignated
for worship of the god of
battle and war. Notfarfrom
theheiauisthebirthplaceof
King
Kamehameha. The
location of these two
historic sites dating back
hundreds of years, is inasimilarfashion tothe greensandbeach.Adrivedownalonggravel
road is required to get the
the unpaved parking lot on
the edge of the ocean.
Once in the parking lot a
trek is needed to arrive at
the

sites,

with

dry

grassland to the left and

the crashing ocean to the
right there is a sense of

place
around the locations that places them apart fromotherexperiences.Thissenseofplace
is that of the history of the area. Due to the sites seclusion from modernfixturesitiseasyto
imaginetheareaasitoriginallywas,almostliketheselocationsarestillactive.
At the heiau site thereisasmallplaquewithinformationabouttheareaandthehistoryofthe
heiaubutthereisnostaff,paymentorvisitorscenter.
It is not a site to be sold to
tourists and the government is
likely losing money on the
sites upkeep. In situations like
this, the locations and what
they represent cannot be
tarnished by trying to make
more of a profit from visiting
populations because thereisno
money being made. It seems that most of the locations, indeed those just discussed, that do
not charge for entrance or participation are those that are able to remain more pure in their
representation, however that
trend is not universal for the
entire island. These examples
may notbeperfect forlookingat
the island through the lens of
commodification because those
locations are notexactlytoldor
traded as commodification of

culturewouldrequirebutwouldbebetterrepresentationsofapure

culturaltourism.
A location with strong historical and cultural ties, which does see a profit, requiring
an entry fee and staffing year round, is the historic site, Puuhonua o Honaunau. This
NationalHistoricParkislocatedalongtheWestcoastoftheislandintheKonaregion,oneof
the most densely populated and highly trafficked tourist areas on the island.

Despite the tourist draw of Kona, this location still maintains a strong tie to real cultural
significance (Armstrong, 1998, 308). Puuhonua o Honaunau is a location where those who
committed religious law infractions, kapus, could escape to be absolved of the crime they
committed by priests at the heiau located at the site. Since the religious law was the acting
law of the land, this was considered to be the highest offense. What remains today is both
original and recreated constructions of the temples and walls that originally existed on the
site. The park consists of a guided walkthrough which highlights different aspects of the
temple and several interpretive sites and is staffed by locals and native Hawaiians alike.

10

This is one of the best representations of a historical and cultural site that has yielded to
commoditization. Not all aspects of the Hawaiian culture have been, by luckor design,been
abletoachievesuchanuntarnishedrepresentation.

An example of a location in transition is Waipio Valley. This deep valley on the

northeastern side of the island was formed by river erosion and hosted a cradle for early
civilization with easy access to fresh water and fertile, flatcultivationfields.Todaythereare
still Hawaiians who live in the valley off the grid and in a mainly selfsustaining manner
though 50% of the land is owned by the Bishop Museum,a large landholderontheislandof
Hawaii. Due to the extreme measures to make it down the 30% grade, it is difficult to get
goods up or down into the valley and the taro farms therehaveexistedlargely separatefrom

11

the rest of the island. Recently the segments of valley owned by the museum are being sold
which some fear may provide an opening for further development (Planning).

Even today there are touristoperationssetuptodriveorrentout4x4vehiclestovisitorswho

oftentimesdonotunderstandthehistoricsignificanceofthevalley,thedangeroftheroad,or
eventheimpacttheirpresenceishavingontheresidentsofthevalley.

Some of the areas of the island that have had the hardest time maintaining accurate
and historic representation through tourism have been the areas where the economy is
dominated by tourism. While the birthplace ofKingKamehamehaismilesawayfrom tourist
destinations other places, like a heiau in Kona, the summit of Mauna Kea, andtheLuau,are
often at the center of tourism economies and thus changes have been applied totheseplaces
overtime.
Along the bay in KailuaKona is a heiau designated to the ancient Hawaiian art of
surfing. This particular heiau is located in a perfect place to overlook the bay where surfing
12

practiced to this day and while tourists try surfing for the first time, here stands this small
wall of rock, which has been overseeing surfing in those waters for hundreds of years.

Yet, to the untrained eye of the uneducated tourist this smallheiauisnothingsignificantand

the carefully and meticulously stacked pile of basalt is ignored on the way to more colorful
destinations such as the downtown Kona shopping area and the sunny, sandy beaches
offeringthesoughtafterholidaytan.
Another example of a commoditized tourist attraction within the island of Hawaiiis
that of the volcano (and specifically) the summit of Mauna Kea. The use of the summit of
Mauna Kea has been a long contested one that seemingly has been won by those with the
funds and resources astronomers and tourists. In the video,
Peles Appeal
, the significance
of Mauna Keas summit to the nativeHawaiiancultureandreligionisdiscussed.MaunaKea
13

is one of the most sacred, if not the most, within the Hawaiian Islands (Herman, 2015 and

iwi TV, 2011) due to the belief that the mountain is entwined with the Hawaiian story of
creation and as such is home to multiple Hawaiian deities. Mauna Kea however, due to its
height and location in the middle of the PacificOceanisalsogreatlyfavoredbyastronomers
across the world and is famed for some of the best observatory viewing conditions.

Due to the interest in Mauna Kea by multiple different groups, not excluding tourists, there
has been much controversy and tension over its use. Many times over the scientific and
tourist world have won over thatofthehistoricandcultural,flatteningmanyoftheculturally
significant and visually amazing puus that make up the summit of Mauna Kea, for the
placement of observatories and telescopes from countries across the world. All of this has
occurred seemingly without recognising the significance of this mountain to the people who
are native to the island. Not only astronomers, but now tourists also make thewindingdrive

14

up to thesummit,ifnottoviewtheamazing sunsets,toholdclaimthattheyhaveclimbedthe
13,796 ft tall peak. The fight of Mauna Kea is a continuous one and a political obstacle
coursethathasnotbeensolvedyetleavingbothsidesatanuneasystalemateinlegislation.
One of the most stereotyped pieces of Hawaiian culture is that of the luau. Theluau,
originally the name of the taro leaf, is now the name for a symbolic meal enjoyed by
Hawaiians to unite two different families or groups. Attending members had delicacy foods
that were often prohibited bythekapu(religiouslaw)suchaspork,bananas,andcoastalfish.
Only after King KamehamehaIIabsolvedsomeofthekapuweremenandwomenallowedto
eat together. The luau has cultural ties going back hundreds of years and the traditional
dances and food involved in a luau has attracted large groups of tourists andthereforemuch
commoditization.

15

Today visitors can attend any number of different luaus held on the island where they
observe the hula dance done in traditional fashion as well as all of the food typical of the
traditional luau. To the passive tourist the luau is an event where they are truly part of the
local distinct culture and completely untarnished. In reality there is a struggle taking place
between allowing the traditional private culture of the luautobesharedwiththehighpaying
tourist. The result has been the addition of open bars, nontraditional food such as macaroni
and cheese for the kids, and perhaps a misunderstanding of the significance of the event by
participants.LikeWaipioValley,theluauisapartofdistinctculturethatisintransformation.
The transformation of the luau however, is much further along and the struggle between
makingalivingbysellingtheeventandmaintainingitsculturalintegrityisacontinuedone.

Culture. It is the glue that bonds people together, the identity that humans hold onto
and the set of distinctive features that defines a society. Culture helps to create a sense of
place that one associates with the spacesinwhichtheylive,andwithoutit,thosebondstying
people from the same places together would not exist As discussed above, culture has
becomeincreasinglycommoditizedovertheyearsthroughthemediumoftourism,sometimes
resulting in positive outcomes and other times in negative outcomes. Through a focusofthe
island of Hawaii, examples of these positive and negative impacts of cultural tourism have
been highlighted. If some of thepositiveexamplesarecontinuedandreplicated,itispossible
that native Hawaiian culture could stop its commoditized decline and be maintained for
generationstocome.

16

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