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This book is what Aristotle called an unfair form of communication- Pathos or emotion because there is no room for argument or debate. The author actually says it is not a history in the beginning of the book (although she uses one sided history to make a point throughout). I was terribly distraught to find this book has nothing to do with actual history but is rather a book of emotional propoganda. The author acts as though she is speaking for every Hawaiian and that all Hawaiians are rising together to overthrow the American government. I am very interested in native movements and I buy books accordingly. This was an over-priced sweeping generalization of the Hawaiian people. Dont waste your money like I did. There are many other enjoyable reads on Hawaiian history that give actual analysis and thought to the subject without tying to inspire riotous overthrow.
Where it all started. and how the white man tried to take over. its a good book, but just reading it made me sick to my stomach.
*****This small book is a beautiful gift book for those readers who have an interest in Hawaiian history and the Hawaiian people. The choice of photographs for this book is wonderful. Both the book and the DVD can stand alone, however, and each are different.
The book does not attempt to be unbiased, but purports to put forth a point of view that has not typically been heard in the past---that of a people that were disenfranchised of so much, and the effect it had upon them. The author of this book, Martha K. On the left side of each page is a beautiful black-and-white photo, and on the right side a narrative, a quote, or poem that attempts to tell the story of the wounds of the people of Hawaii---a people who were robbed of their land and their culture---tragically.
The similarily is that both tell the story of the Hawaiians. This book is unofficially a companion to the DVD by Dr. Elizabeth Kapuuwailani Lindsey, by the same title, which tells a similar story via video rather than photographs and writing.
Noyes, was the producer and writer of the DVD as well. I highly recommend it to all those who love Hawaii.*****
Very nice little book. Tells the truth regarding the overthrow. Would be very easy for children to read and understand. Beautiful old pictures
I do, however, agree with Mr. The Hawaiians were further killed off by tuberculosis, influenza, Hansens Disease (from China), colds, fevers, smallpox (from San Francisco's Chinatown) and measles. Mahalo nui loa. She has depicted much of what happened to my ancestors and their people. I appreciate Martha H. It doesn't matter where the foreigners to Hawai'i's shores were from, they were human beings who brought disease that impacted the Hawaiian people, regardless of "race", "skincolor", ethnicity, nationality or origins. These elite non-Hawaiians then imported massive waves of foreigners, unabated and without a care in the world to the impact upon the Hawaiian people, primarly from Asia, especially Japan and China, but also from Portugal, with a few from Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Germany, Austria and Prussia, who also carried with them their illnesses, diseases and sicknesses of which the already decimated Hawaiian people had no immunity to. However, as time went by and the Hawaiian people established a constitutional monarchy, guiding their way into the modern world as an independent, soveriegn nation and Euro-Polynesian country, a few "White Americans" illegally stole the country of Hawai'i.
In this world of warped political correctness, the facts, truth and authenticity of history and people are in danger of disappearing. The Hawaiian people, like many indigenous peoples around the world, especially many of the Pacific Islanders, were isolated from the diseases, illnesses and sickness that people of Europe and Asia had. Noyes efforts in retelling the story of what happened to the indigenous Polynesian people of the Hawaiian Islands. Today, the descendants of the imported foreigners have outpopulated and supplanted the Hawaiian people and their descendants. Llora that there is indeed blame being held, and as usual it is all about "Europeans, Americans and Whites". Certainly because of the exploration primarily and firstly by Europeans, whether British, Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, Russian or French, the first contacts were with Europeans and therefore the first diseases, venereal (from Tahiti), smallpox and influenza, that decimated Pacific Islanders, like the Hawaiians, were of European origin. As a hapa (of mixed blood), a hapa Hawai'i (part Hawaiian), as well as Chinese, Native American, European, English and British ancestry, I am tired of the same "facts of blame" being leveled at only one type of people as if "skincolor" or "race" is synonymous with "disease carrier" as in reference to the Hawaiian people, my people, my ancestors, my kupuna in my 'aina hanau of the Hawaiian Islands. The fact remains that the Hawaiian people were devastated and decimated, and never had the chance nor opportunity to bring their country into the modern world.
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