W e are home now and “lucky live Hawaii”! Independence Day and being away for awhile gave us an opportunity for independent contemplation. While in New York City in June, we stayed in Harlem. The hectic noisy city life was softened by all the trees planted along the streets and very friendly people of diverse cultures. There were many parks and gardens; however, getting back to Hawaii was the real blessing of peace and quiet.
Many lessons may be learned by spending quiet time in a garden or forest after a hectic trip away from Hawaii nei.
Most folks say they hope for “peace on Earth.” Why then do we have the many conflicts occurring today? It seems the answer is too complicated to ever understand. Just about the time we give up, a song lyric like “Let there be peace on Earth, and let it begin with me” comes along. Like a prayer answered, it can dawn on us that the big problem is that we constantly see ourselves as separate from others and nature. We are the “us group.” Everything and everyone else a “them.”
As long as we create this isolation in our minds, we are susceptible to getting caught up in conflicts, even wars, because of this polarity. The problem is separating ourselves from others by skin shade, eye or hair color, religion, culture, philosophy, sex, geographical origin or whatever. It’s not a matter of saying we are all the same, but instead recognizing our diversity and appreciating our differences. It boils down to that we are all connected, like it not.
To really simplify what appears to be complicated, we can take the message of Jesus, Buddha, Mohamed or, for that matter, the Beatles: “All we need is love.” The key to love is that it should be coupled with faith and hope, though the greatest power of all is love as is expressed in First Corinthians chapter 13.
The question is: can we have ethnicity without ethnocentricity?
Can we appreciate that we are unique without putting down someone else. It is so easy to fall into the “us and them” mode of thinking that it takes constant mental pushups to see all humans as connected. We may even expand that connection to all living things and thus to all. One way to practice is by noting our attitudes about other inhabitants of our global ecosystem.
For example, let’s take a look at our beautiful Hawaiian gardens. They are composed of plants from all over the world. Some of these plants arrived long ago transported by ocean currents, winds and birds. Hundreds of varieties were brought here by the first human inhabitants. These include kukui, coconut, ti, breadfruit, banana, sweet potato and many others. Later, each group of humans brought plants associated with their culture.
Unfortunately, all the plants introduced by humans are now being called alien or even invasive species. Oops, it’s “us and them” again! In the past, they were referred to as canoe plants, non-native or exotic. The terms ‘alien’ or ‘invasive’ are charged with negative connotations, with visions of pestiferous and otherwise uninvited crawlies. When the term is associated with humans, we almost automatically add ‘illegal’ to create another negative picture.
When we describe plants or animals as alien species, we may incorrectly think of aliens only as pest species. However, every life form on our island is alien if one goes back far enough. Even what we call a weed could be better referred to as a pioneer species trying to heal the wounds created by mismanagement. In the big picture, plants are reducing the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, supplying oxygen and sequestering carbon. Most animals supply carbon dioxide essential for plant life..
When it comes to our gardens we may then see things differently. We see that it is essential to protect what is unique to Hawaii, but simply labeling life forms as ‘native’ versus ‘alien’ and then to infer that one is good and thus the other must be bad is a disservice to all. Our gardens give us opportunity to do our mental pushups and acknowledge the value of each of the diverse life forms!
Many plants and animals introduced to Hawaii over the years are rare and perhaps even near extinction in the wilds from which they came. Some that we consider weeds, have been used by older cultures as healing herbs. For example, many plants and birds that we consider common here are no longer found in their place of origin due to their habitats’ destruction. Many of the birds, like parrots, we find in Hawaii are either threatened or endangered in their native lands.
To infer that plants or animals are good or bad is dangerous. These are moral judgements. These terms are appropriate in relationship to how we manage and interact with the other living things around us. Yes, there have been plants introduced, many accidentally, that have had a negative impact on other life forms in a given environment. But for every negative impact, there are likely many positive ones. Many lifeforms that we consider special to Hawaiiana are not from here at all. Our loveable geckos and the popular pikake, hibiscus anthurium, Kona coffee and plumeria that brighten our lives are aliens if we choose that description.
When the first humans arrived in Hawaii over a thousand years ago, these islands had a very different ecosystem than in 1790 or today. There were few plants or animals that could help humans survive. The forests were rich with loulu palms (Pritchardia species). It wasn’t long before the introduced pigs and rats devoured their seeds so that the palms could no longer propagate without the help of humans.
Most non-native plants introduced purposely have benefited humans. With diversified agriculture essential for our economic survival, it is important we don’t hamstring ourselves so that we are unable to grow a crop that is of benefit to our community and economy by maligning all non-native species. Our responsibility is to recognize that our communities include many other life forms, most of which are unique and need our special protection, and at the same time to recognize the need for non-native species including those introduced by the Polynesians and other ethnic groups.
The message for our future is that it is time for all members of our island community, including environmental groups, agricultural interest and visitor industry groups, politicians and others to work together on plans that focus on good management of our resources. It is not a time to be confrontational. We can learn to manage our polarities if we can shift out of the “us and them” patterns of thinking.
There is a lesson to be learned in how we treat all the varied life forms in our island gardens. Maybe if we learn that garden lesson, we will treat one another better! It is the essence of aloha. Our resolution can be to see the good in all things and in all people. Let us try not to harbor fear, anger and hatred by reminding ourselves to pray for peace on Earth and let it begin within ourselves.
Norman Bezona is professor emeritus, University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources.