Week 6 post

For this weeks readings the Fermantez article caught my attention. The Hawaiian resistance to US colonization was based on preserving their way of life, their place in Hawaii was under attack and was threatening to take away their identity. Tourism was the most prevalent factor here as it was the main reason why natives were being evicted from their homes and eroding away their cultural identity. When the surfers, specifically Rabbit, came from Australia and brought with them this different take on surfing that was more loud, outspoken, and controlling of the wave it grabbed all the attention of this resistance of consumerism. The formation of the "Black Shorts" was a step taken to bring about a way to enforce their ideals of surfing on the "invaders" of their waves. While in my opinion this was a good step for them, it gave off a bad image of a gang that was hostile to all outsiders. The worst of their actions was at the forefront of the media and portrayed them as villains, however this was ll to protect the dying culture of the people native to the North Shore. I think that this capitalistic culture is the main source of these cultural battles and the mentality to bring mass attention to a subject in order to make money off of it. This decimates the culture of the people it is related to and no consideration is given to then until the damage has been done.