The Pacific Island History: The Events of 19th Century Colonialism - Term Paper Example

Introduction The European exploration of the Pacific islands which started in the 16th Century brought a wave of settlers into the Pacific region—Spain brought its mark of influence into the islands, soon followed by Dutch explorers, and later by the English explorer Captain James Cook. It was his exploration more than others which brought about the most impact to the Pacific Islands. He paved the way to more explorations by drawing maps of the area and documenting the plants and animals native to the islands. More Europeans and other explorers were soon enticed to explore the Pacific. Before long, France, the United States, Germany, and Britain had claims to one or several of the Pacific islands. Prior to the arrival of these explorers and settlers, the indigenous inhabitants of the islands had their rudimentary forms of culture and governance. It was far from similar to the colonial ways, but it was sufficient to maintain their society in relatively peaceful coexistence with their fellow islanders. Early foreign contact with native inhabitants of the islands was with beachcombers. They had cordial and friendly relations with each other. Other explorers who later made contact with the natives had a different perception of the natives. They saw them as an uncivilized, unlearned, and un-Christianized group of savages. They were determined to change the culture of the indigenous inhabitants. They wanted to teach them the right ways, which was--their way-the European way. The arrival of the settler communities in the Pacific marked the slow and gradual breakdown of the ancient ways and customs of the unique Pacific inhabitants. These settlers represented to the natives the loss of their rich land and resources, the loss of their population to diseases brought by the new settlers and the introduction of the white frontier woman. This essay discusses the Pacific island history focusing on the events of 19th Century colonialism which marked the arrival of the settler societies in the Pacific, the influence that these settlers had on the Pacific natives, and the eventual reactions of the natives to the settler communities. The Pacific Islands and Settler Societies J.B. Thurston wrote that ‘with all our highfalutin to the contrary, the wrongs we have committed in the names of Christianity, civilization, [and] progress are manifold. We are ... a race of robbers and spoilers.’ 1 The arrival of the settler societies in the Pacific islands brought with it racial and ethnic tension. The cultures of these two societies were so diverse from each other that there was bound to be clashes and conflicts between them. This could be exemplified in the events in and around the Fiji islands particularly the town of Levuka. The initial outside contact that the indigenous people had with the outside world came in the form of European beachcombers. Some of these early explorers lived with the native Fijian women with whom they eventually fathered children. This gave birth to the generation of the so-called ‘half-castes’. Some of these beachcombers eventually became permanent settlers of Levuka. The next settlers to arrive were the missionaries. They brought Christianity into the lives of the native inhabitants and taught them rudimentary writing and reading skills. These missionaries met with heavy resistance from the natives who did not want to change their ways and their beliefs. Their culture revolved around their pagan gods and beliefs. Many violent skirmishes between the natives and the settlers broke out because of missionary activities. Some native chiefs were receptive to Christian conversion, but some were very much opposed to it. They fought battles with the missionary settlers and the other chiefs and tribes who welcomed Christianity. The peace and order of the islands was also often broken by ‘drunken quarrels between the half-castes and whites.’ 2 The half-castes were discriminated against and ridiculed by the whites. And they were disparaged by others. Hostilities among the natives themselves came about when some of the native Fijians-the inland Lovoni-took issue with the fact that the Tui Levuka was handing over some of their lands to the Europeans. This Fijian instability was taken advantage of by the settlers who were also angling for control and power over Levuka lands. The arrival of the settlers marked the introduction of various diseases into the native population. Diseases like measles, small pox, syphilis, chicken pox, and such other diseases not native to the islands devastated the native population. Hundreds of islanders died from these diseases. Before the arrival of the white settlers, Fiji women were sexually and morally laidback. Whenever the whalers would make port, they were met by women who were eager and willing to offer pleasures of the flesh. They were not averse to having multiple sexual partners. Pre-colonial sexual contact between the native women and the Europeans was hardly restricted. The native women did not think themselves morally reprehensible for their actions. They were very much willing to trade sexual favors for the wares that they needed from the whalers. It was a healthy and beneficial relationship all around. The beachcombers were not too bothered by this set-up. In fact some whalers were so fond of this nubile life that it was quite common for them to desert their ships and build homes and lives among the natives. This resulted to the previously mentioned generation of half-castes. The missionaries who next made contact with the natives were of a different frame of mind from the beachcombers. They viewed the sexual relations between the beachcombers and the native women as a sin. They put the fear of God into the natives. They branded the baring of flesh as immoral. This prompted the normally topless women to cover up. Their sermons rang across the islands. It put an end to the easy going and cordial relations of the beachcombers and the native women. The missionaries also put an end to other immoral practices of the natives like cannibalism, rituals, infanticide, and human sacrifices. Some would argue however that, ‘[n]owhere, unless perhaps in the hinterland of Fiji where cannibalism was common, were any of these practices widespread, human sacrifice in most places was taboo; infanticide likewise was rare. But it was enough. The Noble Savage was revealed as something worse, and the men of God set to work with a will. As a result their impact was every bit as traumatic mentally as was the impact of whaling physically, and the islands never fully recovered.’ 3 The cession of the Fiji islands to Britain brought with it new settlers who brought along their English wives to the Pacific. This also effectively brought about a change in European and native relations. The prim and proper white woman changed the Pacific ethnic landscape. The white woman successfully brought to the fore the stark contrast between the natives and the English. They were intent on making their new home very much like their old British towns. They were hell bent on putting as much distance between themselves and the natives that any sort of contact with the latter was a horrifying experience for them. Instances of physical contact-real or imagined-against the white woman was considered assault or rape. The accused native perpetrators were assumed guilty and were punished without having been given an opportunity to argue their side. The white woman brought into their so-called wilderness the civilized touch of British society. The white woman presented a picture of superiority against the promiscuity and the lack of domesticity in the native Fijian woman. This in effect brought an end to the friendly and intimate relations that used to exist between the settlers and the natives. The racial superiority that was triggered by the arrival of the white woman in the Pacific is evidenced by the fact that the natives were relegated to the role of laborers. The white woman had to maintain domestic harmony by bearing and rearing children. She was not allowed to do hard labor for it might shatter the homely picture she was supposed to portray. The colonials thought that ‘white prestige would be undermined if they did physical labour.’ 4 Some native women were made to work as domestic servants for the white folks while the native men were made to labor in the mines and fields. The attitude of snobbery by the Europeans made it impossible for the natives to be seen on and to gain equal footing. They were beaten for their infractions, they were not given the same rights as the whites, and they were made to do hard labor. They were treated the way they were perceived—as savages. The white woman was also a colonizer in her own way. It was often reiterated by the aboriginal woman that sometimes their European counterparts were worse than the men because of the way the latter treated them as laborers. The white woman was quick to defend her actions as far as the aboriginal women were concerned. She justified them under the context of maternalism—that she was caring for the needs of the native women, who needed to be taken care of. By itself, this notion implied a certain condescension of the abilities of the native women to care for themselves. This notion was a credit to racial superiority. Their actions may not be as undesirable as the more cruel impositions that the whites decreed upon the natives, but its ultimate significance was the same for the native women. ‘Such acts affirming Aboriginal subordination and deference, benevolent or otherwise, were and are clearly performed by white women as part of their process of becoming white (and privileged), and focusing on such acts illuminates the link between arenas of the personal and the intimate (the household, family, domestic lives) and arenas of public policy and political campaigns, where white women spoke on behalf of and over Aboriginal women.’ 5 Hawaii’s very strategic location in the Pacific made it a very desirable acquisition to many conquering nations. The ruling monarch, King Kamehameha I was very much aware of the enviable position his islands occupied in the minds of the explorers. As early as the 18th Century, he ‘already arranged a possible cession of Hawaii to Britain.’6 The constant threat of colonization and the outbreak of aggression from the colonizers made the islanders tired and fearful of the eventual violent and hostile takeover of their lands. Violent skirmishes between these combatants brought about fatalities on both sides. Aggression from the settlers and foreigners was answered by the natives with corresponding violent acts. Hawaii’s leaders used their covetous and strategic position to ward off colonizers. They knew however that they could not do this forever. The fact that the island population was diminished by diseases brought by the Europeans was not helping its situation any. To make matters worse, its leaders were badly managing their business investments. Their autocratic and wastrel ways made the economic status of their islands very vulnerable. The ‘vultures’ were closing in on its borders. There was no other choice but to form a more permanent alliance with a country of their choice. They chose the United States. Missionary settlers from America brought Christianity to the Hawaiian shores. They also put an end to many rituals and practices by the natives. Human sacrifices, infanticide, and other practices were replaced by Christian ways and practices. They drilled into the natives a sense of morality. They schooled the natives-teaching them new things and new ways. As the natives shed these practices, they also shed their identity as a unique people. In the port town of Papeete in Tahiti, the arrival of European explorers introduced arms warfare to the native islanders. Conflicts between chiefs battling for power were now aided by the Europeans who were supplying guns and ammunition to some of the islanders. Chiefs who were aided by ammunition from the Europeans easily gained power over other native chiefs. With the introduction of Christian ways into Tahitian society, many ancient rituals and traditions unique to the Tahitians disappeared. The missionaries branded these practices as wrong and pagan. Queen Pomare IV was very receptive to advice from the English. Based on the counsel of a trusted missionary-consul, she requested that Tahiti be made a British Protectorate. While this agreement was being taken care of by the consul, the French stealthily moved into Tahiti and declared it a French Protectorate. There followed a series of skirmishes between the Tahitians and the French. This led to the conquering of the Tahitians, effectively placing them under French control. The French rule of the Tahitians brought the usual ‘baggage’ to the natives. Diseases decimated the native population, put an end to indigenous customs and traditions, and introduced a strict moral code for all women. The sexual promiscuity and freedom that the native women enjoyed was curtailed by the arrival of the settlers. The arrival of the white subservient and morally superior white woman made the native women ashamed of the way they were. Elsewhere in Noumea, New Caledonia, initial foreign interaction with the natives was initiated by Captain Cook. This relationship with the natives was relatively very cordial for both sides. Whalers and traders soon followed his expedition. But the explorers brought more than their products to trade. ‘The Europeans brought new diseases like small pox, measles, dysentery, influenza, syphilis, and leprosy.’7 For many natives, these diseases were fatal. Racial tension proved devastating for both parties. Natives resorted to their traditional practices of eating their enemies when dealing with intruders. France and Britain were adopting various ways and means to lay claim to the islands. France fought the natives violently for control. Britain took the diplomatic rout and negotiated with a native chief for control. Britain eventually lost this battle. The discovery of huge nickel deposits in this island triggered haste in the colonization of New Caledonia. This discovery however, brought forth a fresh source of violent incidents between the natives and the French colonizers. The natives resented the fact that they were displaced from their homes because of the new mines and the arrival of the new settlers. Blackbirding, the enslavement of natives for hard labor, was also introduced by the French to the native islanders. With the arrival of new settlers plus the diminishing of the native population, the latter was left powerless and totally under the thumb of its colonizer. __________________ 7 New Caledonia (n.d). Retrieved 20 May 2008 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Caledonia In Koroareka in the Bay of Islands, New Zealand, the native Maoris had a history of peaceful trading relations with the European sailors. This peaceful relationship was broken when Maoris responded violently and fatally to cruel acts done to one of their tribesmen. European and missionary entry was gained into the area through diplomatic relations initiated with one of the Maori chiefs. This chief-Honga Hika was invited to Britain where he was gifted well by King George IV. He was encouraged to allow the introduction of Christianity into the islands. He later exchanged his gifts for musket and ammunition and used these to defeat a neighboring Maori chief. So started the Musket War across New Zealand. Missionaries later gained entry into the islands. They brought their medicines, their books, and their bibles. The Maoris reacted profoundly and with reverence to the healing power of the medicines and attributed this to Christianity. By this ‘miracle’ alone that they have experienced, they became converted Christians. They did not totally discard their Maori ways; instead they chose to blend favorable Christian practices to their own traditions. The Maori also grew weary of the wars and chose to put an end to the hostilities. More and more settlers from Britain arrived in New Zealand. The Maoris sold some of their lands to these new settlers. However, some of them understandably resented the arrival of these settlers into their lands. Violence against the settlers broke out due to impositions and liberties being taken by the Europeans against the Maoris. One of the Maori chiefs ‘was angry at the high price of tobacco and blankets and the duties that the British had imposed on imported goods.’8 The British sent a governor to appease the natives. The Maoris refused to quiet down. 8 This resulted to the First New Zealand War. A new governor was later sent to settle conflict in New Zealand. He offered more favorable terms for the natives. He also brought about the establishment of hospitals and roads and encouraged missionary education among the natives. He also aggressively addressed any hostilities from the Maoris. The settlers and the natives were now flourishing well economically. This however did not stop the lingering ill feelings that some of the Maori chiefs had against the foreign invaders. They initiated more hostilities which the new governor could not easily quash. Some loyal Maoris did not like the imposition of religion and British rule upon them. A bitter and economically detrimental series of hostilities came about. Both the British settlers and the Maori natives suffered economic and human losses. The British were forced to withdraw their regular troops in the area. But the damage was already done. Conclusion This researcher agrees that settler societies became increasingly concerned with race and gender issues. Settler societies have experienced various degrees of discrimination from the indigenous and other white settlers. These societies initially did not meet with much opposition from the indigenous peoples of the Pacific, so there was not much cause for concern. Most of the initial contact between the islanders and the Europeans were mostly for exploratory purposes. There were some instances of hostilities between these two factions during these initial contacts, but they were few and far between. During these times, race and gender weren’t issues as far as both parties were concerned. However, when these explorations gained greedy motives of acquisition, these issues became crucial points of justification and reason. The strategic position and rich resources of the Pacific islands made them desirable possessions for conquering nations. This shift in relations brought about a violent and vital twist in native and colonizer positions. The fact that the explorers were not content to explore the islands, in fact they wanted to own the islands, naturally did not sit well with the natives. The entry of settler societies in the Pacific represented the greed of the colonizing nations. Their arrival as settlers necessitated the introduction of European ways to the natives. The differences in the two cultures were not minor; they were opposite ends of the pole. The arrival of the missionaries and other settler wives can be likened to a lady arriving in a room full of uncouth men. Men suddenly would sit up straight and act civilized. They would speak eloquent and proper words and discard their normally brutish and crude manners. It may also be like putting a well-dressed maiden beside a haggard looking woman. On one side, you can see the well dressed lady turning her nose up what she would consider ‘heathen company.’ On the other side, we would see the haggard-looking lady trying to put a semblance of order into her looks. She looks and feels unfit and appalling beside the other lady. In applying this analogy to the events of 19th Century Pacific history, the arrival of the white women in the Pacific changed the relations of the European settlers and the natives. It made the settlers feel superior. And it made the natives look coarse and uncivilized. It also brought forth the issue of gender in a society where gender wasn’t usually an issue. Racial and gender discrimination against settler societies as seen in the Pacific islands is a topic which is as diverse as the people who live within its borders. Racial discrimination in this case is both the cause and effect. The acts of the colonizers against the natives have effectively created hostilities and dissatisfaction against the white settlers. It has also made the natives very protective of what they owned and what they practiced. It has also led them to close their minds to other societies that have come to call their islands home. The fact that the colonizers had this attitude of superiority against the natives brought forth a commensurate response of dislike and reprisal against white settlers in their communities. Works Cited Bulbeck, Chilla, Re-orienting Western Feminisms. Women’s Diversity in a Postcolonial World, Cambridge University Press, Melbourne, 1998. Campbell, I.C. (1989). A History of the Pacific Islands. California: University of California Press. Carter, Jennifer. (1999). Painting the Islands Vermillion. Melbourne: Melbourne University Press. Chappell, David. (2005). New Caledonia: The Contemporary Pacific. Derrick, Robert. (1957). A History of Fiji: Vol. 1 (3rd Edition). 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Retrieved 23 May, 2008. from http://www.australianhumanitiesreview.org/archive/Issue-September-2006/haskins.html Heartfield, James. (2005). Journal of Pacific History. You are not a white woman! Apolosi Nawai, the Fiji produce agency and the trial of Stella Spencer in Fiji, 1915. Retrieved 22 May, 2008 from http://www.looksmart.com History of New Caledonia. Retrieved 23 May, 2008 from http://www.historyofnations.net/oceania/newcaledonia.html Knapman, C 1986, White Women in Fiji: 1835–1930 The Ruin of Empire?, Allen & Unwin Australia Kuykendall, Ralph. (1967). Hawaii: A History. New York: Macmillan Company New Caledonia (2005). Retrieved 23 May, 2008 from http://www.abc/cinemedia.com New Caledonia (n.d). Retrieved 20 May 2008 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Caledonia Nunn, P. (1994) Environmental Change and the Early Settlement of Pacific Islands. Honolulu: East-West Center O’Lincoln, Tom. (1997). Robbers and Spoilers. Retrieved 24 May, 2008 from http://www.anu.edu.au/polsci/marx/interventions/empire.htm Rice, Geoffrey, ed. (1992). Oxford History of New Zealand. Oxford University Press. Routledge, D. (1985) Matanitu: The Struggle for Power in Early Fiji. Suva: University of the South Pacific. Sienkiewicz , Stephanie. (2000). Ethnic Relations in Fiji: Peaceful Coexistence and the Recent Shift in the Ethnic Balance. Retrieved 20, May, 2008 from http://www.union.edu/PUBLIC/ANTDEPT/fiji99/sienkiewicz/ssind6.htm The Cook Islands: What is in our Past?. (2005). Retrieved 22 May, 2008 from http://www.ck/history.htm Thurston-Twigg, Smith. (1998). Hawaiian Sovereignty: Do the Facts Matter? Honolulu, Hawaii: Goodale Publishing. Retrieved 20 May, 2008 from http://www.hawaiimatters.com/book/HawnSov.pdf Read More