Final Research Project by Anela Higgins

The History and Healing of Pearl Harbor through Native Hawaiian Waterways

anelaapo — 2025-09-21 03:09:58 UTC

Examine the transformation of Puʻuloa, now referred to as Pearl Harbor on Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi, from a once-productive ecosystem to a polluted industrialized zone.

Map of Puʻuloa

anelaapo — 2025-09-21 03:18:01 UTC

A map of former (red) and existing (blue) loko iʻa, Hawaiian fishponds, in the Puʻuloa area shows how these spaces for cultivation and culture have been essentially wiped out due to development.

Puʻuloa was renowned for the numerous loko iʻa and famed pearl oysters known as pipi or ka iʻa hāmau leo in Hawaiian song and chants.

Pearl Harbor Destruction

anelaapo — 2025-09-21 03:25:26 UTC

This photo provides a visual example of just some of the destruction done on December 7, 1941, the day Pearl Harbor was bombed.

Taputapuatea Marae, Raʻiatea, Tahiti

anelaapo — 2025-09-21 08:05:34 UTC

As noted in the caption of the photo, this is just a portion of the marae, which was constructed for worship. A prominent feature of the larger marae like Taputapuatea was the ahu, a more rectangular platform built of stones. Offerings (some human) and rituals were given to spirits and gods, most specifically Oro, the god of war..

anelaapo — 2025-09-21 08:09:41 UTC

Protection of Taputapuātea

anelaapo — 2025-09-21 08:22:36 UTC

Taputapuātea marae has been protected since 1952 under French Polynesian law and it has recently been classified as a historical monument. A protective and planning system, called a Zone de Site Protégé, is being put into place that would cover the whole of the property and the buffer zone.

Maps of Puʻuloa, Ahupuaʻa + Oʻahu

anelaapo — 2025-09-21 08:30:36 UTC

Check out this website by Leeward Community College that breaks down the location of Puʻuloa from mokupuni (island) all the way down to ʻili (land section). Be sure the play the ʻoli Hālau Puʻuloa, that shares the traditional name for the wind of that area, Kēhau, as well as one of the traditional names, Ke Awalau o Puʻuloa.

He Moʻolelo Kaao No Kaʻehuikimanoōopuʻuloa

anelaapo — 2025-09-22 08:44:13 UTC

This article, “He Moʻolelo Kaao No Kaʻehuikimanōopuʻuloa" is a Hawaiian mythological narrative first published in 1870 by William Henry Uaua.

It tells of a chiefly retinue (a group of advisers or assistants accompanying an important person) bathing at various sacred pools around Puʻuloa, celebrating the natural beauty of swimming places once held in high esteem.

Puʻuloa: A Sense of Place

anelaapo — 2025-09-22 08:51:09 UTC

In this video youʻll see ka iʻa hāmau leo, the pearls that were once found in the water at Puʻuloa that gave Pearl Harbor its name. The video also discusses ways in which we can contribute to restore the area: removing invasive mangrove, reintroducing oysters, and volunteering with local community organizations.

Taputapuātea – Linking Our Past and Our Future

anelaapo — 2025-09-22 08:55:50 UTC

See the large scale of Taputapuātea.

Colonization in Raʻiatea

anelaapo — 2025-09-22 09:14:37 UTC

Detailed institutional history of French legal/political maneuvers and the Leeward Islands (Raiatea) resistance to annexation.

The Sepik River: The Hidden Natural Wonder Under Threat in PNG

anelaapo — 2025-09-22 09:24:16 UTC

Children of the Sepic River, 1989

anelaapo — 2025-09-22 09:26:08 UTC

Material culture of the Upper Sepik

anelaapo — 2025-09-22 09:32:06 UTC

This article examines Eastern Iatmul uses of paint and color, linking them to myth, totemism, and ancestral meaning while also reflecting tourism, Western realism, development goals, and globalization, showing tradition and modern aspirations continually intertwine.

Examination of loss of indigenous language in East Sepik

anelaapo — 2025-09-22 09:44:11 UTC

This article provides an in-depth linguistic study of the Manambu language of East Sepik, Papua New Guinea.

It highlights signs of language borrowing, code-switching, loss of traditional knowledge, and challenges in intergenerational transmission/language survival.

The Sepik River

anelaapo — 2025-09-22 09:48:20 UTC

This entry proposes the Upper Sepik River Basin as a mixed cultural and natural UNESCO World Heritage site, highlighting its pristine freshwater river system, extensive biodiversity, unique cultural and linguistic diversity of over 300 languages.

Its purpose is to protect and promote sustainable management of these outstanding universal values, while strengthening conservation, supporting local livelihoods, and ensuring resilience amid development threats.

An interesting video of a Christian story being told in the indigenous language of the Sepic

anelaapo — 2025-09-22 09:53:00 UTC

Wake Island (Micronesia)

anelaapo — 2025-09-23 08:33:05 UTC

This excerpt from the Journal of Systematics and Evolution explains more on the type of ecosystem found within Wake Island. Wake is a tiny island, a low coral atoll, in northeast Micronesia. Most of the flora originally found on the island were native pioneer species but due to development and militarization, the native species are disrupted.

The Battle of Wake Island

anelaapo — 2025-09-23 08:49:51 UTC

The video is about the Battle of Wake Island in 1941. During World War II, Wake Island became the site of a significant confrontation between U.S. forces and Japanese invaders. The battle ended in the surrender of the American defenders after heavy bombardment and assault. Civilians and military personnel suffered casualties, and the island fell under Japanese control.

Wake Island’s takeover is a direct example of militarism: strategic military expansion, use of force, and weaponized dominance over territory.

Wake Island - Eneen Kio

anelaapo — 2025-09-23 08:55:21 UTC

The Marshall Islands has reaffirmed its sovereignty claim over Wake Atoll, known as Eneen Kio in Marshallese, which is currently under U.S. control. This claim is rooted in oral traditions that recognize the atoll as part of Marshallese heritage long before European contact. As part of a broader maritime boundary project submitted to the United Nations, the Marshall Islands included Wake within its baselines and outer maritime zones, a move that would greatly expand its Exclusive Economic Zone if accepted. The U.S. State Department has acknowledged the filing, and further discussions may follow.

Heritage Eco-Tourism: another option instead of U.S. Military occupation?

anelaapo — 2025-09-23 08:58:02 UTC

Do you think that this could be a viable option if the U.S. Military left Eneen Kio?

Get a better idea for the geographic location of Wake Island in the Pacific.

anelaapo — 2025-09-23 08:59:45 UTC