The United States is no stranger to environmental collapse. The climate crisis is intensifying the threats posed to the country, its ecosystems, and its people. In total, its natural security. This paper examines the ecological and cultural significance of the ‘Ohi’a Lehua tree and how its threat of collapse can catalyze new methods of reparation in the United States. Today Hawai`i is on the threshold of collapse with the lethal pathogen Rapid ‘Ohi’a Death sweeping across the Big Island, potentially killing off ‘Ohi’a Lehua trees which account for about half of the island’s tree canopy. This mirrors historic environmental precedent of loss with examples like American Elm and Ash along with cultural loss through the American occupation of the islands and its resulting cultural assimilation. However, This doesn’t go without attempts towards solutions with examples like the Civilian Conservation Corps and years of advocacy for cultural preservation and authority. What is at stake here is the opportunity for the US to address its complex history with the Hawaiian islands, its land, and its people. This paper focuses on the ongoing popularity of mass tree planting programs and offers how this climate adaptation strategy can be applied to the island through the lens of indigenous stewardship. The paper further argues that if the US is to maintain a stable national and natural security, it must actively take responsibility and work towards repairing the complex legacies of American imperial occupation and exploitation that have helped accelerate and intensify the climate crisis.

Authors:
William Shivers, University of Virginia, United States

About the Presenter(s)
William Shivers is a PhD Candidate in the Constructed Environment and Lecturer in Architecture and Landscape Architecture at the University of Virginia. His research examines the reparative capacity of climate solutions in US peripheral lands

Connect on Linkedin
https://www.linkedin.com/in/wshivers/

Additional website of interest
https://www.arch.virginia.edu/people/william-shivers

See this presentation on the full schedule – Schedule

Bookmark