Godoy and others

I think that it is interesting to see the effects of a market economy on indigenous peoples, especially with Hawai’i’s being a product of a market economy. Godoy and others write of how indigenous people “hold most of the world’s traditional knowledge,” and how they are now entering the “radar screen of policy makers.” People are starting to recognize that it is the traditional knowledge that needs to be looked at more seriously. They look at the effects of market on renewable resources and say “increasing integration into the market and the population pressure induce indigenous peoples to degrade renewable resources.” People are seeing the benefits (monetary, health etc.) of this new market economy and abandon their traditional knowledge systems in order to “progress” the problem is progress on whose scale? “ Market penetration changes the way indigenous peoples use natural resources.” Right on the money, in old Hawai’i our kupuna took care of the ‘aina and in return the ‘aina took care of the kupuna, when the “market economy” arrived on floating islands this new concept changed the importance of that traditional knowledge system and in return depleted that natural resource(sandalwood).I think that this is a good example of market economy being imposed on a people and them abandoning their traditional knowledge systems to accommodate and acculturate to a new concept. By looking to the past we can help shape the future not just Hawai‘i’s future but the future of other indigenous peoples and their land.

 “Integration into the market could increase monetary income and consumption of goods and services, including health care(Alkin et al. 1985) and food.” I noticed that many of the positives to integrating market economies all include “may”. I think it important to look at past studies or past events/implementations such as the comparison I’ve made with  Hawai’i in finding new ways to integrate a healthy market economy allowing the indigenous people of that place to utilize their traditional knowledge systems in creating a balanced and sustainable economy.