Sharks upon the Land
Colonialism, Indigenous Health, and Culture in Hawai'i, 1778–1855

A study of colonialism and indigenous health in Hawai?i, highlighting cultural change over time.

Seth Archer (Author)

9781316626603, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 20 January 2020

301 pages
23 x 15.2 x 2 cm, 0.4 kg

'… Sharks upon the Land is a must-read for scholars looking for models of early contact population collapse and a provocative reinterpretation of a critical century in Hawaiian history.' Juliet Larkin-Gilmore, Journal of the Native American and Indigenous Studies Association

Historian Seth Archer traces the cultural impact of disease and health problems in the Hawaiian Islands from the arrival of Europeans to 1855. Colonialism in Hawai?i began with epidemiological incursions, and Archer argues that health remained the national crisis of the islands for more than a century. Introduced diseases resulted in reduced life spans, rising infertility and infant mortality, and persistent poor health for generations of Islanders, leaving a deep imprint on Hawaiian culture and national consciousness. Scholars have noted the role of epidemics in the depopulation of Hawai?i and broader Oceania, yet few have considered the interplay between colonialism, health, and culture - including Native religion, medicine, and gender. This study emphasizes Islanders' own ideas about, and responses to, health challenges on the local level. Ultimately, Hawai?i provides a case study for health and culture change among Indigenous populations across the Americas and the Pacific.

List of figures
List of tables and appendices
Acknowledgments
Note 1: language and terminology
Introduction
Part I. Encounters: 1. Pox Hawaiiana
2. Sex and conquest
Part II. Revolutions: 3. The dark ocean
4. Throwing away the Gods
Part III. Accommodations: 5. Great fatalism
6. The wasting hand
Conclusion
Appendix A: terms for venereal disease
Appendix B: population
Appendix C: glossary
Appendix D: selected persons
Bibliography
Index.

Subject Areas: History of medicine [MBX], Colonialism & imperialism [HBTQ], Modern history to 20th century: c 1700 to c 1900 [HBLL], History of the Americas [HBJK]