The Tree at the Center of Collapse: ‘Ōhi‘a Lehua and Hawaii’s Future

Abstract

Hawaii is on the threshold of collapse. Over a century of American colonization and exploitation of the islands and their people has resulted in the island chain facing critical environmental and cultural catastrophe. This article examines the emergence of Rapid ‘Ōhi‘a Death as a critical aeolian pathogen capable of wiping out the most culturally and ecologically significant species representing over 50% of Hawaii’s forests. Plantation histories are unpacked as foundational tools which directly led to deep alteration to the cultural fabric and landscape of the islands, accelerating the complex issues faced by Hawaii and Hawaiians today. This crisis offers landscape architects and the design professions grounds for a new methodology to approach both ecological and cultural issues as one to tackle the issues stemming from ongoing climate change. Furthermore, the article underscores the need to rethink the American fetishization of the Hawaiian Islands and look instead to how land stewardship and landscape practices can facilitate a self-determinant, equitable, and resilient future.