Decolonization Series: Hawaiʻi Labor Disputes, Alternative Economies and the Path to Ecological Wellbeing

by Lauren Ballesteros-Watanabe, Chapter Organizer | Reading Time: 8 minutes

The entanglement of colonialism and capitalism with American industries operating globally has drastically shaped our environment, economy, and collective well-being. As climate disasters intensify and global debt reaches unprecedented levels, corporations persist in extracting resources from fragile ecosystems while exploiting labor with poverty wages. The promise of "free trade" and the global economy has primarily driven displacement, worsened the climate crisis, and forced Indigenous and rural communities from their lands and homes. Despite taxpayers increasingly demanding investments in social systems, significant American wealth continues to support exploitative international endeavors. Young people, in particular, are calling out these disparities, insisting that capitalism itself must evolve for society—and the planet—to survive.

The labor movement, Indigenous communities, and environmental justice advocates have long been on the front lines of resisting corporate greed. These movements empower everyday people to raise their voices in workplaces, governments, and communities. As ecological collapse accelerates, these movements must unify to dismantle the systems that allow capitalism to devastate resources and people alike. This transformation calls for decolonized, place-based, and community-centered economic systems that prioritize equity, sustainability, and interdependence. At the heart of this shift is the invaluable knowledge of Indigenous peoples, whose values and practices have safeguarded ecosystems and supported human well-being for millennia.

Island Nation Economies Engineered for External Benefit: What's occupation got to do with it? 

The pursuit of place-based solutions to global economies also requires a holistic understanding of the intertwined roles of occupation and economic manipulation. For example, island nations such as Hawaiʻi, Guåhan (Guam), and Puerto Rico serve as stark examples of how capitalism and colonialism and militarism intersect to exploit both natural resources and human labor for the benefit of external powers. These islands, with their rich histories, unique ecosystems, and self-sustaining cultural practices, were transformed into tools for profit by colonial powers that saw their beauty, resources, and people as wealth building assets..

In each of these places, the arrival of Western capitalists and US governance reshaped local economies to serve foreign interests. In Hawaiʻi, Western capitalists arrived in the 19th century, and following Hawaiʻi’s illegal annexation by the U.S. in 1898, its natural beauty and culture were marketed to attract tourism. The U.S. military promoted Hawaiʻi as a prime rest and recreation destination for service members, fueling hotel construction and tourism infrastructure. After WWII, tourism boomed as veterans returned with family and friends, and Waikīkī saw a surge in hotels and resorts, marking the start of mass tourism. However, this industry remains largely controlled by external corporations and equity firms that funnel profits away from the islands.

Similarly, Puerto Rico, as a US colony, faces economic policies and tax laws that benefit external corporations, leaving the island in a state of financial dependency. Manufacturing plants, particularly in pharmaceuticals, exploit tax incentives to profit but abandon the island once benefits expire, creating unstable employment. When Hurricane Maria struck in 2017, Puerto Rico’s economy, weakened by colonial economic policies, struggled to recover, exposing the deep harm of this dependency. Meanwhile, Guam’s economy is dominated by the US military, which controls significant portions of the island’s land and resources. Decades of military dumping, spills, and herbicide use have left each of these places riddled with toxic sites yet to be cleaned. Also, as in Hawaiʻi and Puerto Rico, Guam’s tourism sector mainly serves foreign interests, with the majority of profits benefiting outsiders rather than the local community.

Rising Worker Movements and Alternative Economies

Recent worker actions in Hawaiʻi, demonstrate how unions are (and have been) pushing back against an exploitative status quo facing all industries. From nurses to hotel workers, labor unions are organizing for fair wages and reasonable workloads, resisting employer demands that compromise their ability to serve communities well. This wave of labor action is no coincidence; it's a part of a long history of collective response to a profit-driven system that prioritizes financial gain over people. The hotel industry, a longstanding pillar of Hawaiʻi’s economy, exemplifies this tension as workers take on some of the biggest corporations in the industry and major equity firms taking over hospitality. Similarly, healthcare workers are calling for better staffing, wages, and conditions, amidst outrageous executive pay; highlighting how deeply capitalism has permeated even essential services and “non-profits.”

The recent success of these workers is a clear signal that the corporate dominated system of capitalism is not invincible. Labor, indigenous communities, and environmental advocates champion dignified livelihoods and responsible land stewardship, insisting on self-governance and democratic rights that support families and protect natural resources for future generations. The rise of labor disputes, and widespread public support, in Hawaiʻi signifies a broader call to take active steps toward alternative economic systems and embrace Indigenous values of stewardship, aiming to build regional economies that prioritize community and environmental health. The Climate Justice Alliance and Movement Generation, both Indigenous and BIPOC led, have long realized that the climate crisis is rooted in the extraction of land and labor. These coalition organizations have been calling for a Just Transition from a “banks and tanks” economy towards an economy of care.This shift marks a move towards a just transition, integrating sustainability and justice at the heart of economic reform. Similarly, the labor movement has proposed and put forth economic transformation in a global Solidarity Economy as “both a means of self defense for surviving and sustaining our communities through the onslaught of neoliberalism and wider economic uncertainty, as well as a framework and set of tools and examples people across the world are using to create transformative and liberatory change – a new world in the shell of the old.”

Indigenous Frameworks: The Foundation of a Just Economy

A truly transformative economic model must go beyond reformist approaches like the "circular economy" and embrace Indigenous frameworks of stewardship. While circular economy concepts, such as Kate Raworth’s “doughnut economics,” emphasize operating within planetary boundaries, they often fail to address the social and historical injustices perpetuated by colonial capitalism. In many ways “circularity” is a tamed version of capitalism that is aimed at operating within planetary boundaries rather than addressing the inherent violence that took place to shape global inequality. 

In contrast, Indigenous knowledge systems offer holistic solutions grounded in sustainability and equity. Examples include:

  • Aotearoa (New Zealand), where Māori have reclaimed roles as kaitiaki (guardians), integrating traditional practices into ecological and social governance.

  • Rāhui in French Polynesia: The traditional practice of rāhui involves temporary restrictions on resource use to allow ecosystems to regenerate. In Teahupo'o, Tahiti, the community reinstated a rāhui, banning fishing in a 768-hectare area to enable reef recovery. This collective decision has led to improved fish stocks and demonstrates the effectiveness of Indigenous conservation methods

  • Hawaiʻi, where ancestral systems of Aloha ʻĀina (love for the land) once sustained large populations through regenerative resource management and equitable redistribution. Today, Kauaʻi and Molokaʻi communities have been recognized as climate leaders by the United Nations for their restoration efforts using traditional knowledge.

  • Yurok Tribe's River Restoration (California, USA): The Yurok Tribe has led efforts to remove hydroelectric dams on the Klamath River, aiming to restore fish populations and revitalize the ecosystem. This initiative underscores the importance of integrating Indigenous ecological knowledge into environmental restoration projects.

  • Lithic Mulching in Rapa Nui (Easter Island): The Rapa Nui people developed lithic mulching, a technique involving the placement of stones over soil to conserve moisture and enhance fertility. This method allowed for sustainable agriculture in challenging environmental conditions, demonstrating innovative Indigenous approaches to land management.

Ultimately, Indigenous frameworks of economic development challenge dominant narratives of the capitalist-driven economy by emphasizing interconnected communities and environmental kinship. Because no matter the economic system chosen, social justice is an integral part of broader political frameworks of sustainable development. The white paper, “Island and Indigenous Systems of Circularity: How Hawaiʻi can inform the development of universal circular economy policy goals” says as much, 

It is difficult to envision a circular economy that can be environmentally sustainable without also achieving social reforms of the current oligopolistic market systems because these very systems inhibit our communities’ ability to act as agents of environmental change.”

Within a Hawaiian ancestral economy, circularity was inherent as such that nearly every resource held a purpose and role within a broader system that recognized kinship between people and nature. Sociopolitical hierarchy was manifested in complex systems of land tenure, resource management, and taxation that had the capacity to sustainably support a large island population. Scholars have argued that Hawaiʻi is one of nine civilizations to have independently developed into a state system. Three crucial features of this ancestral circular economy are (1) achieving optimal productivity using regenerative practices to yield enough to provide for the socioeconomic needs of the entire population, while (2) using and managing resources with minimal waste or pollution, and (3) redistributing resources regularly to achieve equity and prioritize network relationships.

A Unified Movement for a Just Future

By decolonizing our economies and adopting Indigenous, place-based values, we can envision systems that support both human and ecological well-being. This alternative is not utopian but is grounded in models that have existed for millennia, practiced by communities who thrived without sacrificing the earth or exploiting their neighbors. Collective efforts to demand justice—whether in the form of fair wages, environmental protections, or decolonized policies—are a step toward an economy that respects and sustains life rather than depleting it.

The combined efforts of workers, environmentalists, and advocates for Indigenous rights and sovereignty represent a powerful movement capable of countering capitalism’s destructive tendencies. It is a movement that calls for collective responsibility, reminding us that the health of the land and the dignity of labor are inseparable. Only through such a profound transformation can we create a future where both the earth and its people can thrive.

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