Their Sea of Islands? Pacific climate warriors, Oceanic identities, and World enlargement

Abstract

Climate change, in terms of its current and future impacts, is a critical issue for the Pacific Islands. However, many journalistic and academic accounts reiterate a narrative that represents Pacific Islanders as hopeless and helpless victims of climate change and their homelands as already lost to rising seas. This reinforces the preexisting marginalization of the Pacific Islands region that has been both highlighted and challenged by Epeli Hau'ofa’s “sea of islands” vision. However, analyzing the actions of the pan-Pacific activist network the Pacific Climate Warriors through the lens of I Iau‘ofa’s work suggests alternative narratives to the drowning islands discourse.