Fort Carson’s Morale, Welfare and Recreation organization is hosting a “Tropical Luau 5k” on August 27th, 2021. In conjunction with this 5k, they are advertising a trophy for the “Best Family Luau Costume” and posted to Facebook to “deck yourself out in your best Luau attire and you could take home the trophy!”

Fort Carson is located in Colorado, and has no ties to Hawaii. The U.S. Army is endorsing people who have no ties to Hawaiian culture to dress up in a “costume,” which is incredibly insensitive both to Hawaiian natives, and their culture. Plastic grass skirts, coconut bras, plastic leis and other cheap items intended to replicate traditional Hawaiian ceremonial wear are extremely inappropriate. Not only is the mockery of that attire in poor taste, it also directly contradicts the values of the culture it intends to represent, which includes respect and care for the Earth and environment.

The Hawaiian people face a plethora of problems from  the promotion of tourism to the Islands. From the price of housing skyrocketing so high that Native people are displaced, to building resorts and retail centers on ancient burial grounds, to a current water shortage on Maui requiring residents to restrict their water use, Native and local Hawaiians are hurt by non-local, non-indigenous people visiting the islands without knowledge of their impact, or respect for the land they are a guest on.

Fort Carson MWR’s decision to further promote cultural appropriation and the Hawaiian culture as a novelty is fundamentally wrong. The Hawaiian people deserve far more respect. This petition serves to empower people to take a stand for cultural competency and stop this costume contest from happening.