Final answer:
Dividing land in Hawaii, notably through the Great Māhele, aimed to establish private land ownership influenced by Western concepts. However, this process resulted in considerable displacement of Native Hawaiians from their ancestral lands. Subsequent federal acts to return lands to the state for the benefit of Native Hawaiians only partially addressed the issues caused by the disruption of their traditional communal living systems.
Step-by-step explanation:
Dividing land in Hawaii was meant to benefit the islands by formalizing private land ownership through the Great Māhele, which began in 1848. This process revolutionized the Hawaiian land system, which traditionally had been communal, with lands ruled by local chiefs. The Great Māhele was influenced by foreign pressures and advisors, leading to a shift towards a Western style of private land ownership. However, only about 30% of native Hawaiians, or makaʻāinana, managed to complete the complicated process and retain an average of only 3.3 acres each, resulting in significant displacement from ancestral lands. After the illegal overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy and annexation by the United States, which benefitted U.S. sugar planters, federal acts in 1900 and 1959 returned some federal lands to Hawaii when it achieved statehood. These lands were held in trust for the improvement of the condition of Native Hawaiians. Yet, such efforts could not fully rectify the displacement and cultural erosion experienced by Native Hawaiians. Prior to Western influence, Hawaiians lived in a self-sustainable communal system known as ahupua'a, which were wedge-shaped land divisions from the mountains to the sea, ensuring resource availability for all. The annexation of Hawaii and subsequent land ownership changes significantly disrupted this traditional living system, further leading to an increase in homelessness among Native Hawaiians.