Jeffery Caneen evoked polarized opinions from the audience at the 2013 Convocation speech on Sept. 26 at the Cannon Activities Center. He opened with the disclaimer, “My topic is a little controversial to some people.” The speech, entitled “Tourism, Culture and Identity,” was the culmination of a year of research focused on the Polynesian Cultural Center. Caneen said, “My hypothesis is that tourism enhances the cultural identity of indigenous people. I theorize that it is cultural identity, not authenticity, that connects young people to their elders.” Caneen, an associate professor of Hospitality and Tourism and chair of the Business Management Department, arrived at this hypothesis after collecting data from more than 300 BYUH students and alumni who worked at the PCC, mostly through interviews and focus groups. The trend was overwhelming. “Nearly 100 percent of students who worked at PCC felt closer to their culture after working there,” reported Caneen. In the discussion panel that was held afterward, the question of tourism’s impact on authenticity and indigenous people turned out to be a hot topic. Hiagi Wesley, the director of the Napela Center on campus, said, “To be authentic you must live your culture daily. Eighty percent of what we do at PCC is authentic. The other 20 percent is making themselves up, looking good. Everything in the package we give to you is something we have looked at and decided that it is a good representation of us.” Caneen ended his presentation by summing up his points thusly: “If the goal is cultural authenticity, tourism makes victims of indigenous people. If it’s about identity, tourism empowers.”
Writer: Samone Isom~Multimedia Journalist
