Stories of Mālama

“The people cannot exist without the land, 

and the land cannot exist without the people.”- Haunani Kay Trask

 

This huakaʻi (journey) manifested itself long ago, on a chain of islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. There have been many before me, and there will be many after me, who go off in search of answers. On journeys, to rediscover, to rebuild, and reclaim their relationship with ancestral land and histories. I have the immense privilege, as a 2018 Thomas J. Watson Fellow (https://watson.foundation/fellowships/tj/fellows), to spend the next 12 months exploring a topic that resonates so deeply with whom I wish to become for my community. I will be traveling across multiple countries, including New Zealand, Indonesia, and Madagascar, talking to, observing, and learning from a plethora of sources. Trying to piece together what it means to conserve not only the natural environment but also the culture and history embedded in those landscapes. It is my hope, that this year will be about self-growth and discovery, as I continue to learn more about myself and my culture, in relation to the rest of the world.

 

Stories of Mālama arose out of my interests in hearing other peoples stories of cultural and environmental stewardship. Mālama roughly translates to “take care of, tend, attend, care for” and I wish to learn how this is perpetuated throughout different cultures, political and social environments, and colonial/imperial histories. Simply, I wish to listen to people’s stories, in whatever shape or form they are shared in. This blog will act as a platform for family, friends, and acquaintances to join my journey.  It will allow me to put into words the many different thoughts I have about conservation, culture, and the history of both Hawaiʻi and the many different places I will travel to. My philosophy is that you learn the most about home when you are away from it, and I hope that this year will give me the space to learn more about what it means to be a Kanaka (Native Hawaiian/human) in this ever-shifting global society. 

 

I enter this next stage of my life, a chaotic mix of emotions, questioning whether I have the authority or knowledge to speak on these issues in Hawaiʻi. I depart, knowing that I have only my experiences, a small pool of knowledge passed down from ‘ohana (specifically my grandfather), and the fire in my belly to learn more. For now, this will have to be enough.

 

I wish to end this first entry with a ʻŌlelo Noʻeau ( Hawaiian proverb and poetical saying) that I hope to embody on this trip.

 

I ka nānā no a ‘ike, by observing one learns

 

 

Mahalo nui loa,

Keaohuanaʻoli