Final thoughts: Hawai’i History

It’s hard for me to stay on task right now, in terms of this blog. I told myself that this year I needed to write more and to share what I research. I also wanted to exercise discipline by choosing a theme each month to explore. This month (Theme 1) I’ve been lightly sharing my view on the current state of the Islands of Hawai’i and let it be know that I believe that Hawai’i is for Hawaiians. Period. I hope I did my mother good by exposing some of the injustices happening there, today… it’s not all hula skirts and puka shells, contrary to the propaganda.
Queen Liliuokalani, by Tuffgyal808

With that said I need to shift gears to focus my father’s ancestors.

Black and Brown people are getting gunned down by Police every day. I am reading numerous articles and watching countless video of us dying. More and more of the conscious seem outraged and the peoples voice is getting louder. From Black Lives Matter to Say Her Name, people are not tolerating the bullshit force fed to us by our government anymore. And I vow to myself that they will not desensitize me to the daily brutality. Yes, I’m off task but then I look at who the colonizers are and I see that on both sides of my bloodline we fight a common enemy. I may no longer be on the front line these days, admittedly motherhood changed me in that sense of never wanting to be taken from her (or vice versa) so I protest through my dance and poetry and photography and voice. And I stand in solidarity with all those rising up in our nation against this hateful system trained to kill us, instead of protect us.. build with us.. learn from us.

The Ancient mana…

Hawaiians, like a lot of Islanders, are connected to the ocean and not just for recreation but spiritually which makes sense that we are the inventors of surfing. Fortunately there are many surfers of color, world wide, contrary to what the white surf magazines portray and one worth mentioning is Eddie Aikau, a well-known Hawaiian lifeguard and big wave surfer. In 1978, the Polynesian Voyaging Society was seeking volunteers for a 30-day, 2,500-mile journey to follow the ancient route of migration between Hawai’i and Tahiti, and Eddie was chosen to become one of the crew members. The Hokule’a left the Hawaiian islands on March 16, 1978 in storm like conditions. The double-hulled voyaging canoe developed a leak and later capsized about twelve miles south of Molokai. In an attempt to get help, Eddie paddled toward Lanai on his surfboard and was never seen again.
This is his story. This is our story. Kanaka Maoli Pride ❤

http://espn.go.com/30for30/film?page=hawaiian-the-legend-of-eddieaikau

Ocean Funerals by Tuffgyal808

This is Hōkūle`a.

http://www.hokulea.com/voyages/our-story/

http://www.techinsider.io/hawaiians-use-stars-sail-around-earth-2015-12

Current events.

What exactly does “Hawaiian at Heart” really mean because when a non Kanaka Maoli says that to me I don’t feel kinship, rather I feel like smacking the shit out of them. Please don’t romanticize genocide around me ‪#‎appropriations101‬

On top of the gross entitlement I observe when visiting my birth home, this past decade has witnessed an increase to the damage being done to the islands by non-Hawaiians…

We are Mauna Kea.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/04/13/hawaii-telescope-protests-tmt-mauna-kea_n_7044164.html

Guinea Pigs to GMO.

http://www.pinkyshow.org/projectarchives/videos/islands-at-risk-genetic-engineering-in-hawaii

Homelessness among the Indigenous.

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/homeless-hawaii-poverty-rises-paradise-state-n460196?cid=sm_fb

tent towns, Oahu by Tuffgyal808

Let’s start from the beginning…

Maui sunsets by Tuffgyal808

This morning I watched the sunrise thinking of which theme to start my journey here.. you know, which would be a good introduction to who Malia is. So I decided to take it back to my birthplace, a sort of ode to lessons learned on Hawai’i History and it’s Indigenous population. This week we will explore my mother’s lineage …from land grab, gentrification, appropriation of the Kanaka Maoli to the spiritual mana of my ancestors. This is Hawai’i. Strictly the Facts.