top of page

Hawai'i

At Ohana Joy Farm we believe humanity and community can exist only because of respect, and that all people must show respect to their surroundings & be mindful of their actions, at all times.

This means:

​

- Respecting the Earth: land, ocean, and wildlife

-Respecting all human beings

 

​

We are grateful to reside in Hawai'i but know that we must respect this land, that belongs to the native Hawaiians, and be constantly learning and forever humbled by our ability to live here. We encourage all visitors to remember to show respect to this land (the aina), the ocean, the wildlife, and the people and culture, and to seek further education & act in solidarity.

​

Below is a collection of information on Hawaiian values & culture gathered from various sources. We have found this information useful and believe it's important educational material, however the best way to learn about Hawai'i and understand it's history and culture is through it's native people. We suggest seeking Hawaiian organizations & sources as well as visiting the resources sited at the end of the page.

•     Hawaiian Values     •     Visiting Hawai'i      •      Aloha ʻAina       •     Land Declaration     •  

Important Hawaiian Values

ALOHA – Hello, Farewell, greeting, love. More than a greeting; A way of life, an attitude, a spirit, expressing one’s happiness and joy of life. Respect. Mutual regard and affection, extends warmth in caring with no obligation in return. more info

​

‘OHANA – Family. ‘Ohana is a common foundation or structure of humanity. In the Hawaiian culture, one turns to ‘ohana for unconditional encouragement, support and understanding.

​

MAHALO – Thanks, gratitude; to thank. "Mahalo ā nui - thanks very much". Admiration, praise, esteem, regards, respects; to admire, praise, appreciate. "Ka mea i mahalo ʻia, Mr. Pākī - The esteemed Mr. Pākī".

​

MĀLAMA – To care for, protect, nurture, preserve, respect. Stewardship. Referencing an action, a person, a way of life... mālama relates to our environment, culture, and everything with which we interact. To malama means to focus on the needs and well-being of both the individual and the whole. Malama ‘aina, care for the land, Malama kai, care for the sea, are basic Hawaiian values that are being introduced to the Western world.

​

KULEANA – Right, privilege, concern, duty, responsibility. Kuleana encompasses that for which one has ultimate responsibility.

​

LAULIMA – Cooperation, literally: many hands. Laulima is an essential part of island life in that it develops, strengthens, and supports community. Working together ensures the success of the group.

​

PONO – Goodness, correct, proper, righteous. Pono is a way of life. To be pono is to consider all persons, relationships and present situations when making decisions. Doing right by one another.

​

Visiting Hawai'i

An important value in Hawai'i is Mālama - To respect; care for, protect, nurture, preserve

"mālama ia Hawai‘i" - Take care of Hawai'i

Hawai'i is a beautiful paradise with an undeniable draw - it can attract an average of 200,00 visitors per day from all over the globe. While this tourism is welcomed it's important to remember that this paradise and it's culture are irreplaceable, and that respecting & preserving Hawai'i in all it's forms should be the number one priority.
 

A few wise words about visiting Hawai'i:                                                                                                                 

"Know that you have kuleana, which means a responsibility, duty and privilege to learn, aloha, and mālama, take care of and respect our home."

"For example, you probably already know that aloha is a common greeting. But it means so much more; it's a philosophy of being welcoming and kind to others with no expectation in return. As a visitor, you should understand aloha and show it to others." 
-Kathleen Wong

This next two sections, Aloha ʻĀina & Land Declaration, were made with excerpts directly from The University of Hawai'i, Mānoa website and their Kū Makani Commitment & Native Hawaiian Place of Learning resources.
This is done with respect to properly represent the ideas and information - please visit their website for more information

Aloha Aina
Love for the Land

IMG_3318_edited.jpg
We are in a revolution of consciousness. What we are looking for is truth. The truth is, there is man, and there is the environment. One does not supersede the other. The breath of man is the breath of the Papa [the earth mother]. Man is merely the caretaker of the land, that maintains his life and nourishes his soul. The land is sacred. The church of life is not in a building, it is in the open sky, the surrounding ocean, and the beautiful soil"

George Jarrett Helm Jr.
Native Hawaiian Activist and Musician

What is Aloha ʻĀina?

​

There are many ways to define aloha ‘āina and we recognize that it can take a lifetime to fully understand the deeply rooted value and practice that is unique to Hawai‘i yet profoundly connected to many cultures around the world. We also recognize that there are imperfections in trying to describe and translate between Hawaiian language and English as well as the worldviews that they hold.

​

All our hesitations aside and guided by the Kūali‘i Council,

we describe aloha ‘āina as a recognition, commitment, and practice sustaining the ea – or life breath – between people and our natural environments that resulted in nearly 100 generations of sustainable care for Hawai‘i. We recognize that it is because of the aloha ‘āina practiced by Native Hawaiians over many centuries that we can enjoy the Hawai‘i we have today. 

​

We ask ourselves: How will we pay it forward?

Learn More

Land Declaration
Learn More

Aloha, we are Ohana Joy Farm.

We are settlers on this ‘āina who now call Hawai'i Island our home. We can currently trace our family’s roots to Europe, the Mediterranean & the Middle East.

We would like to begin by acknowledging that the ‘āina on which we gather, the Island of Hawai'i, is part of the larger territory recognized by Indigenous Hawaiians as their ancestral grandmother, Papahānaumoku.

We recognize that her majesty Queen Lili‘uokalani yielded the Hawaiian Kingdom and these territories under duress and protest to the United States to avoid the bloodshed of her people. We further recognize that Hawai‘i remains an illegally occupied state of America.

We recognize that each moment we are in Hawai‘i she nourishes and gifts us with the opportunity to breathe her air, eat from her soils, drink from her waters, bathe in her sun, swim in her oceans, be kissed by her rains, and be embraced by her winds. We further recognize that generations of Indigenous Hawaiians and their knowledge systems shaped Hawai‘i in sustainable ways that allow us to enjoy these gifts today. For this we are grateful and as settlers, we seek to support the varied strategies that the Indigenous peoples of Hawai‘i are using to protect their land and their communities, and we commit to dedicating time and resources to working in solidarity.

Mahalo. 

bottom of page