Hawaiian Art and Sovereignty
A direct translation of the word ‘aina from English would be “land”, but honestly this word means so much more in the hearts of the Hawaiian people. The Hawaii natives have a deep connection to the earth and nature. According to Hawaiian myth humans are the descendants of the gods, but so are the rocks, the trees, the fish, and everything else. How we treat the earth affects our health. The earth is one breathing body. When something is affecting the islands everyone feels in. Not only in physical repercussions, but in our spirit. ‘Aina been prevalent in my life for most of my life. I remember dancing with my brother while my parents cooked in the kitchen and my Dad played songs from his iPod. The lyric reverberate in my mind to this day “...You can take the boy from the island, but not the island from the boy, ‘cause the island stays in your heart and I’ll never forget where I’m from…” In ancient ...
