The Aloha Spirit
Hawaiians Traditions Hold Secrets To Planet Protection.
I grew up in a family that valued travel and had the means to afford a big trip every year. One year, we escaped to the beautiful island of Maui. What I discovered in Hawaii wasn’t just white sand beaches and stunning scenery, but a completely different culture and a different way of thinking.
The aloha spirit makes Hawaii a one of a kind place.
Over time, I discovered many Hawaiian traditions. We’re all familiar with hula, but there were other ideas that stuck with me still to this day. One of those ideas is called Malama and it means “to take care of.” Hawaiians use Malama to describe their “ care for others” and “care for people.”
But Malama is used in a lot of different ways across Hawaiian culture. In the context of Malama ‘Aina, Hawaiians describe an important cultural tradition: “care for the land.”
Hawaii is an island of extremes — the dry deserts of Kaʻū and the lush forests of Kohala, the soaring cliffs of Hamakua and sandy beaches, the snow-capped peak of Maunakea, and the raging volcanic fires of Kilauea…