To maintain the connec-

tion to the past and a viable land

base, Native Hawaiians

will partic-ipate in and benefit from responsible

steward-ship of Ka

Pae ‘Aina O Hawai‘i.

14 malaki2011 www.oha.org/kwo|kwo@OHA.org

nAt ive HAwA i i An » news | f eAtures | events

ByKevinChang,AlexConnelly,KoalaniKaulukukui,

sam‘OhuGon,JodyKaulukukui,ulalia

woodside,namakawhitehead,‘Aulani

wilhelm,nai‘awatson,Chipper

wichmanandMeliaLane-Kamahele

Editor’s note: This commu-nity forum reflects the views of the individual writers and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Hawai‘i Conservation Alliance.

In August 2010, the Hawai‘i Conservation Alliance (HCA) embraced an unprecedented theme for its 18th annual conference, “Pacific Ecosystem Management & Restoration: Applying Tra-

ditional and Western Knowledge Systems.” It was successful; attended by the largest and most diverse audience of conservation-minded organi-zations and individuals yet. Panels included and sometimes blended the views and observations of marine and terrestrial conservation scientists, cultural practitioners, community groups and sustainable agricultural projects. HCA took steps to integrate protocol affirming Hawaiian values and perspectives into the conference format. The process was no longer about the artificial distinc-tions of science, culture and society but about biocultural resources and cultural approaches to conservation.

Running with the concepts and ideas discussed at the conference, in early December, HCA mem-bers officially adopted a position paper titled Hawaiian Culture and Conservation in Hawai‘i. The core statement reads: “In Hawai‘i, integration of Native Hawaiian approaches and knowledge systems with conventional conservation efforts is essential to achieve HCA’s vision of sustainable communities built upon a foundation of Hawaiian values and actively perpetuating thriving lands and seas through active management and restoration.” The statement is bolstered by a list of substan-tive actions and aspirations necessary to fulfill our collective kuleana to further empower Native Hawaiian communities and apply their traditional ecological knowledge to reverse ecological deg-radation and re-establish the sustainability and resiliency of ka pae ‘äina ‘o Hawai‘i (the Hawai-ian archipelago).

Why is integration of traditional Hawaiian approaches and knowledge systems essential

to HCA’s vision? In Hawaiÿi, as in many places, over time a conceptual gap or disconnect developed as a result of a deluge of transported landscapes, colo-nial communities and an ethic shaped

by an acute case of ethnocentric myopia. This

dominance resulted in extensive psychic and physical damage to Native Hawaiians, the unique biocultural ecosystems in which they thrived, and the ethic and relationship that had been developed between the people and the ‘äina.

Integrating Hawaiian approaches and knowledge systems is essential to HCA’s collective vision because they bridge the disconnect between the Native Hawai-ian ecological ethic centered on the relationship and balance between people and their ecosystems, and the modern ethic that champions human dominance over nature. Traditional concepts are essential to our survival, our ÿike honua (sense of place) and our sense of justice and human dig-nity. The time tested wisdom of ka poÿe kahiko (people of old) is connected to the very habitat we aspire to protect and restore. In this light, the position paper lays out some (not all) of the basic value concepts that align with the conservation cause, such as ÿike, hoÿomau, känäwai, laulima and lökahi. To be impactful, HCA members delin-eated a number of activities they will endeavor to implement, including, among others:

• Increase efforts to recruit, train and hire Native Hawaiians into their organizations at all levels;

• Meaningfully engage with Hawaiian commu-nities that are tied to their natural resources;

• Reinforce Hawaiian values that build apprecia-tion and responsibility for natural resources;

• Actively explore and utilize traditional resource management knowledge and systems for their modern relevance in conservation;

• Integrate the use of Hawaiian language, values

and concepts in policymaking and practice (e.g., in traditional place names, naming of new species, the creation of job titles and programs).

These and many other pro-active statements challenge us to go beyond our boundaries especially in the fields of con-servation science and biocultural resource management, requiring meaningful engagement with the Native Hawaiian commu-nity and cultural practitioners. Community input and tradi-tional knowledge is essential to restoring an ethic where human communities are once again seen as positive members of the ecosystem.

The U.N. Declaration of Indigenous Rights, adopted by the United States in Decem-ber 2010, similarly recognizes “that respect for indigenous

knowledge, cultures and traditional practices con-tributes to sustainable and equitable development and proper management of the environment.” Like the U.N. declaration, the HCA position paper sets no legal standard but carries moral and spiritual weight. It is a mere step, a leap of faith for many of our colleagues and a hopeful one for our entire community. It will go far if we all choose to find ways to breathe life into its meaning as we go about our habitats and the way we inhabit them.

The full position paper can be found online here: www.hawaiiconservation.org/resources/publications/position_papers

Kevin Chang, Alex Connelly, Koalani Kauluku-kui (Office of Hawaiian Affairs), Sam ÿOhu Gon, Jody Kaulukukui (The Nature Conservancy), Ulalia Woodside, Namaka Whitehead (Kame-hameha Schools), ‘Aulani Wilhelm, Naiÿa Watson (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Adminis-tration), Chipper Wichman (National Tropical Botanical Garden) and Melia Lane-Kamahele (National Park Service) serve as organizational representatives on the Hawaiÿi Conservation Alliance council and worked together to draft the HCA position paper Hawaiian Culture and Conservation in Hawai‘i.

Hawaiian culture and conservation in Hawai‘i

KuKAKuKA COMMunitYfOruM

Ua lehulehu a manomano ka ‘ikena a ka Hawai‘i • Great and numerous is the knowledge of the Hawaiians

The Ecosystem

The habitat, its inhabit-ants and their habits are an ecosystem unit. The term habitat is reflected in the concept of ethos a Greek term meaning dwelling place. To extrapolate, the term ethos, is the root of the term ethics. Ethics – having to do with the proper habits evolved in balance with and from a long-term relation-ship with one’s dwelling place. Since time immemo-rial Native Hawaiians have developed an ethic more attuned to their ecosystem than we have experienced in the last 200-plus years. This is scientifically acknowl-edged.