Our Land

When I hear traditional Hawaiian music in the Hawaiian language, I feel a sense of home, I feel connected to the Hawaiian people, to the Hawaiian culture and to the islands. I can feel the warm tropical breezes, smell the beautiful scent of Hawaii, hear the ocean waves crashing and see the diverse ecosystems of the islands. There music reflects their gods, their ancestors, their culture, their people, the land and the ocean.

Once when I was in Hawai’i on the Big Island, I was with a girl friend and we walked across the floor of a volcanic crater. When I reached the center of the crater I heard a Hawaiian male singing the Pele’ chant on the distant rim of the volcano crater. A strange thing happened to me when I heard that voice, I felt it resonating in my being, in my soul and at that moment I felt like falling to my knees in reverence to the god, Pele’. This was the first time I had ever experienced a spiritual connection with another culture – seeing and feeling what Native Hawaii’s must have been like prior to the devastating invasion of whites to their lands. It was magical, beautiful and a wonderful spiritual experience for me. One I will never forget.

One song that I really felt a connection with was the song, “Hawai’i 78” and one of the people who brought the song into popularity was Israel Kamakawiwo’ole, known as IZ. He was a popular Hawaiian singer who’s music touched the Hawaiian people, performing songs that were about his people and his culture. The Native Hawaiian’s love IZ for what he represented – the true spirit of Hawai’i, the Aloha Hawai’i.

When I first heard this song and really listen to the words, I felt tears starting to fall from my cheeks. I experienced and felt this song and what its meaning was for the Hawaiian people. I have provided the lyrics to this song below:

Hawai’i 78

Ua mau, ke ea o ka aina, i ka pono, o Hawai’i Ua mau, ke ea o ka aina, i ka pono, o Hawai’i (The Life of the Land is Perpetuated in Righteousness)

If just for a day our King and Queen, Would visit all these islands and saw everything How would they feel about the changes of our land

Could you just imagine if they were around And saw highways on their sacred grounds How would they feel about this modern city life

Tears would come from each others eyes As they would stop to realize That our people are in great great danger now

All the fighting that the king had done To conquer all these islands now there’s condominiums How would he feel if he saw Hawai’i nei

How, would they feel, would they smile, be content, or just cry

Cry for the gods, cry for the people Cry for the land that was taken all away And then bid goodbye Hawai’i

Could you just imagine if they came back And saw traffic lights and railroad tracks How would they feel about this modern city life

Tears would come from each others eyes As they would stop to realize That our land is in great great danger now

All the giving that she had done She gave all her love to everyone How would she feel if she saw Hawai’i nei

How would they feel, would they smile, be content, or just cry

Cry for the gods, cry for the people Cry for the land that was taken all away And then bid goodbye Hawai’i

Ua mau, ke ea o ka aina, i ka pono, o Hawai’i Un mau, ke ea o ka aina, i ka pono, o Hawai’i

The only way I began understanding the many indigenous cultures was to try and feel what they felt, see what the saw, experienced what they experienced both good and bad.