My mother, Jonalynn, is kānaka maoli (Native Hawaiian) but like many kānaka families in Hawaiʻi, thereʻs a mixture of multicultural backgrounds within our mo’okū’auhau (genealogy). My maternal grandmother was of both kānaka and Filipino ancestry. My maternal grandfather was of kānaka, Chinese, German, and English ancestry. I understand that as the generational tree in our family grows, our kānaka ties start to wane.

In the case of my mother, she cannot speak ‘Ōlelo Hawaiʻi (Native Hawaiian language). Due to Hawaiʻi’s colonial history, many aspects of the language and culture was suppressed and almost eradicated. While today there is a greater effort to revitalize and perpetuate what was once lost, it is evident that this damage has had a great impact on the overall population of kānaka within Hawaiʻi.

Though our family has lost many ties to our culture, it cannot be denied that we still have our moʻokūʻauhau and we still have chances to relearn and reconnect. Thus, like the constant lava flows that bubble up on Hawaiʻi island, with complete destruction can later come a fresh start to creation and life.