The intimate connection between Hawaiians and aina (land) is the focus of two articles this year. In a piece that weaves together scholarly research and personal moolelo (storytelling), cultural beliefs about land, language, and community reveal strong implications for understanding Hawaiian well-being. Likewise, the importance of cultivating a strong sense of place among students and their families is emphasized within Ike Aina, a curriculum grounded in experiential learning and indigenous literacy. This year is a mixture of joy and nostalgia personally, because it is my last year as editor as I turn the reins over to Brandon Ledward, who has been a diligent team member working to produce volumes four and five of this journal. Dr. Ledward ensures strong continuity for the journal, with his doctorate in cultural anthro- pology from the University of Hawaii and his solid background in qualitative and quantitative research methods as part of the Research and Evaluation division at Kamehameha. We welcome his continued leadership and voice, along with Matthew Corry and Debra Tang, who have been critical team members supporting thi...

Molokai: Future of a Hawaiian Island This vision statement was created by numerous groups of the Molokai community and largely based on work from the generations before us. There are too many contributors to list, but on page 52, there is a hui of opio and makua who are instrumental in carrying forward the vision of this document, and they may be contacted for further information. In light of longstanding challenges to our aina (land), cultural tradi- tions, and lifestyle, community members joined together to articulate a vision for the future of Molokai. The process was innovative yet organic, bringing together individuals from different generations and with ike (knowledge) from a wide range of sources. The emerging document describes a desired state for the island, where the question of development is secondary to the promise to malama (protect and nurture) natural and cultural resources. Utilizing a community- based, holistic approach, “Molokai: Future of a Hawaiian Island” identifies critical needs and outlines specific steps to achieve change and sustainability....

It is with great humility and pride that I take pen in hand to submit the newest issue of Hulili to you. Even in this day and age of sophisticated technology and rapid pace, one of the most amazing and inspiring things about being human is the power of the spirit and the depth of connections that it brings, binding us to each other, to animate and inanimate life forms, to the past of our ancestors, and yet so vigorously to the future. From these connections come our values, and this fourth volume of Hulili speaks strongly about Hawaiian values. The writings carry clear messages about kuleana (responsibility), imi naauao (seeking knowledge), and the importance of olelo (language) and ohana (family). Our contributors voice the tremendous kuleana to revitalize the knowledge of our ancestors, using it to create a vision for our future as conveyed in the powerful moolelo (story) about the rebirth of voyaging in Hawaii, about the undeniable responsibility to care for our kupuna (elders), our iwi (bones), our wahi pana (sacred places), and about building the strength of our communities through the power of culture-based ed...

Every journey begins with a dream, a vision that can unite others. When people come together around a set of shared values, they can achieve extraordinary things. It is true that every voyage has its share of hardships. Sometimes the challenges come from outside the community, and other times they come from within. Most often they come from inside ourselves, stemming from feelings of fear and inadequacy. We rely on our teachers and leaders to guide us through times of crisis, to inspire hope, and to point us toward new horizons. This essay pays tribute to the visionaries, teachers, and leaders of the Hawaiian voyaging movement. For me, these powerful teachers are Mau Piailug, Herb Kane, Eddie Aikau, and my greatest teacher, my father, Myron Thompson....

A Hawaiian proverb says, “Ho ae ka ike heenalu i ka hokua o ka ale,” or “show your knowledge of surfing on the back of the wave. ” This saying suggests that talking about ones knowledge and skill is not enough; let it be proven (Olelo Noeau, 1013). As researchers, we like the process of discovery. We thrive on evidence. We design surveys and studies to find evidence that confirms our hunches. We want to test whether a certain theory is valid and meaningful. We want to identify relationships, show causality where possible, and grow and learn together from the growing evidence base of knowledge about our people. The 13 articles in Hulili Vol. 3 provide mounting evidence that Hawaiian perspectives matter, that Hawaiian language and knowledge systems are flourishing, and that Hawaiian identity and culture are central to Hawaiian well-being. From Hawaiian immersion classrooms in Keaau to creative writing workshops in Oregon, from the shorelines of Laie to the doctors office in Aotearoa, and from the courtrooms of Washington, DC to the puuhonua (place of refuge) in traditional Hawaii, these articles add to the evidence base tha...

This is the hour of our remembering, of our putting those parts of ourselves that have been dismembered and disenfranchised back together again. It is only from this place of wholeness, our holiness, that we can dream once more. And when we dream, let it be of a Hawaii where our people are healthy and vibrant, where we no longer kill ourselves with despair and abuse. Let us dream a Hawaii, as Dr. Manu Meyer says, “where our children are inspired to make knowledge joyful.” And let us dream a Hawaii where our land and her resources are loved and properly cared for....

...Introduction to the Triangulation of Meaning. 263 -- Manulani Aluli-Meyer-This Land Is My Land: The Role of Place in Native Hawaiian Identity. 281 -- Shawn Malia Kanaiaupuni and Nolan Malone-The Roles of Family Obligation and Parenting Practices in Explaining the Well-Being of Native Hawaiian Adolescents-Living in Poverty. 103 -- Barbara D. DeBaryshe, Sylvia Yuen,-Lana N. ...