Indigenous Ecosystems
Creating a space to dialogue about traditional lifestyles in contemporary times, supporting the cultivation of community, relationships and ceremony.
"The health of community is reflected in the environment, the health of the environment is reflected in the community." - Native Hawaiian Elder
25/03/2024
We talk ALOT about the right to gather resources from our islands... AND what about the right to plant, curate, and cultivate resources??
With the dip of Native Hawaiian populations in the 1800s industries such as olona cordage, featherwork, hale building, and supporting social fabric in the islands were harmed...this means less people planting olona, less people passing on the intergenerational work of catching birds for garments and making netting, capacity to build hale as community, and growing plants for food, medicine, hula, as well as supporting each other in drought and environmental disasters.
Now, post Hawaiian Renaissance 1970s-80s, the are more training practitioners (this is great). This means resources are being utilized, relationships with forest and ocean reigniting, and increased knowledge of previously disconnected lifeways.
Are you a practitioner? What's your practice?
How are we replenishing the use of native resources for the next generations?
Just some musings...
Here's a link to a study where we identify over 140 plants currently being gathered in the islands: https://www.fs.usda.gov/research/treesearch/66963
Dr. Abbott identified 317 plants being used in the 90's, so there is more work to be done.