BYUH students and educators shared how mālama’ āina is a privilege where identity and care for the land begins
For many Hawaiians and students learning alongside them, mālama ʻāina—taking care of the land that feeds you—is understood not simply as an obligation, but as a responsibility and a privilege grounded in familial relationship. Rather than viewing land in terms of ownership or assets, the Hawaiian worldview recognizes the ʻāina as family, said Kīhei Nahale-a, education manager for BYU–Hawaii Kumuwaiwai Center for Sustainability Project.
Mālama as an emotional connection
Nahale-a said the Hawaiian worldview sees people are descendant of both land and sea, making them inseperable. “We are related to the things at the top of the mountain and the deepest parts of the ocean.” He shared in traditional land divisions system—ahupuaʻa— land ran from the mountain into the ocean, explaining why malama ʻāina inherently includes caring for the kai (sea).
Rafael Adolpho, a senior from Hawaiʻi majoring in Hawaiian studies, said he considered the ʻāina to be members of his family. He explained they were not just objects to be used but something that must be cared for. “They don’t just help us survive—they help us grow and enjoy our lives,” he shared.
Addressing a common misunderstanding of the term “mālama”, Nahale-a said it is not only cutting grass or picking up rubbish, especially if one is being paid. “Mālama means you have an emotional investment. It’s not an obligation, but it’s done out of love,” he said.
Dallin Orr, a junior from the Philippines majoring in fine arts and a former student employee of the Kumuwaiwai Center for Sustainability, shared that the center’s project focuses on promoting food security and sustainability through traditional methods.
Liahona Billones, a junior from the Philippines majoring in visual arts, said her first emotional connection with nature started during her mission through service, such as helping in rice fields, pulling weeds and getting her hands and feet dirty. Now serving as the center’s site leader, Billones said her perspective on caring for the land changed. “Before, I thought about land in a linear or corporate way—as an asset. But working in kumuwaiwai helped me break that pattern and give back what we take,” she explained.
Knowing one’s center
Knowing one’s center is central to Hawaiian responsibility, said Nahale-a. “We, Hawaiians, know our center—We know our mountains, our rains, our waters, our sunrise and our sunset,” Nahale-a said, emphasizing that identity comes from place—the land, ocean, weather and so much more.
That understanding shapes kuleana or responsibility, Nahale-a said. He cited a Hawaiian saying, “I Hawai‘i ka Hawai‘i i Hawai‘i,” which translates to “you cannot be a Hawaiian without Hawai‘i,” to emphasize that identity is inseparable from the land and ocean. “We are part of the land that we cannot control. Stewardship requires humility and responsibility.”
Misconception of and challenges in Hawaiian environment
One misconception about Hawai‘i’s environment is a belief that everyone is entitled to access everything, Nahale-a said. He said some people do not know proper harvesting and fishing. “If you don’t know how to harvest, you shouldn’t. People overfish, harvest plants or food incorrectly, and it ruin spaces,” he said.
Nahale-a added one of Hawai‘i’s most productive food sources was once waikīkī, which sustained communities for generations before becoming a tourist destination. “The fish was abundant there but not anymore. The fish you’re looking for now is the one wearing sunscreen that you try to get into your stores,” he shared. Nahale-a expressed these changes is a poor representation of Hawaiian values of mālama and aloha.
Adolpho said money is one of the challenges of young people face in caring for Hawai‘i’s natural resources. He said many residents struggle to make ends meet, which makes it hard for them to stay. “If you’re just trying to survive, it’s hard to focus on taking care of the land and ocean,” he said. He added fewer people are raised to care for the land, noting that farming—once considered honorable—is often overlooked as a career. “It’s a different worldview than what existed before, and it’s hard to return to a way of life we were never taught,” he expressed.
Sharing the same view, Billones said priorities of the younger generation have changed overtime. “There’s a knowledge gap here and even in my home country. Not many people want to be farmers anymore. Everyone wants to be a lawyer or doctor—which is good—but what happens to the farmer’s future if everyone goes corporate?” she said.
Taking care of ʻāina
Billones shared gardening is one practice she plans to carry when she returns to the Philippines. “It is a way to be self-reliant and sustainable. You take care of the land, and the land takes care of you,” she explained.
Nahale-a said Kumuwaiwai Center for Sustainability aims to create experiences that teach servant leadership. He said leadership is about helping people see potential. “Aloha ʻāina and mālama ʻāina are critical to discipleship and servant leadership and these values exist worldwide. Nahale-a continued the world today is too corporate and extractive, that is why it needs reciprocity and restoration because what we do on land affects the ocean. “We’re not perfect yet, but we’re trying. Good things don’t come fast,” he said.