Reflection

Reflection

My connection to nature is deeply rooted in the Hawaiian values that are a part of me. In my English class, Literature of the Ocean, we explored the mo’olelo (story) of Hāloa, and his stillborn younger brother, Hāloanaka. According to the story, Hāloanaka was wrapped in hala and buried in the ʻāina (land). From his burial place, the first kalo plant grew, symbolizing the connection between humans and the land ("MOʻOLELO HĀLOA"). This mo’olelo inspired me to create a three-dimensional art piece that tells the story of Hāloa. For my art piece, I decided to depict a kalo plant growing out of human hands. The human hands symbolize the power humanity holds to either nurture and protect the ‘āina or harm and destroy it. While creating this project, I felt a sense of empowerment. A feeling that reminds me of our collective responsibility to love the land. I hope when people view my art, they see the true meaning: our land is our history and we need to protect it. Through this process, I researched climate change and its impact on our earth. I have learned that globally we need to make a change in our lifestyle to protect our earth. Nature provides us food, shelter, and countless other valuable resources. In return we need to do our part to sustain it. One way we can contribute is planting native plants in our respected areas to restore native ecosystems. We can also raise awareness on social media, to share the effects of climate on our earth. The well-being of nature starts with us.