Join Condé Nast Traveler in Maui, Hawaiʻi’ as we meet the residents working to reclaim and preserve their islands’ rich history and culture. As Maui evolves in the wake of major changes, residents like Native Hawaiian Ekolu Lindsey trace back the true origins of many Hawaiian tropes, helping us understand the delicate balance of encouraging responsible tourism while simultaneously honoring the local communities and native ecology.
Category
🛠️
LifestyleTranscript
00:00Hawaii is known as the epicenter of the Aloha spirit.
00:27People are filled with Aloha, but what is Aloha?
00:49To the tourist, the traveler, Aloha is a salutation.
00:53It's so much deeper than that.
00:56Aloha is endangered because it became overused.
01:01It didn't have the depth of meaning that is associated with it.
01:09We need to find the true Aloha again.
01:23Oluwalo is one of the last undeveloped alluvial floodplains in the state of Hawaii.
01:29So the Oluwalo Cultural Reserve was created for those families that still have a lineal descendancy and have a claim to these spaces.
01:38My name is Ikolo Lindsay and my family has generational roots here in Maui, specifically on West Maui.
01:45The true meaning of Aloha is when you start volunteering your time in places like these.
01:51So this is the hardening station.
01:53A lot of these plants here are going to be planted in Lahaina Town after the cleanup is done and people are ready to put plants in the ground.
01:59They're able to come and get these for free.
02:02We have a beautiful canopy coverage.
02:05This is called the milo. This turns into a big tree.
02:09At Kipuka Oluwalo, we remove invasive species along a riparian corridor to stabilize the Hawaiian biocultural resources.
02:20This is the willy-willy.
02:22And it's really easy to remember the name because it's a really, really cool name.
02:26It's a really, really awesome plant.
02:28Now when you look at these plants, there's a connectivity between the indigenous plants and something in the ocean.
02:34The protectors are on land that protects something in the ocean.
02:37According to Okumalipo, life began in the ocean.
02:40It is important for the traveler to understand malama.
02:50Malama is to take care of, to cherish, to take care of things properly.
02:54Take care of the plants, take care of the land, take care of the people.
02:59We are here to protect, preserve, and rejuvenate these spaces as well as share it out with whoever wants to come.
03:07Our volunteer days is open to the public.
03:10By volunteering, you're tapping into information and experiences that you have not had yet.
03:17It may open your mind to a passion that is unexplored.
03:22We'd love for tourists to come, have fun, and spend money and support the local economy.
03:29Stay at the resorts that can accommodate and have the infrastructure for you.
03:35Tourism today directly employ about 20,000 people.
03:38However, when you look at the overall percentage in the industries that it touches, it's about 75% of our employees in the islands.
03:46My name is Lisa Paulson.
03:48I'm a 30-year resident, and I have background in nonprofit management.
03:52Currently, the director of Maui Hotel and Lodging Association.
03:56The tourism industry generates revenue in many different ways.
04:00The tourism industry generates revenue in many different ways.
04:04And one of the biggest revenue generators is the transient accommodation tax.
04:08And that goes into providing services.
04:11And so those tourism dollars are going back into our daily lives here in Maui County and in the state.
04:18We see about 75% of our short-term vacation rentals owned by people who don't even live here in the islands.
04:26So as an industry, we're in favor of the ones that are in the resort-designated areas, adhering to all the laws, ADA compliance, and safety issues.
04:40So when we look back in some of the ways that we used to entice our visitors, it was very inappropriate.
04:46We were telling the story of the culture in not the most beautiful way that it is truly represented.
04:53The all-you-can-eat buffet, the luau.
04:56There's so much more to the culture and the history here that is being opened up by all of these properties that we're so excited to see.
05:06So we're here in Hale Kukuna, which is our cultural center here at Fairmont Kealani, just off of our lobby.
05:12The purpose and intent of this space is to invoke education and knowledge through Hawaiian culture.
05:18My name is Kamahiva Kava'ai, and I'm the manager of Hawaiian culture here at Fairmont Kealani.
05:25As we go further into the space is our lei hulu, or our feather lei.
05:30Our feather lei are very detailed, very beautiful, with vibrant colors.
05:35Traditionally, they would have been made with native birds' feathers.
05:38Using feathers is traditional, so feather lei is something that was found pre-Western context, and it was a status of your rank within society.
05:49Another key element that we have here is this statue here.
05:53This is Queen Lili'uokalani, who was the last reigning monarch of the Kingdom of Hawai'i.
05:58She was an exemplary model of being Hawaiian and being proud to be Hawaiian.
06:04There was a period of time in Hawai'i, the Hawaiian language was banned, hula was banned, Hawaiian arts and crafts was banned, and it's a very sad time within our culture.
06:13So we bring her here with the hope that Hawaiian culture, through Hale Kukuna and the things that we offer and do in here,
06:20by educating our guests, educating our community, and our colleagues, can help to ensure that Hawaiian culture is re-energized and will continue for many generations to come.
06:30More managed tourism or educated visitor, we would love to see them come and actually even give back while they're here.
06:37Go plant in the lo'i, go volunteer, go help eradicate non-indigenous plants.
06:43It's an amazing act while you're here, and you get to learn so much about where you've been, and you carry that in your heart forever.
06:51My name is Vene. I'm a descendant of the island called Maui Nui or Maui the Great.
06:56Welcome to Ko'i'e'e Loko'i'a.
06:58And it is a royal fishpond belonging to our ali'i, our royalty.
07:02It was built by 10,000 Hawaiian men and hand carried the stones that you guys see outside here.
07:07So these guys are stacked on the outside.
07:09The flatter ones more towards the top.
07:11The big, big ones on the bottom.
07:14Fishponds were things that beautified the land.
07:16The more fishponds you had, the wealthier you were considered.
07:19When you guys come to Hawaii, you know, you feel like you've contributed and not just taken.
07:25When we go to a place as Hawaiians, we want to give.
07:27And the greatest gift you can give a place like this, I think, is your commitment.
07:32Commitment to helping us guys care for this place as stewards of the land, as stewards of the planet, wherever you may be.
07:37And you take this mana, this energy that you have from doing this back to your family, back to your community.
07:42And then we're building the Bridge of Aloha.
07:54This is so pretty.
08:01Love this farm. This place is awesome.
08:05Wow, look at this guy.
08:07Ready to go.
08:08My name is Yeshua. I was born and raised here in Hawaii.
08:10We're at Moon and Salt Farm up in Olinda, Maui.
08:14Just here in the garden, gathering some items for tonight's feast.
08:18Going to prepare a few things over the fire.
08:21I grew up here in Maui. I grew up wild.
08:23I always say, jumping off waterfalls, surfing big waves, hunting, fishing.
08:27We named our business Kiawe Outdoor.
08:29Kiawe is our invasive mesquite.
08:31And we found our best way to grow it.
08:34Kiawe is our invasive mesquite.
08:36And we found our mission is to educate people on the issues of the invasives here, to utilize them.
08:43They are absolutely delicious. It's a great hardwood to cook over.
08:46It's one of the many facets of who we are and our identity.
08:49We are so much about the table, bringing people around to feast well, create these magical experiences.
08:54To also say, hey, while you're here, let's teach you about how special this place is and how we can keep it that way.
09:01Today we're going to do a little poke.
09:02Poke was just about, you have this amazing fresh fish that you went out and caught.
09:06And you just want to serve it in the most authentic way.
09:09And native Hawaiians had kukui nut, sea salt, and then seaweed.
09:12So talking about some of our invasive species, the axis deer were originally brought here as a gift.
09:17And 12 deer were dropped off in Kihei.
09:19Now we have over 100,000.
09:22They are vastly overpopulated.
09:25They need to be managed.
09:26So here at Keawe Outdoor, we love to serve the venison and educate people on the invasive issues that they present.
09:33And they are delicious as well.
09:41A lot of what I get to do as a business owner is incorporating the history of fashion into what we do.
09:48A lot of my inspiration comes from Maui itself, comes from Hawaiian culture.
09:53A lot of my inspiration comes from Maui itself, comes from Hawaiian heritage that I have, and from the aina around us.
10:00This style with the ruffled collar, which is like one of our signature looks that we have.
10:04Hawaiian culture inspires really everything that we do.
10:08We always think about honoring places, honoring elements of those places, and then how we can really be one with that place.
10:17The top three things visitors should do.
10:20Volunteer your time. Stay at the resorts. Be courteous.
10:26What happens is when people come and they participate in these activities, doing restoration work, there's a shift.
10:33We call it mana.
10:38It changes them.
10:41Like you've seen today, the guys, you see how they feel towards the planet, how they feel towards each other.
10:50It's something bigger than them that they realize that we're all a part of.
10:54Aloha is the spirit of being kind, being respectful, being welcoming, being hospitable to everybody and anybody,
11:05no matter their background, no matter their circumstances.
11:08And Hawaiians have embodied that for generations.
11:12And I always get emotional when I talk about this, but my biggest goal is that I'm making my kupuna, my ancestors, proud.
11:22They come from the generation where they were beaten for speaking Hawaiian.
11:27They were imprisoned for practicing Hawaiian cultures and practices.
11:32It's my goal, my hope, that I can awamo that kuleana, fulfill that responsibility,
11:38so that my future generations of ohana, family, can know who they are and be true to who they are as Hawaiians.
11:47The visitors, the travelers that come, are people that are already open to these concepts of aloha.
11:53When you can practice aloha, the doors open wide for you and you will be accepted as family.
12:01ʻŌe puna i kawa a paloro i ka ino haʻuke ʻuei alaʻe alaʻo ʻoʻoponu me haʻe.