Malama I Ka Aina

Indigenous comes from the place itself. It means that someone or something is native to its originating place. Although there are a variety of scientific methods used in researching a topic, indigenous methods happen to be used in the cultural perspective. In the Ua Lele Ka Manu reading, researchers including Pauline Chinn and Isabella Abbott, characterized indigenous inquiry into four elements: 1) indigenous sense of place, 2) caring (malama) for places, 3) kuleana, a responsibility or privilege, or a method of learning and respect, and 4) asking questions in an appropriate manner. In addition to these four elements, they all conclude to re-establish Malama I Ka ‘Aina (“caring for the land”), sustainability, and the scientific applications
Back when Hawaii was in pre-contact and lived a sustainable life, ancient Hawaiians lived in land divisions (from mountain to sea) called ahupua’a. This rule applied to everyone so each family can get their fair share on their resources including freshwater, fruits and vegetables, pigs, and fishpond. Although Hawaii is not as sustainable as how it used to be, it is still possible to originate to our roots of living and create a more beneficial and healthy environment for today and future generations. Thus, the parallels amongst traditional Hawaiian practices of environmental management and modern, sustainable technologies of climate change form the foundation of many of the material used in the state of Hawaii. According to the first element, indigenous sense of place is understanding where you’re from and why your home matters to you. Examples of having a sense of knowledge of your indigenous place include the food you eat, where the water comes from, and weather patterns throughout the state. Because the topic is about indigenous inquiries, it makes sense to know about your native
The sharing of kuleana recognizes our rightfulness and facilitates the hands-on learning experience. This also serves our akua (Gods) and aumakua (ancestral gods) to maintain pono (balance) within the society. Our body of knowledge dictates how to use resources, understand Hawaii, and one that creates moral codes for the people. Because we live in the state of Hawaii, we are given the responsibility to take care of our land so the land can take care of us. Finally, asking questions in an appropriate manner shows respect to our gods since they are the creators of our home. When personally handling the inquiry, it is advised that appropriate protocols and practices should be followed to better understand the information being collected. Based on the indigenous culture, conducting inquiries in a suitable manner allows us to develop knowledge on what we’re researching and understand the scientific ideas being incorporated in the research topic. In all, these four elements conclude to the big picture of Malama I Ka ‘Aina, caring for and living in harmony with the land we live in. They all highlight the scientific aspect of indigenous methods of inquiry because of their close relationship with one another. By considering these four principles, we can achieve our goal in living in a sustainable environment for the better of