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Naka Nathaniel: We Need To Foster A Culture Of Belonging In A Land Of Inequality

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Naka Nathaniel: We Need To Foster A Culture Of Belonging In A Land Of Inequality


Hawaii has tools that can help bridge the wide gap between the haves and have-nots. Let’s use them.

After some follows on Instagram in the wake of FestPAC, my feed is full of reels of Maori haka. 

I love it.

I admire New Zealand for having a fierce international reputation. Our Pacific ohana in Aotearoa are without peers when it comes to greeting malahini (strangers) and adversaries.

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Watching these posts, I was reminded of a previous conversation with a very wise uncle. He said that decades ago, Hawaii had become too welcoming. He said that most cultures prioritize protection first and hospitality second. 

Somehow, in Hawaii we had it flipped. Unlike the Maori, we put our dancers out in front and not the warriors.

He said he couldn’t understand it: When a stranger arrives on your shores you should determine if they’re there to invade you and take what you have. Instead, in Hawaii we sidelined our warriors and, to him, were too hospitable.

For too long, it has been easy for visitors to arrive in Hawaii and be welcomed with lei and a mai tai and not the truth of injustices past and present that have left Native Hawaiians sidelined. 

As I read through the comments on my column last week about John Oliver succinctly reporting out Hawaiian history and concluding that Hawaii was being run to benefit everyone but Hawaiians, I kept thinking about how we can figure out a better way forward for our discussions.

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I don’t want the discussion to be reduced to one of victims versus villains. That just alienates everyone and causes more division.

I want Hawaii to have a culture of belonging. 

However, fostering a culture of belonging is tough given the harsh state of inequality here. The trend is for wealthy people to move here and for those with generational ties to Hawaii to move away.

Maori performers from New Zealand, Aotearoa, showcase a traditional dance at FestPAC, where Polynesian representatives gathered in Hawaii to celebrate their individual cultures together. (David Croxford/Civil Beat/2024)

I was thinking about another conversation I had awhile back with Ualani Davis, a kanaka maoli artist. We were discussing the idea of how to truly foster the notion of Hawaii being welcoming to all who would abide by the aloha spirit.

However, the notion of the welcoming aspect of aloha has been thrown askew by marketing messages.

“The whole monetization of the aloha spirit, they don’t need Hawaiians,” said Davis. “They just need the aloha spirit, and that’s free. You don’t need to pay anyone for aloha spirit, and that’s all they really need to sell Hawaii.” 

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Extreme inequality is hampering our cohesiveness thanks to the island state’s desirability as a supposed paradise. 

We’ve seen it very starkly after the Maui wildfires last year. The haves are able to be patient and wait for a rebound. The have-nots have already left the island.

The haves are prominently displayed on a wall in the Kahalui airport. The “Kamaaina Proud to Call Maui Home” wall is adorned with photos of celebrities and musicians who took their riches and bought property on Maui as a reward for their success.

Unfortunately, the claiming of those rewards has come at the expense of those who grew up alongside those pictured on the accompanying wall celebrating the “Maui Nui Wall of Fame.” 

But again, I do not want to alienate anyone with the victims versus villains designation. 

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The term a “culture of belonging” was popularized in the business world grappling with the racial reckoning in the summer of 2020.

As the Harvard Business Review wrote, “After all, belonging is essential to humans. Psychologists rank our need to belong on par with our need for love. Because the need to belong is universal and fundamental, focusing on it has the power to draw in the whole workforce, even those who might feel excluded from — or threatened by — current DEI conversations. When companies emphasize a culture of belonging, they call everyone in, creating space in the conversation to address our shared humanity and build a bridge to greater empathy and inclusion for the groups that are the most marginalized in the workplace today.”

How can we make that apply in cultures here in Hawaii that are often siloed by inequality? 

Starting with knowledge and understanding goes a long way. Being knowledgeable about the history of Hawaii helps. That’s why John Oliver’s history lesson on HBO resonated with so many audiences. His report was entertaining, educational and not laborious.

Should we have a culture that’s more challenging and less automatically welcoming? 

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I’d vote for being welcoming, but I’m curious to hear others’ thoughts in the comments.

I don’t think we’re in an intractable place when it comes to facing the challenges of inequality here in Hawaii. We have tools at our disposal that we’re only just now starting to understand how to use. 

Our state constitution has strong provisions that could help: In this year alone, the Hawaii Supreme Court cited the Spirit of Aloha to rule against unfettered use of the second amendment. The right to a healthful environment also was successfully used by the plaintiffs in the Navahine settlement.

The most powerful tool could be the Law of the Splintered Paddle. The first written law of the Hawaiian kingdom, which provides for the protection of innocent people such as kupuna and keiki, is in the state constitution. I’m very interested to see how smart people in Hawaii could use it to tackle our toughest issues like inequality.

Nearly everyone who lives here understands that Hawaii is a unique place, deserving of appreciation and protection that should take priority over selfish and shortsighted interests to acquire and extract. Those selfish and shortsighted interests can serve one well in other places, but in Hawaii, it keeps the islands on a path to being the province of the ultra-wealthy, retirees and the low-wage earners who serve them.

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We need to find aloha-driven leaders who can emphasize a common cause, bridge gaps and create belonging. That’s how we can solve our problems.



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Hawaii Island asks for the public’s assistance finding elderly woman, Jacquelyn Glenn

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Hawaii Island asks for the public’s assistance finding elderly woman, Jacquelyn Glenn


HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Hawaii Island police are renewing their request for the public’s assistance in locating 82-year-old Jacquelyn Glenn of Kailua-Kona, who was reported missing by her family.

Police said she is considered endangered due to her age.

Glenn was last seen on Friday, Dec. 5, around 6:37 a.m., on the 75-200 block of Nani Kailua Dr. in Kailua-Kona.

She was wearing a peach-colored shirt, blue denim jeans, and black tennis shoes. She reportedly mentioned going to Hilo with friends, but did not say when she planned to return.

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She is described as 5′6″, 125 Ibs, with curly grey hair and brown eyes.

Police ask anyone with information on the whereabouts of Jacquelyn Glenn to call the Hawaii Police Department’s non-emergency line at (808) 935-3311.



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Hawaii gets nearly $190 million for rural health care | Honolulu Star-Advertiser

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Hawaii gets nearly 0 million for rural health care | Honolulu Star-Advertiser




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Hawaiian announces $600 million airport, wide-body upgrades | Honolulu Star-Advertiser

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Hawaiian announces 0 million airport, wide-body upgrades | Honolulu Star-Advertiser


COURTESY HAWAIIAN AIRLINES

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Hawaiian Airlines today announced an investment of more than $600 million over five years to improve airport passenger areas across the state and interior upgrades to widebody aircraft.

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Hawaiian Airlines CEO Diana Birkett Rakow told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser ahead of today’s announcement at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport that other improvements will include better apps, a better website that will make it easier for passengers to change flights, among other things that also include better integration with Alaska Airlines, which acquired Hawaiian in 2024, making it a subsidiary of Alaska Air Group.

“We have pushed a lot of change through the system for the last couple of months,” Rakow said. “We’re working on integrating our ticketing systems because right now we’re on two separate ticketing systems that don’t talk to each other.”

After late April, she said, booking on the shared Alaska Air and Hawaiian Air ticketing system “will be much more seamless.”

In announcing the renovations and changes, Hawaiian pledged “a significantly smoother guest experience … once Hawaiian Airlines and Alaska Airlines share the same passenger service system and Hawaiian Airlines joins the oneworld alliance, both scheduled for late April.”

Right now, Rakow acknowledged, “unfortunately there is some friction.”

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“There’s been so many changes and all of that friction is really painful,” she said. “We are committed to making sure we are addressing the issues. … We are certainly not perfect, but we are committed to working together. … Really, after April, it is going to improve significantly.”

Each island airport also will see renovated lobbies and gates designed to increase comfort, provide better seating and amenities such as improved power charging.

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Daniel K. Inouye International also will get a new 10,600-square-foot lounge at the entrance of the Mauka Concourse in Terminal 1.

And starting in 2028, Hawaiian’s wide-body Airbus A330s will get new seats, carpets, lighting, business class suites, a Bluetooth-enabled in-flight entertainment system with high-definition screens and free Starlink Wi-Fi.

Gov. Josh Green said in a statement ahead of today’s announcement that, “Hawaiian Airlines’ investment is exactly the kind of long-term commitment Hawaiʻi needs. Modern, welcoming airports improve the experience for residents and visitors alike, strengthen our economy and keep Hawaiʻi competitive as a global destination. We appreciate Hawaiian Airlines’ partnership in advancing workforce development, regenerative tourism, clean energy, and community programs that reflect the values of our islands.”

The New Year began with a .75% increase in Hawaii’s Transient Accommodations Tax that will help the state fight climate change.

Rakow said that Hawaiian is working to better inform inbound passengers about how to respect Hawaii’s culture and environment.

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Hawaiian said it will continue to support “programs promoting regenerative tourism, culture and conservation.”

The airline also said it will fund grants to nonprofit organizations “promoting cultural programs, environmental preservation, and perpetuation of native Hawaiian art and language through the Alaska Airlines | Hawaiian Airlines Foundation.”




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