Conference Artwork
2020 Hawaiʻi Conservation Conference Artwork
When I look upon our ʻāina momona, I see
Clouds, heavy with rain rolling in on tradewinds
Hōʻailona revealed in patterns, equinox and solstice of the sun
Recognizing stars and cycles of mahina,
Seasons coming thru.
These I pass on to the mākua.
When I look upon our ʻāina momona, I see
Mauna, summits draped in ʻohu, forests breathing
Trills and songs of ʻiʻiwi and kāhuli clear across ridges
Kahawai surging and flowing red with petals of Lehua
down through valleys,
A vast expanse.
These I pass on to the keiki.
When I look upon our ʻāina momona, I see
Kānaka, surrounded by our brother Hāloa,
ʻŌʻō uncovering pōhaku, passing them in line one by one
To rebuild foundations around muliwai flowing into playgrounds for pua
Limu plucked from papa, iʻa pulled from loko, ʻulu picked from māla
All in exchange among communities for full bellies,
Ceremonies of gratitude for these gifts of ʻāina.
These I pass on to the moʻopuna
When I look upon our ʻāina momona, I see
Currents, lined with ʻōpelu guiding hīhīmanu out to Moananuiākea
Meeting koholā as they dive into deeper realms
Where koʻa lives, birthed into a world immersed in pō
And emerging from darkness into a time, not yet seen.
These I pass on to you.
Ola i ka ʻāina momona!
– Malia Heimuli
Malia Heimuli
Malia Heimuli is a fine artist based in Koʻolaupoko, Oʻahu. Inspired by her experiences of
mālama ʻāina, her artwork focuses on showcasing native species, wahi pana, and their
importance in Hawaiʻi. Through various types of fine art mediums, especially illustrations, her
art shares her love of Hawaiʻi.
Follow her on Instagram: @aplantnerdandadream
To connect with Malia: mlh.artworks@gmail.com
When thinking about creating artwork using the theme of this year’s Hawaiʻi Conservation Conference, I recalled reading a paper about how our kūpuna managed for abundance called “The Moku System: Managing Biocultural Resources for Abundance within Social-Ecological Regions in Hawaiʻi”. While reading this paper, I was struck by these biocultural management tools that were profoundly integrated into our kūpuna’s lifeways. When looking at the kilo system that provided the information needed to make informed decisions within the society, I wondered: “What does that future look like?”
For this year’s artwork, I decided to visualize a Haʻina ʻia mai ka puana for ʻāina momona and interpret generations of kānaka in four realms of Hawaiʻi. It is a celebration of what we have today and will continue to have in the future. I wanted to portray kānaka who imbued themselves in these environments and play a key role in determining a future of ʻāina momona. We include their ʻike in decision making and celebrate them for their resilience.
The past is a reflection of our kūpuna. When we are busy working in today’s conservation, politics, and technological innovation, sometimes it can be hard to step back and see what we are working toward. For me, looking beyond our struggles towards what we want to see in the future is reflected in this piece.
We are tomorrow’s kūpuna. In our own reflections of ʻāina momona, I hope this piece asks you:
What does abundance look like not only for us, but for our keiki and their moʻopuna?
What knowledge must we include in order to better inform our management towards abundance?
What does the future hold for our ʻāina momona?
Ola I Ka ʻĀina Momona!
