Returning to Myself: Finding Belonging at the Native Hawaiian Convention
- kimwatt
- Oct 12
- 3 min read
This past week, three generations - my mom, my oldest, my youngest, and myself - jumped on a plane and headed to the Native Hawaiian Convention hosted on the Tulalip Indian Reservation in Washington State.
From the moment we stepped foot on the reservation, we were welcomed by the Tulalip Tribe with such deep love through dance, prayer, song, and gifts, all shared in their Native language. The words and stories they offered were profoundly moving. Again and again, they reminded us Native Hawaiians that we are Indigenous too, their cousins, because we have so much more in common.
They helped me see that even though I don’t live on the islands, I can still find connection and belonging with other Natives Americans on their land, wherever I am.
For the first time in a long time, probably since the last Hawai‘i convention I attended with my mom two years ago, I felt belonging. There’s something about being in a room filled with other Native Hawaiians. It’s healing for the soul.
I felt seen and understood. So many of us in the diaspora, Kānaka Maoli i nā ʻāina ʻē (Native Hawaiians in other lands), carry the same struggle. We’ve been told we’re either too brown or not brown enough, not Hawaiian enough, or that saying we’re Hawaiian is like saying we’re from California, Michigan, or North Carolina -as if it’s just another place. But it’s so much more than that.
And when we go to Hawai‘i, we often still don’t feel as if we belong because many of us weren’t raised in the culture. The minute we begin to talk, it’s obvious we are not local. We don’t speak pidgin or ʻōlelo.
What It Means to Be Kanaka
I was reminded that to call yourself Kanaka (Hawaiian) means to know your genealogy as best as you can and to live Aloha ʻĀina -love and respect for the land, both Hawai‘i and the land you live on now, and for all people, especially those who are marginalized.
It means speaking truth to power and challenging the systems that continue to steal, divide, create hate, and harm BIPOC communities, the poor, our kūpuna (elders), keiki (children), and our LGBTQIA relatives.
(In Hawaiian culture, Māhū refers to a traditional third-gender identity encompassing individuals who embody both masculine and feminine aspects — our leaders and deeply respected members of the community.)
And if you are an ally, it means loving the land and lifting up Hawaiians and all marginalized people as well.
Because being Hawaiian is political. When you lift and honor Hawaiians, you lift and honor everyone. And you understand that Hawai‘i is not grass skirts, mai tais, or fancy resorts.
Knowing My Kuleana
It also means knowing my kuleana (responsibility) and Kūlana (role) as a Hawaiian. It’s ʻohana. It’s giving more than we take. It’s caring for the land and our environment. It’s ensuring everyone has their basic needs met.
It’s about reclaiming our land and teaching the truth-that the Hawaiian Kingdom was taken, overthrown, and colonized; that Hawai‘i did not want to become a state.
It’s food. It’s our language. It’s hula. None of this is performative. It’s a way of living, a way of celebrating who we are.
A Moment That Will Live On
As we learned the meaning of a mele (song) and hula in the video I’m sharing, and gathered with over 1,000 Native Hawaiians to sing it together, tears poured out of me.
In that moment, I knew that when we said our goodbyes and “hoʻi hou” (until next time), what my girls experienced would outlive both my mom and me -that our culture, our story, and our spirit will continue and live on through them, their children, and their children’s children.
My children know they are Kanaka. I still have so much to learn about my culture, but what I know is that the Hawaiian spirit has always been in me, guiding me.
Over the years, I’ve been returning to myself and with that making sure I use my influence and privilege to speak up and create space for the marginalized -including myself and my Hawaiian brothers and sisters.
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