Urban ʻĀina: An Indigenous, Biocultural Pathway to Transforming Urban Spaces

ʻĀina of Kaʻōnohi, Anthony K. Deluze, Kamuela Enos, Kialoa Mossman, Indrajit Gunasekera, Danielle Espiritu, Chelsey Jay, Puni Jackson, Sean Connelly, Maya H. Han, Christian P. Giardina, Heather McMillen () and Manu Aluli Meyer
Additional contact information
ʻĀina of Kaʻōnohi: ʻĀina of Kaʻōnohi, Aiea, HI 96701, USA
Anthony K. Deluze: Hoʻōla Hou iā Kalauao, Aiea, HI 96701, USA
Kamuela Enos: Office of Indigenous Innovation, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA
Kialoa Mossman: Group 70 International, Inc., Honolulu, HI 96813, USA
Indrajit Gunasekera: Office of Enrollment Services, University of Hawaiʻi—West Oʻahu, Kapolei, HI 96707, USA
Danielle Espiritu: Hoʻōla Hou iā Kalauao, Aiea, HI 96701, USA
Chelsey Jay: Mālama Learning Center, Kapolei, HI 96707, USA
Puni Jackson: Kōkua Kalihi Valley, Hoʻoulu ʻĀina, Honolulu, HI 96819, USA
Sean Connelly: Hawaiʻi Nonlinear, Honolulu, HI 96815, USA
Maya H. Han: Kōkua Kalihi Valley, Hoʻoulu ʻĀina, Honolulu, HI 96819, USA
Christian P. Giardina: Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry U.S.D.A. Forest Service, Hilo, HI 96720, USA
Heather McMillen: Hawaiʻi Department of Land and Natural Resources, Honolulu, HI 96813, USA
Manu Aluli Meyer: Chancellor’s Office, University of Hawaiʻi—West Oʻahu, Kapolei, HI 96707, USA

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 13, 1-36

Abstract: What does contemporary Indigenous stewardship look like in urban spaces? We answer this question by exploring Urban ʻĀina, a practice-based Native Hawaiian paradigm that shapes how we engage urban landscapes as Indigenous spaces, revitalizes the expression of Indigenous knowledge, and relies on Indigenous sensibilities to address and respond to modern issues such as food security, ecological degradation, and the climate change crisis. We find that places shaped by Urban ʻĀina practices serve as cultural kīpuka—biocultural refugia where kincentric, reciprocal relationships are honored through the engagement of ancestral knowledge. In Hawaiʻi, efforts to maintain these kincentric relationships continue to be challenged by political, socioeconomic, environmental, psychological, and spiritual disruptions that have their origin in the illegal overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom. Our research methodology and the paper’s resulting structure rely on ceremony and the Pewa Framework, which were selected to transport you through our restoration process. This exploration and the sharing of innovative case studies from urban Oʻahu bring breath and the healing power of Indigenous knowledge and ancestral practices to urban spaces, with the aim of transforming contemporary conceptions of urban stewardship. Through our process, we demonstrate how revitalized ancestral practices foster ecological sustainability, restorative justice, biocultural continuity, food sovereignty, regenerative forestry, and community wellbeing in urban spaces.

Keywords: indigenous; biocultural; urban; forestry; Hawaiian; Hawai?i (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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