The Hawaiian language and culture carries many words and concepts that were shaped by the islands themselves. Living on remote volcanoes in the middle of the world’s largest ocean required careful attention and discipline in order to survive. Before modern conveniences such as shipping and air travel, you could easily find yourself struggling to make ends meet if you couldn’t find balance with the world around you. By transforming the very way the ancient Hawaiians thought and talked about the world around them, they were able to adapt and survive.
Aloha is the most well known word of the language. And for good reason. It’s used today as a greeting and parting salutation, but the meaning expresses many different feelings. From love, to pity, compassion, to being merciful. Aloha is about living in a community and recognizing how connected everyone truly is.
Malama is a word that gained wider recognition in more recent years. Like many Hawaiian words, the meaning can be varied depending on the context, but generally means to take care of, or to tend, nurture and protect. This is an important aspect of life on an island, where resources are finite.
There is another word in Hawai‘i, a concept, that is called pono. Its meaning is somewhat varied, but commonly translates to doing what’s right, moral, equitable and just. While it may seem like a simple concept, it’s something that takes a lifetime to fully appreciate and practice. It takes teachers, community and family to help instill in a person. It’s an ideal. One that everyone should aspire to, but with the understanding that no one gets it right all the time.
The reason I’m writing about these words and concepts is because of a recent incident here in Hawai‘i. Specifically on Maui, in the still-too-fresh wounds of Lahaina town. It’s hit the national news at this point due to the documented callousness of the person involved and the likely severity of the consequences. A visitor was filmed not only harassing an endangered Hawaiian monk seal, but also throwing a large rock at its head. The man has since been arrested and charged. To say the public has been outraged is an understatement.
We at Revealed Travel Guides condemn the (alleged) behavior of this person. The mentality of someone who can be so casually cruel and flippant over such a heinous action is hard to wrap your head around. It’s obvious that everyone feels the same way, but it unfortunately still reflects poorly on visitors in general.
We have spent decades helping visitors have the best vacation in Hawai‘i they can by giving real, lived experience-based advice. We also have a deep respect for Hawai‘i, its people and natural wonders. It is our goal to educate visitors so that they can navigate not just the ins and outs of their vacation, but also how to appreciate the utterly unique things found here.
Hawai‘i truly is one of the most amazing places in the world. The words and concepts mentioned above have unfortunately been commodified in such as way that some visitors dismiss them as just a marketing gimmick. The reality is these concepts were integral to sustaining life in Hawai‘i for countless generations. Visitors that are truly open to learning about and lucky enough to experience some aspect of these words come away richer in spirit. (Though your wallet admittedly won’t—I don’t think “budget” was ever a way to describe a Hawai‘i vacation.) Those that bring some of that experience back home can hopefully pass it on to others, too.
So when you visit Hawai‘i (or any place, really), treat those around you with aloha. Malama and try to leave the places you visit better than you found them. And when you’re lucky enough to experience something as special as monk seal or green sea turtle coming to shore to rest, be pono and give them space and enjoy them from a distance. The world could use more people that live these words and concepts.
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