UCLA

The ʻAi Pono program was established in 2016 to promote food sovereignty in Mānoa Valley by restoring the ʻāina (land or that which feeds) to a loʻi kalo (wetland taro farm) and practicing traditional and organic mahiʻai (farmers or the act of farming) methods. This research engaged college students who work with Native Hawaiian farmers from the Kumuola Foundation. I interviewed farmers and college students to measure their knowledge, attitudes, behaviors, and their willingness to participate in regenerative practices of farming. By conducting community-based participatory research, I focus on centering Indigenous epistemologies and pedagogies to provide a holistic approach for addressing the impact of settler colonialism as well as reclaiming Native Hawaiian and spiritual relationships to ʻāina. Mānoa Valley can serve as a site of analysis regarding the ways in which aloha ‘āina (love for the land and people) may restore the reciprocal relationship between Hawaiians and ‘āina. Furthermore, honoring Indigenous worldviews and governance is necessary to address food sovereignty issues. The student volunteers and mahi ‘ai alike can creatively enrich communities to design their own strategies and solutions for a healthy lāhui (people, Hawaiian nation).