00:00Hawaii is known as the epicenter of the Aloha spirit.
00:27People are filled with Aloha, but what is Aloha?
00:49To the tourist, the traveler, Aloha is a salutation.
00:53It's so much deeper than that.
00:56Aloha is endangered because it became overused.
01:01It didn't have the depth of meaning that is associated with it.
01:09We need to find the true Aloha again.
01:23Oluwalo is one of the last undeveloped alluvial floodplains in the state of Hawaii.
01:29So the Oluwalo Cultural Reserve was created for those families that still have a lineal descendancy and have a claim to these spaces.
01:38My name is Ikolo Lindsay and my family has generational roots here in Maui, specifically on West Maui.
01:45The true meaning of Aloha is when you start volunteering your time in places like these.
01:51So this is the hardening station.
01:53A lot of these plants here are going to be planted in Lahaina Town after the cleanup is done and people are ready to put plants in the ground.
01:59They're able to come and get these for free.
02:02We have a beautiful canopy coverage.
02:05This is called the milo. This turns into a big tree.
02:09At Kipuka Oluwalo, we remove invasive species along a riparian corridor to stabilize the Hawaiian biocultural resources.
02:20This is the willy-willy.
02:22And it's really easy to remember the name because it's a really, really cool name.
02:26It's a really, really awesome plant.
02:28Now when you look at these plants, there's a connectivity between the indigenous plants and something in the ocean.
02:34The protectors are on land that protects something in the ocean.
02:37According to Okumalipo, life began in the ocean.
02:40It is important for the traveler to understand malama.
02:50Malama is to take care of, to cherish, to take care of things properly.
02:54Take care of the plants, take care of the land, take care of the people.
02:59We are here to protect, preserve, and rejuvenate these spaces as well as share it out with whoever wants to come.
03:07Our volunteer days is open to the public.
03:10By volunteering, you're tapping into information and experiences that you have not had yet.
03:17It may open your mind to a passion that is unexplored.
03:22We'd love for tourists to come, have fun, and spend money and support the local economy.
03:29Stay at the resorts that can accommodate and have the infrastructure for you.
03:35Tourism today directly employ about 20,000 people.
03:38However, when you look at the overall percentage in the industries that it touches, it's about 75% of our employees in the islands.
03:46My name is Lisa Paulson.
03:48I'm a 30-year resident, and I have background in nonprofit management.
03:52Currently, the director of Maui Hotel and Lodging Association.
03:56The tourism industry generates revenue in many different ways.
04:00The tourism industry generates revenue in many different ways.
04:04And one of the biggest revenue generators is the transient accommodation tax.
04:08And that goes into providing services.
04:11And so those tourism dollars are going back into our daily lives here in Maui County and in the state.
04:18We see about 75% of our short-term vacation rentals owned by people who don't even live here in the islands.
04:26So as an industry, we're in favor of the ones that are in the resort-designated areas, adhering to all the laws, ADA compliance, and safety issues.
04:40So when we look back in some of the ways that we used to entice our visitors, it was very inappropriate.
04:46We were telling the story of the culture in not the most beautiful way that it is truly represented.
04:53The all-you-can-eat buffet, the luau.
04:56There's so much more to the culture and the history here that is being opened up by all of these properties that we're so excited to see.
05:06So we're here in Hale Kukuna, which is our cultural center here at Fairmont Kealani, just off of our lobby.
05:12The purpose and intent of this space is to invoke education and knowledge through Hawaiian culture.
05:18My name is Kamahiva Kava'ai, and I'm the manager of Hawaiian culture here at Fairmont Kealani.
05:25As we go further into the space is our lei hulu, or our feather lei.
05:30Our feather lei are very detailed, very beautiful, with vibrant colors.
05:35Traditionally, they would have been made with native birds' feathers.
05:38Using feathers is traditional, so feather lei is something that was found pre-Western context, and it was a status of your rank within society.
05:49Another key element that we have here is this statue here.
05:53This is Queen Lili'uokalani, who was the last reigning monarch of the Kingdom of Hawai'i.
05:58She was an exemplary model of being Hawaiian and being proud to be Hawaiian.
06:04There was a period of time in Hawai'i, the Hawaiian language was banned, hula was banned, Hawaiian arts and crafts was banned, and it's a very sad time within our culture.
06:13So we bring her here with the hope that Hawaiian culture, through Hale Kukuna and the things that we offer and do in here,
06:20by educating our guests, educating our community, and our colleagues, can help to ensure that Hawaiian culture is re-energized and will continue for many generations to come.
06:30More managed tourism or educated visitor, we would love to see them come and actually even give back while they're here.
06:37Go plant in the lo'i, go volunteer, go help eradicate non-indigenous plants.
06:43It's an amazing act while you're here, and you get to learn so much about where you've been, and you carry that in your heart forever.
06:51My name is Vene. I'm a descendant of the island called Maui Nui or Maui the Great.
06:56Welcome to Ko'i'e'e Loko'i'a.
06:58And it is a royal fishpond belonging to our ali'i, our royalty.
07:02It was built by 10,000 Hawaiian men and hand carried the stones that you guys see outside here.
07:07So these guys are stacked on the outside.
07:09The flatter ones more towards the top.
07:11The big, big ones on the bottom.
07:14Fishponds were things that beautified the land.
07:16The more fishponds you had, the wealthier you were considered.
07:19When you guys come to Hawaii, you know, you feel like you've contributed and not just taken.
07:25When we go to a place as Hawaiians, we want to give.
07:27And the greatest gift you can give a place like this, I think, is your commitment.
07:32Commitment to helping us guys care for this place as stewards of the land, as stewards of the planet, wherever you may be.
07:37And you take this mana, this energy that you have from doing this back to your family, back to your community.
07:42And then we're building the Bridge of Aloha.
07:54This is so pretty.
08:01Love this farm. This place is awesome.
08:05Wow, look at this guy.
08:07Ready to go.
08:08My name is Yeshua. I was born and raised here in Hawaii.
08:10We're at Moon and Salt Farm up in Olinda, Maui.
08:14Just here in the garden, gathering some items for tonight's feast.
08:18Going to prepare a few things over the fire.
08:21I grew up here in Maui. I grew up wild.
08:23I always say, jumping off waterfalls, surfing big waves, hunting, fishing.
08:27We named our business Kiawe Outdoor.
08:29Kiawe is our invasive mesquite.
08:31And we found our best way to grow it.
08:34Kiawe is our invasive mesquite.
08:36And we found our mission is to educate people on the issues of the invasives here, to utilize them.
08:43They are absolutely delicious. It's a great hardwood to cook over.
08:46It's one of the many facets of who we are and our identity.
08:49We are so much about the table, bringing people around to feast well, create these magical experiences.
08:54To also say, hey, while you're here, let's teach you about how special this place is and how we can keep it that way.
09:01Today we're going to do a little poke.
09:02Poke was just about, you have this amazing fresh fish that you went out and caught.
09:06And you just want to serve it in the most authentic way.
09:09And native Hawaiians had kukui nut, sea salt, and then seaweed.
09:12So talking about some of our invasive species, the axis deer were originally brought here as a gift.
09:17And 12 deer were dropped off in Kihei.
09:19Now we have over 100,000.
09:22They are vastly overpopulated.
09:25They need to be managed.
09:26So here at Keawe Outdoor, we love to serve the venison and educate people on the invasive issues that they present.
09:33And they are delicious as well.
09:41A lot of what I get to do as a business owner is incorporating the history of fashion into what we do.
09:48A lot of my inspiration comes from Maui itself, comes from Hawaiian culture.
09:53A lot of my inspiration comes from Maui itself, comes from Hawaiian heritage that I have, and from the aina around us.
10:00This style with the ruffled collar, which is like one of our signature looks that we have.
10:04Hawaiian culture inspires really everything that we do.
10:08We always think about honoring places, honoring elements of those places, and then how we can really be one with that place.
10:17The top three things visitors should do.
10:20Volunteer your time. Stay at the resorts. Be courteous.
10:26What happens is when people come and they participate in these activities, doing restoration work, there's a shift.
10:33We call it mana.
10:38It changes them.
10:41Like you've seen today, the guys, you see how they feel towards the planet, how they feel towards each other.
10:50It's something bigger than them that they realize that we're all a part of.
10:54Aloha is the spirit of being kind, being respectful, being welcoming, being hospitable to everybody and anybody,
11:05no matter their background, no matter their circumstances.
11:08And Hawaiians have embodied that for generations.
11:12And I always get emotional when I talk about this, but my biggest goal is that I'm making my kupuna, my ancestors, proud.
11:22They come from the generation where they were beaten for speaking Hawaiian.
11:27They were imprisoned for practicing Hawaiian cultures and practices.
11:32It's my goal, my hope, that I can awamo that kuleana, fulfill that responsibility,
11:38so that my future generations of ohana, family, can know who they are and be true to who they are as Hawaiians.
11:47The visitors, the travelers that come, are people that are already open to these concepts of aloha.
11:53When you can practice aloha, the doors open wide for you and you will be accepted as family.
12:01ʻŌe puna i kawa a paloro i ka ino haʻuke ʻuei alaʻe alaʻo ʻoʻoponu me haʻe.
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