Land Acknowledgement

I live, work, and coach in Hawai’i, an indigenous space whose land has been cared for and sustained by Kānaka Maoli for generations. I recognize that her majesty Queen Lili‘uokalani yielded the Hawaiian Kingdom and these territories under duress and protest to the United States to avoid the bloodshed of her people. I further acknowledge that each moment I am in Hawai‘i is a gift and that generations of Kānaka Maoli, and their knowledge systems and lifeways, have shaped and continue to care for Hawai’i Island to this very day, allowing all of us to enjoy this gift. For this I, am grateful and I recognize my kuleana – my responsibility – to care for the ‘āina and encourage others to protect it as well. Mahalo.