Evolving Pono; Relationships and cultural responsibility in the sovereign Hawaiian Kingdom

Mahalo ke akua.

Mahalo Nui to the āina of the sovereign kingdom of Hawaii. I am beyond grateful to have spent the past two months talking story & breathing in the powerful mana on Kauai, the Big Island, Maui & Oahu. Since returning to Naarm, Melbourne, I have often found I have no words for the intricate beauty of these phenomenal, powerful islands. Maybe some words about my own journey will have to do for now… 

As a body worker who had learnt some foundations of Lomilomi at The Blisstitute of Living Aloha in so-called “Australia”, the journey began with a solid intention to explore the question: Can I practice Lomilomi in Pono way, right way, as a Haole that is a foreigner to the Hawaiian shores and Kānaka bloodline. 

By asking this question, I was seeking to make pono more pono, to make what is right, more right. What a blessed quest to embark on, no matter what the answer would be. I knew I must be open to hearing hard truths, dynamic conversations and listening deeply. I knew I could potentially leave the islands with new understandings that would alter my relationship with not only Lomilomi, but body work, community and healing. In hindsight, this would become true, in a bigger and more profound way than I had dreamed of. 

The inquisition would lead me to talk to Elders, Kānaka Moali, body workers and staunch activists. Supporting Indigenous sovereignty building is part of our healing work, under direction from First Nations people, for the ‘āina and for the future generations.

Mahalo Nui from the bottom of my heart to Kumu Jeana Iwalani of Ho’omana, Donovan Kanani Cabebe & Kaiulanu Mahuka, who I was lucky to talk story with and learn from. These people shared knowledge of Aloha, in Aloha’s many shades. Fierce aloha, staunch aloha, compassionate aloha, generous aloha, loving aloha, beauty-filled aloha, protective aloha and everything in between. The type of aloha that transcends time and space, where the vibrant breath of the spirit of Aloha is cultivated by Kānaka people, the ancestors and the sacred āina. 

Some experiences, like seeds, have rooted their way into the fertile soils of my memory.

I share them in hope that they will germinate in yours. 

To Lomilomi a person is one thing, but have you ever Lomilomi the land? Massaging the muddy roots, tending and weeding the revived sacred Kalo (taro) patches resulted in dirt and mud in every crevasse! We volunteered on Bush’s ancestral Ahupuaʻa, where the 'āina craves being touched and cared for. He told us of the 30 year legal battle and the cultural resistance to water stealing, first committed by plantation owners in the 1800’s and now by mega-tourism conglomerates, golf courses and exploitative practices. 

The 'āina and Kānaka peoples relationship are strong, so when you volunteer for 'āina, you are volunteering for community. At the Waipa foundation I was lucky to help plant native Lāʻau lapaʻau around the newly formed Hula gathering platform, so that while people Hula, they can pick medicine and food and sell it at the community markets. This further learning of the budding food sovereignty efforts showed how Kānaka combat the mega-tourism industry and the rising cost of living that threatens the strong Hawaiian Kānaka Moali communities.

Malama 'āina in Honokowai Valley under direction and love from Auntie Punani (FAR LEFT) Maui Cultural Lands 'Ohana. 

Staying up in the early hours of the night talking story with the founders of the radio program ‘Songs of Sovereignty’, Kanani and Kaiulani, who demand Hawaiian sovereignty, justice and independence from illegal occupation of the United States. Learning about the threats to sovereignty, from US military bases to New Age spiritual appropriation. 

Experiencing Kua Lua massage technique and discovering the confidence to walk upon the Kua, the spine, where ancestral mana lies in the vertebrae. Seeing the Kua (spine) in the ferns and in the peaks of the dormant volcanic mountains. Meeting the gushing lava of the creator and destroyer; Pele, Kilauea. Connecting under the guidance and protocol of Kaiulani, who chanted with all the mana of her ancestors, honouring the matriarchs of her 'Ohana. 

Pele, Kaiulani & Hazel as she began to erupt

Feeling the hope and love for the future while learning Hapai Hawaiian pregnancy massage and offering community outreach to 22 Hapai Mummas to support them as they usher in the souls who will become the future generations on Earth. Furthering that care into protection and protest by helping oppose the neo-colonisation of sacred Anahola birthing country. Making ti tree lei with little Taja in Hana, seeing the Ti leaf curled around her little toe and thinking about strong Wahine (women) on these islands. Making friends with Kumu Iwalani’s Keiki and seeing the strength in passing on intergenerational cultural knowledge so that kids are proud in their culture and 'Ohana.

The honour and responsibility of becoming part of Kumu Jeana Iwalani’s ‘Ho’omana 'Ohana is a blessing I carry with deep respect.

Listening to power filled stories of Auntie Mahi Poe Poe, Uncle Mike, Brother Chucky and feeling their mana with us in the Heiau will never leave me. Mahalo to Kumu, her Elders and the lineages she carries from Aunty Margerat Machado to Aunty Fragas. 

I leave with the answer to my question, and with so much more. 

The simple answer is that while my commitment, responsibility and connection remain strong and aligned with protocol, then the answer for me to practice Lomilomi is an encouraging Yes. However, as everything evolves, as does this answer, as does the culture that gives permission for this answer. This answer is alive within me, it is relational, and it is my duty to feed it with nutrients, truthfulness and cultural integrity.

Kumu Iwalani taught us a self Pono check…

I ask my na’au: How can I make my relationship to living in Aloha sustainable and generative? What am I giving back to Kānaka Moali people? What place does Lomilomi have on the stolen lands of so-called Australia? Is my love and care of the 'āina or land going beyond acknowledgment and into action? Is the impact I am having on culture positive? Am I giving back more than I’m taking? Am I sharing in Aloha?

These Pono checks are intimate inquires that I undertake with integrity and respect for myself and the people who receive Lomilomi from me. I owe it to the ancestors of the lineages I have learnt from, who have fought to carry and share this knowledge, to keep learning, and to be absolutely transparent about where I am at. I commit to these evolving, constructive conversations that will enrich our relationships to our bodies, to community and to country.

I had a lot of reasons for going to Hawai'i. In my truest heart of hearts, I yearned for Aloha, to feel it’s rhythm under my feet, to find it in waves and in the valleys, I wished to see it alive in the eyes of keiki. I had hoped to touch the Aloha in myself, and I am now proud to feel Aloha in my bones.

Mahalo Ke Akua <3 

You can support and learn more:

As part of my efforts to give and support sovereignty & community building efforts for Kānaka in Hawai’i, I donate 5% of every Lomilomi profit to Ka Lāhui Hawai’i - https://www.kalahuihawaii.net 

Check out the inspiring work they do and consider donating, especially if you are someone who has benefited from Lomilomi or broader Hawaiian cultural healing knowledge

Waipa foundation - https://waipafoundation.org/ 

Honokowai Valley - https://mauiculturallands.org/ 

Maui pregnancy support - https://pacificbirthcollective.org/ 

Support Kaiulani in protesting the military occupation of Hawaiian kingdom!

Follow @SongsOfSovereignty on Facebook for more updates!

More info on Kānaka water rights & legal battles for Hawaiian Kalo in East Maui - https://mauinow.com/2025/06/18/east-maui-kalo-farmers-won-the-water-fight-now-they-battle-climate-change-and-invasive-species/ 

Kumu Jeana Iwalani’s incredible Ho’omana Lomilomi sanctuary that is Kānaka, femme and family owned on Maui - https://hoomanaspamaui.com/