Sustʻāinable Molokai was established in 2010 in the wake of the breakdown of master land-use conversations between the community and the developers of Molokai Ranch. At the time, Malia Akutagawa, our co-founder, and Matt Yamashita were looking for alternatives to the development of Laʻau Point.
This experience profoundly impacted the community — some were for the proposed land trust, and some were against it. The one thing that could be agreed upon was that we needed to be drivers of our destiny as a community to shape growth that aligns with our cultural values. This is the reason and purpose for Sustʻāinable Molokai, which was dreamt up in conversations between co-founders Malia Akutagawa and Harmonee Williams.
We offer our mahalo to everyone who has contributed their energy and vision to create Sustʻāinable Molokai. We are proud to work to ensure that our community's voices and mana’o are incorporated into collective decisions about the future of our island.
We define sustʻāinability in terms of restoring abundance, or ʻāina momona, to the land and people. ʻĀina reflects a covenant between the people and the land, where Earth's bounty goes hand in hand with good stewardship. We asked ourselves what makes a happy, healthy, and sustʻāinable community. We identified 12 priority areas and created Sustʻāinable Molokai in 2010 to serve as a central hub to hold these priorities together with the mission to restore ‘āina momona. We saw these 12 priority areas as spokes on a wheel connected to a central hub that held them all together. That core is lokahi (unity) and the pono (harmony) between the land and people when we honor the covenant that comes with the word ʻĀINA.
The SustʻĀINAble Molokai design captures the love that we have for our island home. For many of us, Molokai is a living being, a beloved kupuna (elder) and cherished member of our ʻohana (family). For this reason, we are fiercely protective of her.
Molokai Nui A Hina - the Great Child of Hina - is enfolded by her mother’s embrace. Hina’s hair adorns Molokai, like the kuahiwi (mountains) that attract the mist and call the rains of blessing upon us.
Hina is manifested also in the hinahina flowers that blanket the coastline.
Hina is present too in the phases of the moon that mark the times for planting, harvesting, fishing, resting, and regeneration. The design also touches upon Molokai’s reputation from ancient times as ʻāina momona (the fat or abundant land).
The ocean appears as a net or a basket weave, connoting an abundant harvest.
The school of manini and kalo (taro) represent the momona of Molokai that we strive to restore. The dual black and white imagery of the manini and kalo depicts our collective dream to restore the pono (balance) of the land and sea through living sustainably and renewing our connection to nature.
Placed in the center of Molokai is a bowl of poi, the physical manifestation of Haloa, the first born and hiapo (eldest brother) to the people. In deference to Haloa, when the poi bowl is on the table, families do not argue.
In that spirit, we remain committed to each other as a community and seek together pathways to sustʻĀINAbility.
Mahalo nui to Aunty Zennie Sawyer for creating this beautiful Sustʻāinable Molokai design.
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