Latest news with #Hawaiians
USA Today
2 days ago
- USA Today
Forget 'Aloha.' This is the Hawaiian word every traveler should know.
There's an important Hawaiian phrase that all travelers should get familiar with, and it isn't aloha. It's malama. In Hawaiian language, malama means "to take care of" and it's a core Native Hawaiian value; the belief that people have a responsibility to steward their community and island home. It's often combined with the word "aina" (land) for a saying commonly heard throughout the islands: "malama aina," which translates to "take care of the land." It encapsulates the sustainable lifestyle of the ancient Hawaiians, who believed that if you take care of the island, it will reciprocate and provide sustenance. However, living out malama isn't just reserved for residents, but can be especially impactful for visitors who choose to volunteer during their trips. By giving back, travelers can help regenerate the islands rather than just utilize resources before returning home. More people hope to leave a positive impact from their trips, with 69% of travelers saying they want to leave places better than when they arrived, according to a 2025 survey. To make it easier for those wanting to be more responsible travelers, the Hawaii Visitors Convention Bureau (HVCB) and Hawaiian Tourism Authority (HTA) launched the Malama Hawaii Program in November of 2020. The program aims to connect travelers with volunteer opportunities with over 36 organizations across the state, with an incentive of earning a special discount from participating hotels. "When travelers engage with our land, our culture, and our communities through enriching volunteer experiences, they discover what we have always known: that caring for Hawaii changes you," said Dr. Aaron J. Sala, president and CEO of the HVCB. "These experiences create a connection between visitor and place, fostering a deeper understanding of our values while ensuring that tourism serves both our communities and those who choose to journey here." Why should you volunteer while traveling? Across the world, destinations are facing challenges caused by overtourism, ranging from increased costs of living to the strain on natural resources and infrastructure. Some, such as Venice and Hawaii, have implemented a tourist fee to offset those impacts by placing the responsibility back onto the visitor. Hawaii is a perennial destination that has historically struggled with negative impacts from the dominating tourism industry, which accounts for nearly a quarter of its economy. Some Hawaii residents believe that tourism "creates more problems than benefits," according to a 2024 Resident Sentiment Survey by the State of Hawaii Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism. Locals cited higher costs of living, damage to the environment, and "a lack of respect" for culture and tradition. Volunteering while traveling goes against the grain. As a regenerative tourism practice, "voluntourism" means travelers are actively improving a destination, according to the Global Sustainable Tourism Council. Like sustainable tourism, regenerative tourism focuses on "reducing negative impacts and enhancing positive ones." Since an online dashboard was launched last spring, the Malama Hawaii Program has tracked 2,835 volunteers and over 11,412 hours statewide, according to an HVCB spokesperson. Travelers can browse volunteer opportunities, filtering by activity type and even island, and view available discounts, such as a complimentary night or meal. When travelers seek out bettering a place, they not only forge deeper connections with the residents and local culture but also gain a more immersive travel experience. In other words, they get a more authentic look at Hawaii. A volunteer day spent restoring a loko ia (fishpond) means someone learns firsthand about how the ancient Hawaiians practiced sustainable aquaculture to feed their communities. Their work also has the potential for a lasting positive impact, such as replanting native trees in reforestation efforts. "For residents, this means tourism becomes a force that strengthens rather than strains our home, ensuring that the places we cherish are protected and preserved," said Sala. "This is how we move beyond consumption to contribution, creating pathways for visitors to give back to the very places that inspire them." The practice of voluntourism can be problematic if someone views it solely as a "feel-good" opportunity. Still, as long as their intentions are to meaningfully interact with the host community, they can make a genuinely positive impact. They also have the chance to have a personally transformative experience by growing their worldview, according to a 2020 review in the Journal of Travel Research. Malama Hawaii Program opportunities Below are some volunteer opportunities from the Hawaii Malama Program: Giving back anywhere It's not just in Hawaii where travelers are encouraged to do their part in minimizing harm. Across the world, more destinations are seeking to connect their visitors to meaningful volunteer experiences as part of their efforts to build a more sustainable tourism industry. In the Maldives and Fiji, travelers can participate in coral restoration projects to help conserve the pristine oceans that they hope to enjoy. Other destinations finding value in having their visitors volunteer to preserve nature – the very reason they come to visit – include the California State Park Foundation's volunteer days. At the end of the day, all travelers can malama any destination they're visiting – not just the Hawaiian Islands – and it doesn't always take coordinating an event. Simply grabbing a bag and collecting trash on the beach or in the park follows the essence of malama.
Metro
2 days ago
- Metro
Antiques Roadshow expert reluctantly values rare spoon and discovers it's worth
A man has been left shocked after being told a set of silver spoons that once belonged to Captain James Cook are worth £20,000. On last night's episode of the long-running BBC series Antiques Roadshow, the experts were at Sefton Park Palm House in Liverpool. It was there that expert Gordon Foster met a descendant of the explorer, who came along with a 'humble' set of items he was keen to get valued. As Gordon explained: 'Eagle-eyed viewers of the roadshow would know we don't often feature silver spoons unless they are something special…and these are.' He went on to share that the spoons were a Georgian pair from 1750 that had Cook's initials engraved on them. On the episode, a repeat from 2022, the man explained that he was the 'fifth grand nephew' of Cook. With one of the spoons passed down as a family heirloom, he obtained the other in an auction after discovering that his item had once been part of a set. He recalled how there'd been 'no limit' on how much he'd spend to have the set in his possession. The items were used by Cook during his journey navigating and claiming Australia in 1770. But as said on the show, while he was celebrated in his day for mapping 'uncharted lands', he now remains a controversial figure for his 'colonial exploits and violent encounters with Indigenous peoples'. When it came time to share his valuation, Gordon said that similar spoons could usually be purchased for around £40. 'But the question is, how much does the provenance add to the spoon? And I can tell you this provenance is like gold dust. This takes this spoon in a completely different stratosphere of value,' he said. 'It is quite incredible. I can say with a lot of confidence that one spoon is worth £10,000.' As the crowd gathered around them gasped, the man's eyebrows raised, and he nodded while taking in the extraordinary value of his items. After briefly being left speechless, he exclaimed: 'That's extraordinary.' Gordon then thanked the man for bringing the items and 'sharing them with us'. More Trending Captain Cook was a British Royal Navy officer, explorer and cartographer who led three important voyages of exploration to the Pacific and Southern Oceans between 1768 and 1779. He was also the first European to visit the east coast of Australia and the Hawaiian Islands. However, he was killed in 1779 during his second visit to Hawaii when a dispute with the native Hawaiians turned violent. View More » Antiques Roadshow is streaming on BBC iPlayer. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you.
Nahar Net
4 days ago
- Science
- Nahar Net
Early Hawaiian petroglyphs visible again with changing tides and shifting sands
by Naharnet Newsdesk 25 July 2025, 16:00 Hawaiian petroglyphs dating back at least a half-millennium are visible on Oahu for the first time in years, thanks to seasonal ocean swells that peel away sand covering a panel of more than two dozen images of mostly human-looking stick figures. The petroglyphs are easy to spot during low tide when gentle waves ebb and flow over slippery, neon-green algae growing on a stretch of sandstone. This is the first time the entire panel of petroglyphs are visible since they were first spotted nine years ago by two guests staying at a bayside U.S. Army recreation center in Waianae, about an hour's drive from Honolulu. Native Hawaiian cultural practitioner Glen Kila, who traces his lineage to the aboriginal families of this coastal Hawaii community, said he believes the resurfacing of the traditional marvels are his ancestors sending a message. "It's telling the community that the ocean is rising," said Kila, a recognized expert on the local culture and history of Waianae who is consulting with the Army on the protection of the petroglyphs. Army officials are trying to balance protecting the petroglyphs with their accessibility on a public beach. John and Sandy Stone consulted tide charts and drove about 30 minutes from their home early Tuesday to get a glimpse after a watching a local TV report about the petroglyphs. "It was so interesting to touch them," said John Stone, who splits his time between Hawaii and California. "It felt interesting to kind of have a connection with the past like that." It is difficult to date petroglyphs, but an archaeological site in the area is from about 600 years ago, said Laura Gilda, an archaeologist with U.S. Army Garrison Hawaii. According to Kila, Hawaiians arrived in Waianae at least 1,000 years ago. Shift in waves caused petroglyphs to appear The beach here fluctuates in size and profile each year, with low-pressure weather systems that form in the eastern Pacific between May and November causing waves that cut away loose sand from shorelines and redeposit them further out, according to an Army report on the petroglyphs. That shift is likely what causes their temporary exposure. Archaeologists identified a total of 26 petroglyphs. Of the 18 anthropomorphic stick figures, eight are depicted with possible male genitalia and the remainder are of undetermined gender, the report said. The entire panel stretches about 115 feet (35 meters) long, Gilda said. When the petroglyphs first reemerged in July 2016, it was after late spring and early summer storms, including hurricanes, with a lot of wave action that swept the sand away, Gilda said. They remained visible for a period and then got covered again. "So there's been portions that have ... been exposed since then, but this is the first summer that the whole panel has been exposed again," Gilda said. Petroglyphs are telling a religious story, expert says Based on the teachings Kila learned, the lineal petroglyphs appear to be telling a religious, ceremonial story. He interprets the largest figure, which appears to include hands and fingers with one arm raised and the other down, to represent the rising and setting sun. Kila said that when the military in the 1930s took over the area and evicted Native Hawaiians, including his family who lived there for generations, his great-great grandmother refused to leave so his family exchanged mountain lands with a coffee plantation so she could remain near the bay. In an interview included in the Army's report, he recalled growing up in Waianae without television. So "the ocean and mountains were our playground," he said. The Army recreation center was off-limits to the public, and the seawall was the barrier between Native Hawaiians and the military, Kila said. Kila, now 72, recalled that if they walked on top of the wall, they were clubbed and pushed off by military police. "We were proud and knew where we came from, so we never fostered any hatred for the military because one day we believed that the land will eventually return to us," he said. Kila, while visiting the petroglyphs earlier this week, told The Associated Press that the Army's protection of them represents a shift in that community relationship. Officials have been grappling with how to share the petroglyphs with the community while also protecting them, Gilda said. "How much attention do you want to bring to this area? You don't really want people to go digging for them when they're not exposed," she said. "But they're certainly awesome to come and see on the public beachscape." Donald Kauliʻa, a Native Hawaiian who was born and raised in Waianae, snapped photos of the petroglyphs Tuesday. Seeing them, he said, feels like "validation that our ancestors were from here."
National Observer
4 days ago
- National Observer
Early Hawaiian petroglyphs on a beach visible again with changing tides and shifting sands
Hawaiian petroglyphs dating back at least a half-millennium are visible on Oahu for the first time in years, thanks to seasonal ocean swells that peel away sand covering a panel of more than two dozen images of mostly human-looking stick figures. The petroglyphs are easy to spot during low tide when gentle waves ebb and flow over slippery, neon-green algae growing on a stretch of sandstone. This is the first time the entire panel of petroglyphs are visible since they were first spotted nine years ago by two guests staying at a bayside U.S. Army recreation center in Waianae, about an hour's drive from Honolulu. Native Hawaiian cultural practitioner Glen Kila, who traces his lineage to the aboriginal families of this coastal Hawaii community, said he believes the resurfacing of the traditional marvels are his ancestors sending a message. 'It's telling the community that the ocean is rising,' said Kila, a recognized expert on the local culture and history of Waianae who is consulting with the Army on the protection of the petroglyphs. Army officials are trying to balance protecting the petroglyphs with their accessibility on a public beach. John and Sandy Stone consulted tide charts and drove about 30 minutes from their home early Tuesday to get a glimpse after a watching a local TV report about the petroglyphs. 'It was so interesting to touch them,' said John Stone, who splits his time between Hawaii and California. 'It felt interesting to kind of have a connection with the past like that.' Early Hawaiian petroglyphs on a beach are visible again with changing tides and shifting sands. It is difficult to date petroglyphs, but an archaeological site in the area is from about 600 years ago, said Laura Gilda, an archaeologist with U.S. Army Garrison Hawaii. According to Kila, Hawaiians arrived in Waianae at least 1,000 years ago. Shift in waves caused petroglyphs to appear The beach here fluctuates in size and profile each year, with low-pressure weather systems that form in the eastern Pacific between May and November causing waves that cut away loose sand from shorelines and redeposit them further out, according to an Army report on the petroglyphs. That shift is likely what causes their temporary exposure. Archaeologists identified a total of 26 petroglyphs. Of the 18 anthropomorphic stick figures, eight are depicted with possible male genitalia and the remainder are of undetermined gender, the report said. The entire panel stretches about 115 feet (35 meters) long, Gilda said. When the petroglyphs first reemerged in July 2016, it was after late spring and early summer storms, including hurricanes, with a lot of wave action that swept the sand away, Gilda said. They remained visible for a period and then got covered again. 'So there's been portions that have ... been exposed since then, but this is the first summer that the whole panel has been exposed again,' Gilda said. Petroglyphs are telling a religious story, expert says Based on the teachings Kila learned, the lineal petroglyphs appear to be telling a religious, ceremonial story. He interprets the largest figure, which appears to include hands and fingers with one arm raised and the other down, to represent the rising and setting sun. Kila said that when the military in the 1930s took over the area and evicted Native Hawaiians, including his family who lived there for generations, his great-great grandmother refused to leave so his family exchanged mountain lands with a coffee plantation so she could remain near the bay. In an interview included in the Army's report, he recalled growing up in Waianae without television. So "the ocean and mountains were our playground,' he said. The Army recreation center was off-limits to the public, and the seawall was the barrier between Native Hawaiians and the military, Kila said. Kila, now 72, recalled that if they walked on top of the wall, they were clubbed and pushed off by military police. 'We were proud and knew where we came from, so we never fostered any hatred for the military because one day we believed that the land will eventually return to us,' he said. Kila, while visiting the petroglyphs earlier this week, told The Associated Press that the Army's protection of them represents a shift in that community relationship. Officials have been grappling with how to share the petroglyphs with the community while also protecting them, Gilda said. 'How much attention do you want to bring to this area? You don't really want people to go digging for them when they're not exposed," she said. "But they're certainly awesome to come and see on the public beachscape.' Donald Kauliʻa, a Native Hawaiian who was born and raised in Waianae, snapped photos of the petroglyphs Tuesday. Seeing them, he said, feels like 'validation that our ancestors were from here.'
The Independent
5 days ago
- The Independent
Mystery petroglyphs dating back at least 500 years reappear on public beach
Ancient Hawaiian petroglyphs, some dating back at least 500 years, have emerged on Oahu 's coastline, offering a rare glimpse of more than two dozen human-like stick figures. Seasonal ocean swells have, for the first time in years, cleared away the sand that typically conceals these historic carvings. Easily discernible at low tide, the intricate carvings are revealed as gentle waves wash over the neon-green algae clinging to the sandstone. This marks the first occasion the entire panel has been fully visible since its initial discovery nine years ago by two visitors at a US Army recreation centre in Waianae, an hour's drive from Honolulu. For Native Hawaiian cultural practitioner Glen Kila, who traces his lineage to the aboriginal families of this coastal Hawaii community, the resurfacing of these traditional marvels carries a deeper meaning. He said he believes they are his ancestors sending a message. 'It's telling the community that the ocean is rising,' said Kila, a recognized expert on the local culture and history of Waianae who is consulting with the Army on the protection of the petroglyphs. Army officials are trying to balance protecting the petroglyphs with their accessibility on a public beach. John and Sandy Stone consulted tide charts and drove about 30 minutes from their home early Tuesday to get a glimpse after a watching a local TV report about the petroglyphs. 'It was so interesting to touch them,' said John Stone, who splits his time between Hawaii and California. 'It felt interesting to kind of have a connection with the past like that.' It is difficult to date petroglyphs, but an archaeological site in the area is from about 600 years ago, said Laura Gilda, an archaeologist with U.S. Army Garrison Hawaii. According to Kila, Hawaiians arrived in Waianae at least 1,000 years ago. The beach here fluctuates in size and profile each year, with low-pressure weather systems that form in the eastern Pacific between May and November causing waves that cut away loose sand from shorelines and redeposit them further out, according to an Army report on the petroglyphs. That shift is likely what causes their temporary exposure. Archaeologists identified a total of 26 petroglyphs. Of the 18 anthropomorphic stick figures, eight are depicted with possible male genitalia and the remainder are of undetermined gender, the report said. The entire panel stretches about 115 feet (35 meters) long, Gilda said. When the petroglyphs first reemerged in July 2016, it was after late spring and early summer storms, including hurricanes, with a lot of wave action that swept the sand away, Gilda said. They remained visible for a period and then got covered again. 'So there's been portions that have ... been exposed since then, but this is the first summer that the whole panel has been exposed again,' Gilda said. Based on the teachings Kila learned, the lineal petroglyphs appear to be telling a religious, ceremonial story. He interprets the largest figure, which appears to include hands and fingers with one arm raised and the other down, to represent the rising and setting sun. Kila said that when the military in the 1930s took over the area and evicted Native Hawaiians, including his family who lived there for generations, his great-great grandmother refused to leave so his family exchanged mountain lands with a coffee plantation so she could remain near the bay. In an interview included in the Army's report, he recalled growing up in Waianae without television. So "the ocean and mountains were our playground,' he said. The Army recreation center was off-limits to the pubic, and the seawall was the barrier between Native Hawaiians and the military, Kila said. Kila, now 72, recalled that if they walked on top of the wall, they were clubbed and pushed off by military police. 'We were proud and knew where we came from, so we never fostered any hatred for the military because one day we believed that the land will eventually return to us,' he said. Kila, while visiting the petroglyphs earlier this week, told The Associated Press that the Army's protection of them represents a shift in that community relationship. Officials have been grappling with how to share the petroglyphs with the community while also protecting them, Gilda said. 'How much attention do you want to bring to this area? You don't really want people to go digging for them when they're not exposed," she said. "But they're certainly awesome to come and see on the public beachscape.' Donald Kauliʻa, a Native Hawaiian who was born and raised in Waianae, snapped photos of the petroglyphs Tuesday. Seeing them, he said, feels like 'validation that our ancestors were from here.'
