Naka Nathaniel: We Need To Foster A Culture Of Belonging In A Land Of Inequality:
I was reminded of a previous conversation with a very wise uncle. He said that decades ago, Hawaii had become too welcoming. He said that most cultures prioritize protection first and hospitality second.
Somehow, in Hawaii we had it flipped. Unlike the Maori, we put our dancers out in front and not the warriors.
He said he couldn’t understand it: When a stranger arrives on your shores you should determine if they’re there to invade you and take what you have. Instead, in Hawaii we sidelined our warriors and, to him, were too hospitable.
Naka Nathaniel is brilliant and challenging in so many ways. One example of this is, to my understanding places like Aotearoa have a short list of what can be brought into the nation where Hawaiʻi has a short list of what cannot. Two very different ways of approaching introduced elements to culture and environment.