Mālama ʻĀina: Giving Back To The Land That Sustains Us
Mālama ʻĀina - To Care For The Land
In Hawai‘i, there are hundreds of meaningful words and phrases that are deeply rooted in the ancient culture and shared wisdom of the native people. It’s very admirable how sincerely they practice their traditions. A well-known phrase that defines how many Hawaiians look at life is
“Ua Mau ke Ea o ka ʻĀina i ka Pono.” - “The life and sovereignty of the land is perpetuated in righteousness.”
Here in the islands, if a person is living pono, it means that they have cultivated the right poise in their relationships with the land, other people, and resources in their lives. It means that they are living with a continuous conscious decision to do right by themselves, by others, and especially the lands that sustain us. I’ve developed a great reverence for their way of life and feel a sense of kuleana or “responsibility” to honor, respect, and help take care of these places I’m privileged to create art with.
Planting native Hawaiian trees, shrubs, and ground covers helps regenerate the native forests that are vital for the health of our watershed systems that support all life. In Hawaiʻi, wai or water is our most precious resource. Water is life.
At the heart of my fine art practice, I seek to understand the origins and creations of these beautiful islands through every fine art image I create of these geographical wonders. As a landscape artist, I've always been one to advocate for the health and vitality of the environment. Living on an island for over a decade, I've learned firsthand the importance of good stewardship and how we as humans are solely responsible for restoring balance to this Earth. It's in our daily practices of how we consume and utilize resources, how we manage waste, and how we give back to maintain a sustainable flow of life that we're all part of.
Coming from the U.S. mainland, I quickly realized the contrast in perspective for island living. The continents of our planet have many more resources that have become easily available in our present-day society. The disconnection from sourcing these goods and materials ourselves for everyday life limits our viewpoint on the environmental impacts that occur from our dependence on modern conveniences.
Can you imagine paddling across the Pacific Ocean for thousands of miles, and all you have to survive is whatever you can fit on your canoe? The Polynesian peoples’ canoes were like little islands themselves that they learned to traverse across the open seas and survive long enough before they reached Hawaiʻi. They recognized and deeply understood how their harmonious relationship with the islands governed their flow of resources and affected their quality of life.
Living on these islands, our daily lifestyles and choices have a direct impact on our surrounding environment. As I gain a deeper understanding of this significance, I feel increasingly responsible for living an environmentally conscious life. In an effort to contribute to the regeneration of our island ecosystems, I’ve been honored to participate in the planting of thousands of native Hawaiian trees over the years. Preserving and perpetuating the culture, land, and ecological resources that sustain us here in the islands has been one of the most meaningful endeavors of my life.
Your continued support for my art enables me to make valuable contributions to essential conservation efforts through various local environmental organizations. It’s our way of giving back to help malama (take care) and restore balance to this incredible land that gives us so much. In essence, the Earth will live on without us, but we can not live without the Earth.
Art That Gives Back
Your purchase of Cody Robert’s limited-edition fine art prints not only enhances your home with visual therapy and beauty, but also helps restore our vital native forests in Hawaii.
You Can MālamaʻĀina During Your Visit to Hawai‘i!
“The most powerful aspect of Hawai’i is not our incredible natural beauty or rich culture - it’s the deep relationship between the two. When you learn to love Hawai’i the way we do, not only do you help us perpetuate all that we hold dear, but you get to experience what it’s like to have a connection with this remarkable place.
