Hāwane Rios Instagram – Aloha ‘Āina ‘Oia‘i‘o I am taking the time to reflect on where we are as a people and who we have become and how we have treated one another in the pursuit of sovereignty. In the past few months I have witnessed young and maturing aloha ‘āina with big passion for Hawai’i, misplace their rage and literally focus it towards me and other wahine. I have watched people champion Hawaiians that harass and bully other Hawaiians online and incite actual harm unto real people under the guise of ‘aloha ‘āina’ and a very toxic view of what accountability looks like. I have been held to impossible standards by people who were still in elementary school and middle school when I started my journey of standing for Mauna Kea. And what these people do not realize is that we are not going to achieve ea by holding lāhui leaders to impossible standards. I see so much hypocrisy in their points. They don’t think lāhui leaders should get paid for their time, experience, and expertise but they own businesses that promote aloha ‘āina messaging with merchandise that they sustain their families with. They harshly and publicly critique their own people without caring about the impacts unto our ‘ohana and children and unto our own mental health. They think accountability means making public demands and I honestly think if they were to be called out in the same way they wouldn’t be able to handle it. In fact, I’ve seen that they can’t. They deflect and they gaslight. They turn it around and post private DM conversations as if that is brave. It’s haole. That’s what it is. Emotional intelligence and emotional maturity is top tier indigeneity. Can’t preach lāhui and aloha ‘āina if you don’t know how to be open to reconciliation grounded in the sacred agreements taught to us by our ancestors. Lateral violence is haole. Lateral violence is kolonaio. And we will never achieve ea this way. It’s sad to see so many Kanaka Hawai’i succumb to this behavior. It’s even sadder to see so many of our own people champion it as if it is brave and courageous. There is nothing wiwo’ole about that. Nothing koa about that. Nothing aloha ‘āina about that. Nothing Hawai‘i about that. He kīho’iho’i kānāwai Puu Huluhulu