Hāwane Rios Instagram – Ku‘u Mau Kūpuna Aloha Ku‘u Mau Kūpuna ‘Ōlelo Hawai’i My beloved grandmothers of love My beloved keepers of ‘ōlelo Hawai’i Ku‘u Kupuna Wahine Kuakahi Mabel Ke‘alalaua‘e Hussey Ku‘u Kupuna Wahine Kualua Emma Pa‘a Ku‘u Kupuna Wahine Kuakolu Kapena Lualoa These are the powerful Kānaka Maoli women I descend from of the lands of Kohala. From womb, to womb, to womb, to womb, to me. They live on in my beating heart, in my bones, in my skin, in my songs. Offerings of salt go to the land today in their honor, for their guidance, and for their eternal love. I never got to meet them but I know them in my soul. I know they prayed for me. I know they wished me a good life. I know their love is in and around me everyday. I call upon my kūpuna by name because when we call, they come, and this I know for certain. When my body is tired and my heart is weary of this world, they come and tell me that their strength is my strength. They tell me that we come from ‘Āpa‘apa‘a winds and no matter how hard that wind blows, we are the ‘a‘ali‘i, rooted so deep into the land that we cannot be toppled over. They lived through the illegal annexation of our home to the United States. They lived through the ban of our language and cultural practices. They lived through the wars. They lived through the heartbreak of constant oppression. They lived through the pain of watching their lands stolen. And yet, they still held strong. They still lived and loved. They still believed in the old ways. They still passed it down. Because of them, I am. That much resilience and courage lives within me because it lived within them. I remember this every day. No Kohala he pa‘a kō kea E mau ke ea E ola mau ka Hale Kū Pa‘a E ola mau ka ‘Ōlelo Hawai’i *I colorized the photos I could on an app and it was the first time I saw my kūpuna in color 😩😭 #mahinaolelohawaii Puu Huluhulu