We're not going to cut ourselves off completely and go back to the past. We need to use what we know now to help us care for future generations. The social, cultural, and small land victories have helped people gain self-esteem and power. Ten to twenty years ago we were looking for an identity, and now we have one. Within the whole movement to regain sovereignty over the land and protect our oceans, people begin to see that they too are an endangered species.
People feel good about getting together and taking care of the land and of each other.
To the early native Hawaiians all in the cosmos were products of the mating of Wakea , sky father, with Papa , earth mother - and all were living, conscious, and communicating. This inherent oneness required continuous individual personal effort to maintain harmonious relationships, which involved sharing and respect for others. This was society's way of preserving pono for the common good. The kapu fostered self-discipline and responsibility in personal hygiene, health promotion, illness prevention, public sanitation, and respect for the sacredness of nature. The traditional native diet was high in fiber and starch, low in saturated fat and sugar, and ample in protein, minerals, and vitamins.