‘Ōlelo no’eau for these times
There is a traditional Hawaiian insight or ‘ōlelo no’eau, that says:
“He pūkoʻa kani ʻāina. A coral reef that grows into an island. (A person beginning in a small way gains steadily until he becomes firmly established.)” – Mary Kawena Pukui, ʻŌlelo Noʻeau No. 932
This wise Hawaiian proverb has guided my efforts in island restoration and continues to feel meaningful in the work I do today. Reef structure is a collaboration of species and oceanic forces that transform matter into form that grows towards the light eventually creating land where we can stand, live, and grow. The timescale can feel unfathomable from the small beginnings of a coral polyp, to a colony, a reef, and maybe even an atoll. In my imagination it offers the image of many hands building a meaningful prosperous future.
In the image above I am cutting into a ball of derelict fishing gear, cargo nets, ship lines, and whatever plastics that have been trapped in a chaotic jumble of human history. On Hōlanikū, Kure Atoll, we cut net conglomerates into manageable chunks in order to transport them to the pier, cover them with tarps to protect wildlife, and later hoist them onto small boats, where they are then craned onto ship and delivered back to the main Hawaiian Islands for disposal.
Sounds complicated right? I am reminded of our personal experiences that were too much for our nervous systems to handle and stored in the body, one twisting up with the other. The net conglomerate provides a tangible image for the historical, familial, personal, and shock traumas submerged below consciousness, providing habitat and safety for some organisms to grow or hitch hike and also a formidable threat to curious visitors (sharks, seals, fish, whales, dolphins). We might think of these organisms as the developmental patterns, the adaptive or maladaptive strategies, coping mechanisms, and lost parts of self that became immobilized or were deprived of oxygen.
In present times it isn’t enough to reach for the light to build our futures. Modern life is so much more complex with collective injuries or traumas spanning generations. We have long histories of colonization and practices that left ghost nets twisting up with the many threads of harm. But I don’t want to overwhelm you. We can do this! TOGETHER
This is not something to be tackled by one individual’s hands. It requires all of us working where we are able. Some of us are helping to disentangle wildlife, some of us work to remove the hazards from waters and shores, some work to change culture, some work local, some global. The point is that we offer collective care in whatever capacity knowing that we are not alone. Each small action is steadily building an island of resilience. A place for everyone to stand, to breathe, to live in reciprocity.
