Cultural Values.
A worldview provides the social and cultural framework through which concepts such as “good” and “bad,” or “right” and “wrong,” are understood. These understandings shape how individuals interact with one another and guide their daily behavior and decision-making.
Aboard a canoe, where physical space is limited and individuals with different personalities and temperaments must work closely together, a shared set of values becomes especially important. Without common expectations for behavior, even minor differences in opinion or perception can escalate into serious conflicts. In the isolated and potentially dangerous environment of an ocean voyage, unresolved conflicts can quickly become life-threatening.
This is where core cultural values play a vital role. Shared values establish expectations for behavior, helping to reduce misunderstandings, manage disagreements, and maintain cooperation. Over generations, Hawaiians developed and perpetuated cultural values that guided relationships among individuals, families, and communities.
These same values were essential aboard canoes, where cooperation, mutual respect, and personal responsibility contributed directly to the safety and well-being of everyone aboard.
Although many of these Hawaiian values remain widely recognized today, their deeper meanings are sometimes overlooked or misunderstood.
By examining these values more closely, we gain insight into how Hawaiians understood their relationships not only with one another, but also with the natural environment and the canoe itself.
The following three values represent only a small part of the much broader system of traditional Hawaiian cultural values.
Aloha: Aloha is commonly translated as “hello,” “goodbye,” or “love.” Yet its deeper meaning extends far beyond these familiar translations.
Within the traditional Hawaiian understanding presented here, aloha is a serious act in which one person approaches another without defenses, extending trust and sharing something of their hā (breath of life). It involves lowering one's guard and opening oneself to another person on a deeply personal and spiritual level.
To extend aloha in this sense is not something to be taken lightly. It requires sincerity, trust, and a willingness to accept the responsibilities that accompany such a relationship.
For an ordinary greeting, Hawaiian expressions such as ʻanoʻai or welina may also be used.
However, aloha, when extended in its fullest sense, is much more than a greeting. It is a commitment expressed not simply through words, but through one's actions and responsibilities toward another person.
Mālama: Mālama is commonly translated as “to care for,” “preserve,” or “protect.” However, the deeper responsibility associated with mālama extends beyond simply taking care of something.
One way to understand this responsibility is through two related Hawaiian words:
Maʻa means to be accustomed to, familiar with, experienced in, or to know thoroughly.
Lama means torch or light, suggesting illumination. The related word mālamalama conveys enlightenment, knowledge, and clarity of understanding.
To truly mālama something, one must first become maʻa with it. This requires time, patience, observation, experience, and an open mind. Only through these efforts can a deeper understanding develop.
This understanding brings enlightenment, allowing a person to recognize what is needed and how to respond appropriately.
In this sense, mālama is more than simply protecting or preserving something. It is the responsibility to develop the knowledge and understanding necessary to care for it properly.
One cannot truly mālama what one does not understand.
Pono:
Pono is commonly translated as goodness, uprightness, correctness, propriety, truth, fairness, and justice. However, one way to understand the deeper meaning of pono is through the concept of balance.
In the traditional Hawaiian understanding of nature, many things exist in complementary pairs. These elements may differ greatly, yet each contributes to the proper functioning of the whole. When their relationship becomes unbalanced, the entire system can be affected.
Balance, however, does not mean that the two parts must be physically equal. One of the most effective examples of this unequal balance is the waʻa kaukahi (single-outrigger canoe).
The kaʻele (hull) is much longer, wider, and heavier than the ama (outrigger float). Yet the kaʻele cannot remain upright without the stabilizing ama. It is the combination of these two differently sized components, working together, that allows the canoe to safely carry people and cargo.
The unequal size and different functions of the kaʻele and ama are not weaknesses. They complement one another, creating a balanced relationship that allows the canoe to function as intended. This relationship provides a practical example of the condition we understand as pono.
However, pono is not necessarily a static condition. It is a dynamic balance that requires constant attention and care to maintain. Changing conditions can disturb that balance, making adjustments necessary.
In the case of the kaʻele and ama, the kuaʻiako lashings securing the ʻiako to the hull and the lanalana lashings securing the ʻiako to the ama must be regularly inspected and adjusted as necessary. If these connections become loose or compromised, the proper relationship between the hull and ama can be disturbed, affecting the balance and performance of the entire canoe.
And so it is with any state of pono. Balance is not something achieved once and forgotten. It is a relationship that must be continually maintained.