Ola ka wai
Importance of water
“Ka Wai Ola” — water is life. A simple Hawaiian saying, Ka Wai Ola, carries the weight of the world. When you look at the many important processes of life on Earth, water plays a significant role in all of them. Water is a key component in our daily lives, as well as is the foundation of the earth’s ability to thrive and grow. It is one of the most beautiful gifts given to us by the Creator, yet is it one of the most mistreated, wasted, and misused resources throughout the world. Water is used in many factories and facilities that produce their products with single use water that is then wasted after its use. There are ways to treat and reuse water, yet that is something that is rarely done by most companies and facilities. Indigenous peoples have been saying for decades how vital and important it is to take care of our waters. And when you really look at how paramount water is to everyone’s way of life, it is too precious for us to ignore.
Caring for the water and land we live on
In Hawaiian culture, water is seen as a life form for our people and is our source of life. Water has been seen as precious and sacred to my people throughout generations, as we have always performed sacred ceremonies and rituals regarding water. During the wā kahiko — ancient Hawaiʻi — Hawaiians had certain kapu, taboo, on what water could be used for, how it could be managed, and how it should be taken care of. This mindset and way of honoring the water as an entity far greater than ourselves, is something that is still being perpetuated in Hawaiian culture today. This photo is from the water ceremony at Randall’s Island during the Indigenous Peoples Day celebration. The water in this bottle traveled all the way from the island of Hawaiʻi, with the person holding it, to be in this ceremony with other Indigenous peoples from around the world. Perhaps we could look to the Indigenous peoples of the land for guidance and wisdom when it comes to caring for the Earth and its water. It’s time for us to honor the land and see it as a part of us. Water holds a vital and critical role in both the life cycle of the earth and of humanity itself — it must be protected.
The joining of waters
Every year during the Indigenous Peoples Day celebrations on Randall’s Island, people from all over the world bring their waters for a sacred water ceremony. These waters are added to the water off the coast of Randall’s Island, where they become unified with one another. All those who bring water to the ceremony introduce their water, speak the name of where it came from, and then offer it to the waters off of Randall’s Island. The water that has come from the farthest place is usually offered first and the ceremony is concluded with the offering of the water from the nearest location. The joining of these waters and the way that, once combined, they become one, is symbolic of the way that we are all one. This ceremony symbolizes the caretakers of the land coming together through their intrinsic connection to one another, and to the earth. This unification is consecrated with prayers offered for all waters around the world.
The power of one bottle
To most people, this is just a picture of a bottle of water. But to others, this represents so much more: a hope, a wish, a goal, and a need. For many people around the world, water is not accessible, usable, or clean enough for them to use for daily life sustenance and necessities. If you take a moment to realize that a bottle of water is considered a privilege for many people, you would realize how important water is and how it should be cherished.
Every day we can each do our part to reduce our water waste. This can go beyond taking shorter showers to supporting brands and organizations that make their products ethically by reducing their water waste. In a world where fast fashion is increasingly popular, it is important to understand how unethical these associated brands are, and how much water is used and wasted.
According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), 20% of global wastewater is produced by the fashion industry — primarily a result of fast fashion. Making small changes in our daily life, starting with the brands we support and managing our own water usage, can make a big difference in the end.
We are one with the land and water
In the Hawaiian culture, it is believed that we are one with the land on several levels. As a Native Hawaiian, our origin story connects us to Hāloa, the kalo — taro — plant, who was the first born and who was later followed in birth by the first kanaka — person. Thus, we are connected to those aspects of nature who are our elders.
We see the land as a part of us and a part of our family. There is a saying that we have: “he aliʻi ka ʻāina, he kauwā ke kanaka” — the land is the chief and the people are the servant. It is our job to care for the land and in return she cares for us. This is a mindset seen in many Indigenous peoples around the world. Understanding and knowing this connection provides a deeper understanding of why the Earth, and especially the water, is so important to protect.
Last updated 11/18/20
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Aloha, Kapulei is a kanaka maoli, Native Hawaiian photographer. She has been raised as an activist for her culture and land all her life. She has used photography as an outlet to provide insight into the activism of her family and the culture of her people. Kapulei has been a part of the efforts to protect Mauna Kea for 10 years. She has traveled to places around the world to document and capture the stances and movements to protect the sacred. Photography has played a powerful role in spreading the message of the Mauna Kea Movement. She is proud to be a frontline photographer who is able to document and share the rise of her people with the world.
