The article narrates the emotional struggle of a family determined to protect their ancestral 10-acre rainforest land in Maui, a legacy granted by King Kamehameha III. Facing a shocking 500 percent property tax increase, family members unite to confront this challenge, fueled by the generations of stewardship embodied in their kuleana. The author reflects on their own disconnection after moving away, considering the implications for future generations should they manage to keep the land, raising questions about cultural continuity and responsibility.
My late grandmother's 10 acres of wild rainforest land...were part of a larger land grant given to our family more than 175 years ago by King Kamehameha III.
When it was our turn to confront change...my family was determined to save the land that so many before us had protected.
This was our family's kuleana, our sacred duty. We knew we must remain stewards of our land, and of a nearby...Native Hawaiian temple.
Even if we saved it, so what? What about the next generation?
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