Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 33, Number 12, 1 December 2016 — MAILE MEYER OUR NETWORKS AND INDIGENEITY GIVES US ECONOMIC STRENGTH [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

MAILE MEYER OUR NETWORKS AND INDIGENEITY GIVES US ECONOMIC STRENGTH

FOR MAILE MEYER, FOUNDER 0F NĀ MEA HAWAI'I anel passionate arts advocate, eeonomie self-sufficiency is about more than just finances. "Eeonomie self-sufficiency isn't about numbers of hours or amounts of money; it's more focused on time, what you ean do with the time," she notes. "Our people need ehoiee and the ability to define their own sense of 'self-sufficiency,' where our people feel empowered by what they do." In her work, "I try to provide a space for Hawaiian producers, artists, authors, teachers, musicians, and practitioners, to exist and derive support in all forms," she says. This support has involved payment for goods and services, camaraderie, work space, child care-and more. "Hawaiians are net makers, not ladder builders. Our economies involved relationships, exchanges, genealogy, 'āina, resources, expertise. Of course, money is a resource, but it's too one dimensional." She envisions a return to indigenous values that "amplify the intelligence of aloha," to serve all of Hawai'i, and "accepting outcomes that aren't just derivatives of personal gain at the expense of othersthe land, water, air, plants and animals, people, all life forms sharing our planet. A bottom line that ensures there is something for all stakeholders, is indigenous thinking to me. "Personal gain should be a goal of the past, shared resources is survival for our planet," she notes. "We should try to define eeonomie self-sufficiency in the oldest ways possible, not the newest. Hawaiians aren't going anywhere: we are increasing in number and mindset, and we have a ehanee to model something that is rooted to this plaee." j

ECONOMIC SELF-SUFFICIENCY