One friend is adamant that our name is misleading. She says it sounds like a realty company! While she proposed some neat alternatives to the name, I was quite set on Land For The People. It came with my vision of this organization (see the ‘Aina blog entry) so I was loathe to part with it.

I could see her point, though, that people might think we were realtors, or a group that aids people looking to transform open land into…something. So let me tell you about the vision behind the name. Read the rest of this entry »

A magical and bittersweet journey to Hawai’i inspired the founding of Land For The People. I found beauty, power, unique landscape and ecosystems on my visit to the islands of Hawai’i and Kaui’i. As wonder-filled a visit my mate and I had, the shadow of over-development was always present. It didn’t stop me from enjoying the trip, but it did inspire me to create change in a more active and widespread way.

‘Aina is the Hawai’ian word for Land. The word is considered sacred and carries not just the mundane meaning of the ground beneath our feet, but also the living Earth and all its elements—the basis and interconnectedness of life. I am careful with my use of the word, knowing that it might be considered appropriating—I’m a white girl from the U.S. mainland, after all. I hope that my use of the word with respect and for the good of Hawai’ian peoples and the Earth causes no consternation.

Read the rest of this entry »