My goal is to create art with intention, bringing awareness to social, cultural, and environmental issues through creative expression. What started off as a podcast has grown into a brand. Currently, one of my projects and goals is to protect Papahānaumokuākea, a protected marine national monument and our Hawaiian sacred waters that is home to over 7,000 different species, including some of our most endangered species like the Hawaiian green sea turtle and Hawaiian monk seal. Papahānaumokuākea is a sacred place for Kānaka Maoli (Native Hawaiians). It is where our creation stories start, and it is also known as the real of Pō. Where the spirits and Gods reside, and where ones spirit passes through after death. Every piece I create is a call to action: to reflect, to speak out, and to reconnect. Growing up diaspora has been a huge part in all of this, I hope to connect with other diasporas and heal my ancestral lineage by unlearning, learning, and relearning what I was not taught or immersed in. Through our shared stories and struggles, my art, and backpacking journey aims to build the bridges and gaps and unify us as a collective.
Support comes in all forms. If you purchase a product please tag me @Nativediaspora. Subscribe to my podcast Native Diaspora, and share it with your friends, family, and socials.
If you haven't done so already, please sign my petition to protect Papahānaumokuākea sacred waters. (link found under Gallery tab). Also repost the post on my Instagram page to bring more awareness.
Inside the letter O is highlighting some of the special places I journeyed through during my 2023 solo backpacking trip throughout the Polynesian Triangle. Making my way through Tahiti, Ra'iātea, Taha'a, Aotearoa, Aotea, South America and Rapa Nui. In Ra'iātea while honoring Taputapuātea Marae (temple) also known as the home of the Polynesian deities there was a he'e (octopus) connecting all the points of the triangle and highlighting the exact places I was traveling through. The he'e also holds deep significance in my lineage and continued to show up in different ways throughout my travels.
Rapa Nui is in the middle of a trash vortex, their beaches along with many of ours are covered in trash and microplastics. The garbage patch is a reminder that our trash doesn't disappear when it's thrown away, it travels.
Above the letter I, is the Iwa bird, the Iwa represents guidance, perseverance and strength.
I do my best to be as eco-efficient as possible in every step of the process. Larger items are wrapped in Hawaiian newspaper and raffia, stickers are wrapped in tī leaf, with a carved autograph leaf that I use as my business cards.
Decals are printed using UV ECO ink, which is a more environmentally friendly alternative to standard inks. My graphic transfer decal stickers are long-lasting, waterproof, and semi-permanent. My stickers are waterproof and long-lasting as well.
T-shirts are made from 100% US cotton for comfort and quality, with sustainability in mind, some styles are printed with water based ink. I recently switched to up-cycled shirts, printed by me with water-based inks, and will be discontinuing my carbon footprint from buying in bulk.
Bucket hats are made with 100% cotton and printed with water-based inks, which are long lasting and durable.
For now my tote bags are discontinued, and I've started weaving purses, which are biodegradable and sustainable.
Art prints are now packaged in biodegradable bags, and recycled backings or frame options.
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