What it means to have responsibility for nature and land
An intercultural link between Canarian Islands and Hawai’i

Kuleana means Hawaiian responsibility. Kuleana encourages being responsible for everything we do. It is the „ability to respond“ to everything that happens. It comes from heart combined with mind and take action in right direction.

The following is a practical example for Kuleana, a music talkstory which gives joy and is an invitation to find and take Kuleana for oneself and the own country. It’s not in this heavy serious kind, it’s more an invitation in the Olu’olu way (Def. Olu’olu Hawaiian: meaning agreeable, to be expressed with pleasantness). It’s like a welcome for interplay with Kuleana in a self-responsible manner. It can be joy to do something with responsibility, the joy of interplay. And then there can be expressed a greater aspect than the personal life. Not the word is crucial, it’s the interaction on a common basis, here on musical path:

From the Website: „Written by the Hawaiian poet Liko Martin, this mele is a call for all of us to find our KULEANA, to realize how to interact with it, and ultimately live it… and stand together for the well being of our lahui. Hawaii musicians from all over this pae ‚aina o Hawai’i come together in a show of unity to call us to revitalize our KULEANA…“

Kuleana brings meaning and clarity to what you stand for.
The person possessing Kuleana, believes in the strength of this value, and will be quick to say, 
‘I accept my responsibilities, and I will be held accountable‘.

– Rosa Say –

That could be a problem. Do you know this situation? I know it and I mean everybody knows many situations what’s the right thing but we don’t do it. We wait idly and take no action. But before anybody go and say your kuleana is to go out and bring …. e.g. help for something (justice, protect, strengthen, and so on) … it is helpful before starting to have the own shit together. Sweeping in front of one’s own door is the beginning of Kuleana.

And this is the challenging thing: Everybody is oneself biggest Kuleana. We are the director of our story and we are the hero of our story. Is’n it? The worse thing I ever did to myself was wait for my calling or what I though would be my kuleana.  We all have a gift to share and contribute with others. That makes it necessary, truly and helpful to understand and to accept the own responsibility, the own Kuleana.  Only for that case there is a personal and general will to take responsibility of own choices and actions.

Responsibility is not best expressed by words, but by choices and actions:
„In the long run, we shape our lives, and we shape ourselves.
The process never ends until we die.
And the choices we make are ultimately our responsibility.“

– Elanor Roosevelt –

Control what you can control,
which is YOU, and let go the rest.
That is the essence of Kuleana.

– Leialoha –