Nurturing Hope and Healing for People and Land: A Qualitative Study of Indigenous Christianity, Care for ‘āina (Land), and Health in Hawaii
Kalei Hosaka, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA; and Martina Kamaka, University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine, Honolulu, HI
From a Native Hawaiian (NH) perspective on health, the health of people is tied with the health of the ʻāina (land, “that which feeds”). Predominant Western conceptions of wellbeing are often individualistic and focused on health deficits; in contrast, the interconnection between ʻāina, spirituality, and people is vital for individual and community health in indigenous contexts. Care for ʻāina, spirituality, and cultural practices contribute to mental and physical wellbeing. Nevertheless, systemic racism, legacies of colonialism (including aspects of Western Christianity), settler politics, and historical-cultural trauma have disrupted the NH connection with ʻāina, which have negatively impacted health outcomes.
While there is a growing body of literature highlighting the role of re-connecting with ʻāina for NH as a pathway toward health, there is little published literature on the potential relationship between Christianity (and other religious traditions) and care for ʻāina. In collaboration with a group of Christians who see mālama ʻāina as an integral part of their faith, this paper explores the following: (1) How might Christianity and mālama ʻāina be interconnected? (2) How could Christianity that is informed by mālama ‘āina shape the practice of contemporary healthcare?
For this qualitative study, we recruited and interviewed eight participants who self-identify as Christian and see care for ʻāina as integral to their faith. Our study was guided by indigenous action and interpretive anthropological frameworks. This study was also grounded by an action-oriented approach with an aim of improving NH health by connecting with faith groups passionate about the connection between ʻāina and health.
Participants (median age 48 years, range 22 to 69 years) were predominantly NH (75%). Half of participants were pastors. Participants described a holistic perspective on health, where the health of ‘āina and people are interconnected. Participants viewed their faith as an inseparable part of their identity and commitment to care for ‘āina. While participants lamented injustice around degradation and colonization of ‘āina, they shared a commonality of looking to kupuna (elders) who saw their faith and NH identity as interconnected. Participants described visions for restoration of ʻāina as a way of both contending with legacies of colonialism and improving holistic health of the broader community.
Limitations of this study include the fact that participants were interviewed on zoom due to the COVID-19 pandemic; the platform precluded the use of more participatory methods (e.g., photovoice, arts-based work) that could have enriched the study. Moreover, all participants self-identified with Protestant Christian backgrounds. Future studies would benefit from including participants from broader faith streams.
Overall, in contrast to a narrative that Christianity and care for ‘āina may be at odds with one another, participants saw their faith, ‘āina, and health as fundamentally interconnected. This study offers a nuanced perspective on spirituality and health; while spirituality is often viewed as a construct that may serve as a strength (or barrier) to individual health, participants drew on indigenous perceptions of spirituality that include care for ʻāina. Participants contend with the complexity of Christianity in indigenous settings by confronting Western individualism and streams of Christianity that condone greed and degradation of ʻāina. Health practitioners and scholars in indigenous settings should consider connection with spirituality and ‘āina as fundamental components of health.
While there is a growing body of literature highlighting the role of re-connecting with ʻāina for NH as a pathway toward health, there is little published literature on the potential relationship between Christianity (and other religious traditions) and care for ʻāina. In collaboration with a group of Christians who see mālama ʻāina as an integral part of their faith, this paper explores the following: (1) How might Christianity and mālama ʻāina be interconnected? (2) How could Christianity that is informed by mālama ‘āina shape the practice of contemporary healthcare?
For this qualitative study, we recruited and interviewed eight participants who self-identify as Christian and see care for ʻāina as integral to their faith. Our study was guided by indigenous action and interpretive anthropological frameworks. This study was also grounded by an action-oriented approach with an aim of improving NH health by connecting with faith groups passionate about the connection between ʻāina and health.
Participants (median age 48 years, range 22 to 69 years) were predominantly NH (75%). Half of participants were pastors. Participants described a holistic perspective on health, where the health of ‘āina and people are interconnected. Participants viewed their faith as an inseparable part of their identity and commitment to care for ‘āina. While participants lamented injustice around degradation and colonization of ‘āina, they shared a commonality of looking to kupuna (elders) who saw their faith and NH identity as interconnected. Participants described visions for restoration of ʻāina as a way of both contending with legacies of colonialism and improving holistic health of the broader community.
Limitations of this study include the fact that participants were interviewed on zoom due to the COVID-19 pandemic; the platform precluded the use of more participatory methods (e.g., photovoice, arts-based work) that could have enriched the study. Moreover, all participants self-identified with Protestant Christian backgrounds. Future studies would benefit from including participants from broader faith streams.
Overall, in contrast to a narrative that Christianity and care for ‘āina may be at odds with one another, participants saw their faith, ‘āina, and health as fundamentally interconnected. This study offers a nuanced perspective on spirituality and health; while spirituality is often viewed as a construct that may serve as a strength (or barrier) to individual health, participants drew on indigenous perceptions of spirituality that include care for ʻāina. Participants contend with the complexity of Christianity in indigenous settings by confronting Western individualism and streams of Christianity that condone greed and degradation of ʻāina. Health practitioners and scholars in indigenous settings should consider connection with spirituality and ‘āina as fundamental components of health.