Daughter of MΔkaha
Our individual understanding of community has much to do with the way we were nurtured in our youth and the places we were raised. For Native Hawaiian surfer, photographer, and model Haβa Keaulana, community was a birthright. Granddaughter to iconic big-wave surfing pioneer Richard βBuffaloβ Keaulana and daughter to big wave surfer and water safety expert Brian Keaulana, the Keaulana βohana has been rooted on in MΔkaha on the leeward coast of Oβahu for generations. Today, the Keaulanas are regarded as ambassadors of the community.
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βCommunity is being connected,β says Haβa Keaulana. βItβs not a zip code or area. Itβs understanding and sharing the same values, the aloha spirit, always giving back and not expecting anything in return when you give.β
Haβa has a special bond with MΔkaha and the βΔina, one that directly connects her to generations of family and the community at large. In Hawaiian culture, the umbilical cord, or piko, symbolizes connections. It represents a mother and childβs special bond, a connection to life, to oneβs ancestors, and to the land. Not long after Haβa was born, her father, Brian, made a hoβokupu, a gift or offering, with Haβaβs piko. He set the offering in a special place on the reef at MΔkaha, right below the spot where he sits in the ocean when the waves are 20 feet or bigger. With this offering, this act of connection to place and community, Haβa would forever be one with Hawaiβi, MΔkaha, her βohana, and her ancestors. Itβs a tradition that the Keaulanas have been doing for generations.
In these trying times, Haβa is more thankful than ever for her strong connection to her community on the leeward side of Oβahu and her extended βohana across the globe. As much as she misses hanging out with friends, sheβs filling her time by helping leeward residents stay safe in these troubling times, dropping off food and resources for elders in the community, and staying active in the water at MΔkaha.
βAs for my grandpa, my dad and myself, weβre spreading the word that right not is not the time to gather, even though we all miss each other,β Haβa says. βIt's a good time to stay connected through the phone or social media because even though weβre isolated, weβre still connected. I think this will help us appreciate each other so much more by the time this is all done.β
With about 180,000 followers on Instagram, the 28-year-old is well aware of her responsibility as a rising influencer to honor her familyβs legacy. Haβa is ever grateful of her heritage and proud to continue in her familyβs footsteps of safely sharing their knowledge of MΔkaha and Hawaiian culture with the world.
βI don't consider myself a community leader in their shoes yet, but I aspire to be there one day,β Haβa says. βBeing raised around them taught me how to handle a lot of things and talk about it, too. Right now itβs all about making sure the community is protected and has the resources.β
