The Pledge

From our elders we have learned we are part of the environment, not above it. The life, lands, and waters are more than just our surroundings, they are our family.

From our children we will learn that Hawai‘i is not inherited from our ancestors but borrowed from our future generations.

So when you are welcomed here, you become part of this ‘ohana that is responsible for us and our island home too. Just as we, nā keiki o ka ‘āina, the children of Hawai‘i, pledge to care for these islands, we ask that you make this pledge to us:

For a rare and endangered place, where a destructive foreign species is introduced every day—I will bring only what is invited and be mindful of where I explore.

For an island community that defines wealth not by what is kept, but what is shared—I will give my respect and leave what is not mine to take.

For an indigenous culture that has evolved with these islands, both unique and intertwined in their existence—I will experience sacred places and practices with a bowed head and open heart.

For this birthplace of aloha that typically welcomes more visitors than has residents—I will live aloha, tread lightly amongst this beauty and make it cleaner than I found it.

For a Hawaiian people whose ancestors sailed here using only the stars to guide them in search of islands to sustain them—I will learn from your legacy and support your ongoing voyage toward sustainability.