Page 26 - Living Aloha Magazine March/April 2017 Issue

do have access to land to share it with those who don’t, those who will cultivate the soil and grow food, medicines and
trees. And not in the way that’s been done, where the one with land access becomes a master over the other. I’m talking
about true sharing, where someone grants a family the right to be on that land indefinitely, to pass it on from generation
to generation. Without this, it’s just the same
we neeD to take care of tHe eartH old pattern of master and slave, regardless of its
current form.
People need to belong to the land, they need to feel that they have a relationship with the land that cannot be taken away.
Once that connection with Planet Earth and nature is established, a human being naturally longs to plant trees for the next
generation, to cultivate gardens to feed her family, to create beautiful spaces. Returning the people to land is the best way
we have to feed this world and bring bountiful abundance of all things.
Another solution is to create nature preserves and food forests which are protected from being sold into perpetuity with land
trusts, shared by many people collectively.
We can take steps toward sustainability even without
having access to a homeland. We can tend to the land
wherever we are, growing gardens if possible, and planting
trees. If you aren’t able to have a garden in your own yard,
you can grow food inside your home or offer to install
and maintain a garden in someone’s yard. We can begin
to focus on becoming locally sustainable within our
communities, by trading with one another, giving and
helping one another out with whatever we need, forming
groups to tackle community projects together, helping
each other with large projects at home by having work
parties, collaborating to create community gardens that
feed everyone, along with communal sharing of tools and
household items.
We can fairly easily make government obsolete by
decentralizing and becoming locally sustainable. This is the
way indigenous tribes have always lived because it makes
sense. We can circumvent governmental interference by “ This was truly one
sharing with each other, caring for one another. We will
dissolve the destructive paradigm that’s been forced upon of the highlights
us, the one that claims we humans have dominion over of our vacation!” a paradise for rescued animals
the Earth, by acknowledging and agreeing that the earth
can’t be “owned” and that we are her children, collectively “ One of Maui’s
agreeing to be the Earth’s stewards who take care of her,
like she takes care of us. It has to be a reciprocal relationship best kept secrets!”
for our survival.
see more of our reviews on
TripAdvisor.com

18-year Maui resident Melani ellis is an
animal rights advocate with a tortoise
sanctuary in huelo. she’s been installing
gardens and “Living Art” environments
for humans and animals since 2001. she’s GUIDED
TOURS
currently collaborating on an upcoming animal sanctuary which will Wednesdays - 4pm
also be a permacultural nature reserve. this group is seeking land that’s Saturdays - 10am SuggeSted donation: $20 per perSon
donated or owner-financed.
for reservations
Melani can be reached at maui.tortoise.lady@gmail.com, on Facebook as call: 808-298-8544 or email: info@leilanifarmsanctuary.org
Melani Aurora ellis, or by calling 808-463-5533. 260 east Kuiaha road • Haiku, Hawaii 96708

26 INSPIRATION Living Aloha | MARCH–APRIL 2017