ʻĀina (land) as a leader: A scoping review of contemporary native Hawaiian literature

Culture frames individual and community well-being. Among Kānaka ʻŌiwi, or the Native people of Hawaiʻi, ʻāina (land) is a significant pillar of culture and community. Like other Indigenous peoples, Kānaka share a profound connection with ʻāina. With the root word ʻai (to eat), ʻāina directly translates to that which feeds. Throughout this paper, ʻāina encompasses land, ocean, water, sky, and natural resources – primary sources of nourishment, healing, learning, and identity for all Kānaka. ʻĀina and leadership are interconnected in Native Hawaiian worldview, but the complexity of this relationship is not clearly defined in existing literature. Thus, this scoping review explored the ways ʻāina exemplifies leadership. Five themes emerged, with implications for Kānaka well-being. ʻĀina as elder, healer, educator, and role model embodies leadership. Together, these themes indicate that Kānaka well-being is interdependent with ʻāina leadership. For community psychologists working on a global scale, it will be important for ʻāina leadership to be recognized in social justice initiatives with Kānaka ʻŌiwi, and potentially with other Indigenous and Pacific peoples.

文化塑造个体与社群的福祉。在卡纳卡·欧伊维（Kānaka ʻŌiwi，即夏威夷原住民）的文化中，阿伊纳（ʻāina）是文化与社群的重要支柱。与其他原住民族群一样，卡纳卡族群与阿伊纳有着深厚联结。阿伊纳的词根为ʻai（意为“进食”），其字面含义为“滋养之物”。在本研究中，阿伊纳涵盖陆地、海洋、水体、天空与自然资源，是所有卡纳卡族群获取滋养、疗愈、学习与身份认同的核心来源。在夏威夷原住民的世界观中，阿伊纳与领导力存在内在关联，但现有文献尚未清晰阐释这一关系的复杂性。有鉴于此，本范围综述（scoping review）探讨了阿伊纳如何体现领导力。研究最终提炼出五大主题，其结果对卡纳卡族群的福祉具有重要意义。阿伊纳以长者、疗愈者、教育者与榜样的身份彰显领导力。综合来看，这些主题表明卡纳卡族群的福祉与阿伊纳的领导力相互依存。对于在全球范围内开展工作的社区心理学家而言，在与卡纳卡·欧伊维以及其他原住民与太平洋族群开展的社会正义实践中，认可阿伊纳的领导力具有重要价值。