Yesterday the ocean went up the Mauna

We asked our Kanaka Kaiviti, keiki o Viti kei Hawaiʻi to lead us in

We offered the kupuna our yaqona

And asked for forgiveness for not coming sooner

They accepted with & in aloha

They gave honi to our babies

And received our elders

We sang in joy & aloha. So happy to finally make it to the Mauna. To stand with our host nation. Our Hawaiian cousins. Our family

And at the very end...we put on some Waidebala & showed them how the Fijians like fo pahtehhh. And pahtehhh we did. In the words of one of our Ratus present, “Ova ova tiko!!!”

Like, paaahtehhhh

I could never repay in full what Hawaiʻi has given to me & my ʻohana. What she has been to me. A most gracious host. A loving home. A beautiful mama to all us Fijians who are here now. But the least we could do is try.

Vinaka Hawaʻi, e kuʻu home

Mahalo nunui to our tita Sydney Lyons for these most precious pictures: http://instagram.com/mahanaaloha?ig … . Apart from the 3rd which was taken by Auntie Kat Lobendahn. The Fijian community in Hawaiʻi is #kūkiaʻimauna & stand with you all & we say #aoletmt . We love you

Our uncles & aunties

One of our boys who’s also a Hilo boy has a tent up on the Mauna that he shares with his friends. They cleared it for FJ community elders, I was in another friend tent when I asked him, “What’s everyone doing in you guys tent?” He replied, “What else?”

BIIIIBIII NA SE NI COOO, MAAAMAAA NA WAU OQO-

Our cousins responded in hula

#kūkiaiʻimauna kine tings. BTS edition. Our magiti was lovo food which was then distributed in the free caf in Puʻuhuluhulu where kiaiʻi could get food free of charge in between classes & protocol. Job naba first picture, no complaints of mila thank you very much!

This 1 is extra special for me. When the Kumu our organizers had in mind to kahea us in could not make it due to travel, the word was put out if we knew of any Hawaiians who would be willing, and one special one came to mind. My mentor & tita: Moanikeʻala she was willing & able

Moani is a kahu at her church Ka ʻOhana & also the founder of a Pacific Island bible study currently known as Hui Poly that meets on UH Manoa campus every Monday. This is how I came to know her. It is under her spiritual care that I came to love justice, service & true kapu aloha

I had shared with Moani the incredible loss our community had faced in the recent, of our big brother Ratu Viliame Lewenilovo, she was determined to include that in her oli

The Primefootage vid we’ve all been looking forward to. Primefootage is made up of our Hawaiian brother & sister Jeremy Kalima & Sydney Lyons & our very own Fijian Hawaiian Braddah Jun Fong. Enjoy this beautiful vid of our prep & visit to the mauna https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=M9P2nr5QJQ4