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The ʻāina (land) on which I live and work is located in the ahupuaʻa (subdivision) of Kaloko, in the moku (district) of Kona, on the mokupuni (island) of Hawaiʻi, in the paeʻāina (nation) of Hawaiʻi. I recognize that her majesty Queen Liliʻuokalani yielded the Hawaiian Kingdom and these territories under duress and protest to the United States, to avoid the bloodshed of her people. I also want to acknowledge that the Hawaiʻi that we enjoy today was very much shaped in a holistic and sustainable way by many generations of indigenous Hawaiians. For these people and for this work I express my deep reverence and gratitude.

Mahalo nui loa.

It’s important to recognize and acknowledge the history of the land that we live on – even though no one alive today is directly responsible for the harms done to Native peoples, all of us who live in the United States directly benefit from this harm.If you want to learn about the land you’re on, you can start by entering your zip code here: https://native-land.ca/

If we are going to talk about holistic health, we need to acknowledge that white supremacy/colonization has wiped out much of indigenous wisdom, and has led to gross disparities in equity and health care access.

As part of my commitment to social justice, a portion of my profits gets donated the following non-profit organizations that are helping to create a more equitable world:

National Bail Out https://www.nationalbailout.org/ The National Bail Out collective is a Black-led and Black-centered collective of abolitionist organizers, lawyers and activists building a community-based movement to support our folks and end systems of pretrial detention and ultimately mass incarceration. We are people who have been impacted by cages — either by being in them ourselves or witnessing our families and loved ones be encaged. We are queer, trans, young, elder, and immigrant.

Outside In (which likely saved my life when I was a homeless teen) https://outsidein.org/ Since 1968, Outside In has transformed thousands of lives by helping break the cycles of chronic homelessness, poverty, and poor health among Portland’s LGBTQIA+ community, people of color, those experiencing homelessness, and the underserved. Our health clinic and young adult programs strive to meet people where they are and provide safe, affirming spaces for our community to receive judgment-free care and support.

Hawai’i Island HIV/Aids Foundation https://www.hihaf.org/ The Hawai‘i Island HIV/AIDS Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to assisting those affected by HIV/AIDS to maximize their quality of life, and to ending the spread of HIV. We also utilize the lessons learned in the HIV epidemic to care and advocate for others in the fight against related diseases.