A Hui Hou e Sharde
by Rebekah Garrison, Administrative and Advancement Associate | Reading Time: 2min
Please join the Sierra Club of Hawaiʻi as we celebrate the hard work, strength, and joy our dear Sharde has brought to the Chapter. Crucial in our efforts to save the planet, Sharde has advanced the Club’s mission through her tireless community organizing on Oʻahu and Hawaiʻi Island. Integral to protecting Hawaiʻi’s natural resources, Sharde is smart, has a laugh that brightens all spaces, and has thoughtfully guided staff in frequent ‘Olelo Hawaiʻi learnings. As she sets her eyes on new sights at the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, we wish to express our deepest gratitude to her for representing the Club through her genuine love for community and more equitable public policy. Her thoughtful collaboration as a Sierran amongst diverse community organizations and individuals has helped advance a more climate resilient Hawaiʻi.
As someone who continues to aid in contouring environmental advocacy in Hawaiʻi, Sharde has also unquestionably contributed to bolstering social justice throughout the islands. Fierce and tireless in her role championing both environmental and social justice issues, her thoughtful critiques and effortless leadership are an inspiration to us all. If you have thought more critically about doo-doo water, invasive species or water protection then there is no doubt that Sharde has had a hand in shaping your imagination. Additionally, throughout her time at the Sierra Club of Hawaiʻi one of Sharde’s many strengths was to indigenize the Chapter though decentralizing the cacophony of outside interests and put into focus a Kānaka Maoli worldview. In this way, Sharde was intrinsic in not only redirecting the Club’s organizing endeavors, but also, shedding light on the many movements for decolonization that indigenous communities around the world are fighting for.
Passionate, witty, and thoughtful, the Hawaiʻi Chapter ‘ohana is indebted to the innumerable contributions that Sharde has made to improving the way the Club positions itself as a leading voice for environmental justice in Hawaiʻi nei. There is no doubt that Sharde has moved the Chapter forward for the better and we are grateful for her many selfless contributions. While we are sad to see her go, we know she will continue to do important work as her path unfolds. Equipped with a deep sense of purpose and love for her ancestral lands, waters, and skies, Sharde’s many talents will continue to amplify a deeply rooted connection to her homeland; these islands that many others call home. Mahalo nunui, Sharde, for breaking open and allowing us to peer into a gentle–yet fierce–way of moving within a world that actively and violently attempts to erase aloha ‘āina.
You have demonstrated that activism takes on many forms, and lodged between those crevices, is a beautiful light shining through. We love you so much.
Me ke aloha,
Sierra Club of Hawaiʻi staff