Wayne’s World: What Kind of Hawaiʻi Do You Want for Your Keiki?

By Wayne Tanaka, Chapter Director | Reading time: 4 minutes

In a recent panel I had the incredible privilege of sitting on, Ola i ka Wai: Red Hill, Military Leases, and the Future of Ko Hawaiʻi Pae ʻĀina, a question was asked of the panelists: What kind of Hawaiʻi do you want your keiki to inherit, and how do we get there? 

 I was immediately reminded of the Sierra Club of Hawaiʻi’s vision of success, for a Hawaiʻi where water is once again viewed as the sacred source of life that it is, rather than a commodity to be hoarded, wasted, or poisoned for corporate profits or the military’s convenience; where our relationships with ʻāina are once again defined by reciprocity and stewardship, rather than exploitation and short term gain; where we remember, and grieve, what we have lost and will lose to climate destabilization - and use that grief to continually strengthen our resolve, to take on the root causes of industrial capitalism, gratuitous militarism, white supremacy, misogyny, and epistemicide that are all but assuring humanity’s demise. Much of what my fellow panelists had previously shared that night had given me a real sense of hope, that these visions may someday be realized.

But the part of our vision that resonated most with the panel discussion, and in a diverse number of other circles I’ve been privy to this year, speaks to a much more fundamental shift in what and how we view our time and place here on planet Earth, 

Where our economy, power structures, public policies, and social norms place the greatest value in how well we take care of our ʻāina and each other, and what we pass on to our future generations; where we continuously aspire to better our society by listening to those most impacted by its faults, rather than those who have most benefited from them; where aloha ʻāina (love of the land) and aloha kekahi i kekahi (love for one another) are the guiding principles that make Hawaiʻi a beacon of hope, for a better way of living on and sharing this planet.

As I continue to reflect on the panel’s question, it seems to me that even those who find temporary comfort in our hyperindividualistic, “modern” ways of life are beginning to realize the need for a fundamental restructuring of our societal values, if we wish to create a future of true safety, security, and happiness for our keiki. Perhaps there is a real piece of hopefulness in this vision, even as the world itself seems to grow more unstable by the day.

The more difficult part of the question, of course, is how do we get there? 

While it won’t be an overnight journey, simply going through the same old motions of keeping our heads down, recycling occasionally, and maybe voting every few years will all but condemn our children and future generations to a future not of hope, but of unprecedented suffering and tragedy.  

So as 2025 draws to a close and a new year begins, let’s resolve to push ourselves, and to push each other, just a little bit harder, to take a few extra steps beyond our own status quo, and start to create a better future as one would move a metaphorical mountain: one bucket of sand at a time.

For those needing ideas, the opportunities, fortunately, are many. Anyone can join an advocacy group or mailing list, to learn about our most pressing societal issues and shared challenges, and to take action when the calls come for a collective push - building networks of change that can then lead to more transformative shifts. Folks can also easily connect with and give support to organizations and communities developing new models of caring for each other and for our island home. And we can all remind each other that our voices can be used in all the ways - around the snack table at work, on social media, at the dinner table - to ask the thoughtful questions, and to help others see that it truly is on us, as a generation, to stand and organize together as humanity’s best, last chance to turn the tide against the ever-growing forces of destruction plaguing our planet, and to set the foundation for a future our keiki and the generations to follow will be proud of us for. 

To all of the Sierra Club of Hawaiʻi’s members and supporters, thank you, so very much, for a 2025 filled with successes in the face of incredibly daunting odds.  And in 2026, let’s keep locked in to a vision, and mission, to try and be the best ancestors we possibly can.