Aloha mai! My name is Albie Miles. I would like to acknowledge that the ‘āina in which I live and work is part of the larger territory recognized by Indigenous Hawaiians as their ancestral grandmother, Papahānaumoku. I am a guest on this ‘āina, visiting for the purpose of serving as a researcher and educator. I can currently trace my family’s roots to California and to eastern and western Europe. I recognize that Queen Lili‘uokalani yielded the Hawaiian Kingdom and these territories under duress and protest to the United States to avoid the bloodshed of her people. I further recognize that Hawai‘i remains an illegally occupied state of America. I recognize that each moment I am in Hawai‘i, this ‘āina nourishes me. I further recognize that generations of Indigenous Hawaiians and their knowledge systems shaped Hawai‘i in sustainable ways that allow me to enjoy these gifts today. For this I am grateful and as a guest, I seek to support the varied strategies that the Indigenous peoples of Hawai‘i are using to protect their land and their communities, and I commit to dedicating time and resources to working in solidarity. Mahalo. 

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