"Our 'Ōhi'a trees are dying, our native birds are gone"

Personal memory by Tahina T.

2020 CEO'ahu, Hawaii

I witnessed the disappearance of native land taken from native Hawaiians. Our shorelines have eroded. Our coral reef and marine life have been destroyed. Our homes have been taken from us, native Hawaiians are being pushed out of our homes. Our 'Ōhi'a trees are dying, our native birds are gone. I've witnessed all of this, especially during these last few years, and no one listens . . .

Memory submitted at One Life: Maya Lin, National Portrait Gallery, 2022

Image: BMR & MAM via Flickr, Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-SA 2.0)