Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 39, Number 12, 1 December 2022 — Promoting Aloha 'Āina and 'Ike Hawai'i [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Promoting Aloha 'Āina and 'Ike Hawai'i

North Shore EcoTours

By Ed McLaurin Like many Hawaiians, Noah Keola Ryan was unhappy with the way that most tour companies portray Hawai'i. But instead of staying upset, Ryan decided to form his own tour company. Today, Ryan is the owner of North Shore EcoTours in Hale'iwa, O'ahu. "I want to show the richness and culture of Hawai'i as a whole," Ryan said. To this end, he and his staff provide Hawaiian-focused nature, history and cultural tours to visitors and locals alike. North Shore EcoTours is one of the few aloha 'āina eco-tour companies in the state. "As a Native Hawaiian-owned company, aloha aina is at the heart of everything we do," said Ryan. ' Aloha aina is a cultural value that expresses deep love for, and responsible stewardship of, nature." Founded in 2009, the company's efforts include preserving the cultural integrity of 0'ahu's natural resources by restoring its native forests while also creating fun and engaging educational tours for their guests. The company's philosophy states in part, "Hawai'i's uniqueness actually lies in aina. Āina is a wonder. From an ecological standpoint, the unique characteristics of Hawai'i's natural environment are considered a scientif-

ie marvel. For the Native Hawaiian, aina represents the source of cultural beliefs, artistic expression, values, and identity." Accordingly, Ryan and his team promote aina appreciation; respect for 'ike Hawai'i (Hawaiian knowledge); and sustainable communities. Their goal is to ho'omana lāhui (empower our lāhui) by contributing to the loeal economy, promoting healthy living, and strengthening cultural identity. Ryan previously worked in ecotourism for another company, but he wanted to conduct his tours the way he thought they should be done - with an emphasis on the Hawaiian culture and history. "Tours conducted by foreign-owned tour eompa-

nies aren't working." Ryan said. "We need more locally owned companies. We need to do more reforestation. We need to mālama 'āina and work with the schools and universities." Born and raised on O'ahu, Ryan's Hawaiian lineage is from Ka u and Kona on Hawai'i Island. As a child, he developed an appreciation for his culture and the outdoors and grew up hiking, surfing, spear diving, eanoe paddling, and camping. He is also a hula practitioner who has participated in numerous performances and eompetitions here at home and abroad. Ryan has B.A. and M.A. degrees in Hawaiian studies SEE N0RTH SH0RE EC0T0URS ON PAGE 21

North Shore EcoTours offers both off-road and hiking adventures - buf oll of their fours ore grounded in oloho 'ōino ond shore the culture, history ond mo'olelo of Howoi'i ond the wohi pono of Hole'iwo. - Photos: Courtesy

NORTH SHORE ECOTOURS Continued from page 12

Noah Keola Ryan and his team af North Shore Ecoīours show their guests a side of Hawai'i that many people never see. - Photo: Courtesy

with a specialization in mālama 'āina (Hawaiian natural environment) and kumu kahiki (comparative Polynesian studies) and has also worked as a kumu (teacher) for students ranging from primary-age children to college adults. In addition to running his tour company, Ryan is also an instructor at Kamakakūokalani Center for Hawaiian Studies at UH Mānoa. Ryan says if there is anything that gives him joy, it is sharing his aloha for Hawai'i and his culture with others. North Shore EcoTours operates on several thousand of acres of private conservation land owned by Kamehameha Schools in Hale'iwa, giving visitors a truly immersive nature experience. Their guides take visitors off the beaten path for hiking and off-road-ing activities, allowing them to take in the breathtaking views and experience the beauty and peaee of Hawai'i's native forests far ffom the noisy crowds of Honolulu. Their tours show visitors a side of Hawai'i that many people, including locals, may never see. Ryan's earlier experience in ecotourism did not satisfy. The aina was talked about in a purely scientific context with focus placed on things like volcanology, geology and botany - it was a sterile presentation, lacking in the mo'olelo - the unique history and stories - of the wahi pana (storied places) they were visiting. "When people travel, they connect to new places through the culture, the food and the stories," Ryan reflected. "So we prefer to highlight the relationship that Hawaiians have with our natural environment and share about Hawai'i ffom a cultural perspective." Ryan believes that Hawaiians and locals should take an interest in eco-tourism and contribute to the accurate portrayal of Hawai'i's culture and history. "I think eco-tourism is a natural thing to get into," he said. "It has a bright future. Imagine if we had community-led tourism as an industry and we incorporated conservation and education? That would be regenerative tourism." ■