New memoir shares Native Hawaiian family’s saga to preserve ancestral homelands, identity and legacy
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - A new memoir about a Native Hawaiian family’s saga to hold on to ancestral Hawaiian lands offers a unique look at the experience of the kanaka diaspora to preserve Hawaiian history and identity.
Award-winning journalist and author Sara Kehaulani Goo is part Native Hawaiian and grew up in Southern California.
In her book, “Kuleana,” she tells the story of how she wrestles with embracing her culture while not living in the islands.
She and fellow journalist and HNN contributor Naka Nathaniel joined HNN’s Sunrise to discuss some of the themes of the book.
“Kuleana” has two narratives: Goo’s family’s property tax challenges with their ancestral land in Hana, Maui, and what it’s like to raise her children to be Hawaiian in Washington D.C.
She said her career as a journalist took her east, but her grandma raised her to stay rooted in her Hawaiian heritage.
“We had a special tie and commitment to this place,” she said.
Nathaniel is hosting a talk story session and book signing with Goo at Na Mea Hawaii at 1200 Ala Moana Blvd. on Sunday, Aug. 10, at 2:30 p.m.
Kuleana is available for purchase on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Target.
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