NativeDiaspora

My name is Belinda, or better known by my Hawaiian name, Kalani through my adult years. Native Diaspora has been a vision in the making. A journey of learning, unlearning, healing and connecting. As a mixed Kanaka Maoli (Native Hawaiian) and Native Mexican woman born in California, I grew up feeling disconnected from my roots. Like many in the diaspora community, I struggled with identity, belonging, and the impact of colonization on my family and self. Whether through my backpacking travels, sailing through Papahānaumokuākea channel, I have been on a journey to unlearn what I've been shaped and conditioned into believing, and driven by experiencing the world through the lens of my kūpuna (ancestors). This is more than a platform, it’s a movement towards autonomy. Through building connection and community, Native Diaspora weaves us together as a people — through storytelling, art, and historical truth.