My white teacher was the most "Hawaiian-at-Heart" person I ever knew

“The Hawaiian Renaissance,” written by George Kanahele in 1979 http://kapalama.ksbe.edu/archives/pvsa/primary%202/79%20kanahele/kanahele.htm 

George Kanehele gives a brief history of the Hawaiian Renaissance, some of its motivations, and some of its impacts. He talks about how he has great hope for the Hawaiian Renaissance and all that it entails for the Hawaiian people; but that at the same time it has brought about a great paradox in the form of reverse-racism. (p. 10) 

Some Hawaiians have become extremely suspicious of outsiders, and foreigners, and many have chosen to exclude non-Hawaiians from any Hawaiian-related activity, purely because of their race. He says that even though some of these non-Hawaiians have become some of the most actively engaged culturally and spiritually connected “Hawaiian-at-heart” individuals, who have had key roles in the history of the Hawaiian Renaissance and the perpetuation of the Hawaiian culture; that sadly some Native-Hawaiians have chosen to ignore this very fact. I agree that it is sad indeed, that some have chosen to display such narrow-mindedness towards those that have only intended to nurture and to help preserve our culture.

For me personally, I believe that “Hawaiianness” is truly in “the heart,” so I see no problem with the term.  

I learned to speak the Hawaiian language from a blonde-haired blued-eyed, pure-haole woman, who was one of the most beautiful and “spiritually-connected-to-the-ʻāina,” “Hawaiian-at-heart” individuals that I have ever had the privilege to learn from. Our Kumu (Linda Gallano) was very passionate about Hawaiian language, and Hawaiian culture, she lived and breathed it, and ignited a passion for it in every one of her students. I remember a huge group of us visiting her ranch, and two years in a row we were invited to Kahoʻolawe to help clean and restore the land. She reminded us about what it meant to truly be a "Hawaiian;" to care, to provide, to nurture, to accept, and to be respectful, but most importantly, to have love and respect for others and the land that we live on. We were proud of our culture, proud of who we were and what we stood for. 

It was over twenty years ago, and sadly I cannot speak my native language the way I used to. But I have fond memories of sitting in her class, looking up at her in awe, and asking myself ʻhow could someone be so in love with our culture, our language, our way of life, and have not one drop of Hawaiian blood?’ It was obvious to me then, even at the age of sixteen, that although she was the whitest person in a classroom full of Native-Hawaiian students, she was by far the most “Hawaiian-at-heart” person there, and for that very reason, each and every one of us in that room loved and respected her greatly.