Readings

‘Auwai

Traditional Hawaiian irrigation ditches that supported taro farming and symbolized sustainable land and water management.

Lo‘i kalo

Wetland taro fields cultivated by Native Hawaiians, central to food sovereignty, culture, and ecosystem balance.

Kanaka Maoli

Indigenous people of Hawai‘i; literally 'true people' or Native Hawaiians.

Sustainable Self-Determination

Concept describing Indigenous communities’ ability to sustain themselves through cultural, ecological, and economic practices outside colonial systems.

Ahupua‘a

Traditional Hawaiian land division running from mountain to sea, reflecting an integrated ecological and social system.

Charter Schools (Hawai‘i)

Semi-autonomous schools that can center Hawaiian culture and knowledge within state education systems.

Epistemic Self-Determination

The right of Indigenous peoples to generate and control their own knowledge systems.

‘Āina

Hawaiian word for land, meaning 'that which feeds'; reflects the deep relationship between people, land, and sustenance.

Reproductive Choice

The ability to decide whether or not to have children, shaped by access to healthcare, technology, and social conditions.

Reproductive Justice

A framework developed by Black feminists emphasizing the right to avoid having children and to raise children in safe, healthy environments.

Climate Anxiety & Reproduction

The fear and ethical concern about bringing children into a world facing ecological collapse and climate change.

Overconsumption (Global North)

The idea that environmental destruction stems more from unsustainable lifestyles in wealthy nations than from the number of people.

Population Control

Policies or ideologies aiming to limit the number of births; historically tied to racism, coercion, and ecofascist thinking.

Ecofascism

An ideology combining environmental concerns with authoritarian and racist population-control measures.

Carbon Footprint Logic

Framing climate responsibility as an individual moral duty, such as having fewer children, rather than focusing on systemic causes.

Artificial Reproductive Technologies (ART)

Medical innovations like IVF, egg freezing, and uterine transplants that expand options for parenthood, but are unevenly accessible.