“He Hawai’i au mau a mau.” This translates to, “I am Hawaiian now and forever.” I believe that this represents my identity not only as a person, but as a proud Native Hawaiian. My passion sparked when I was a baby. My mother first taught me how to say basic words in Hawaiian, then I eventually attended a Hawaiian immersion school. Since I grew up in a Hawaiian based environment, I have learned to love and preserve the language. Today, there are a few Hawaiians who know our mother language because our language is gradually dying. Not only did I learn the Hawaiian language, but the Hawaiian culture. I also grew up dancing hula. When we performed, we needed a specific plant for a particular mele (song), so we had to go pick them ourselves.