George Helm: A True Hawaiian Sounds Out Aloha ‘Āina

Abstract

The link between Hawaiian music and the idea of aloha ‘āina, or love of the land, at the time of the second Hawaiian Renaissance (1964–1980) may have been most explicitly drawn in the life of George Helm (1950–1977). While Helm is often portrayed as a tragic figure due to his untimely death at the age of 26, I want to present his life and political commitments as an example of Kanaka Maoli, or Native Hawaiian, victory over seemingly overwhelming odds. Helm was a co-founder of a small grassroots organisation, Protect Kaho‘olawe ‘Ohana, or PKO, which pit itself successfully against the U.S. military, the most powerful military force in the world. While his personal life may have ended tragically young under mysterious circumstances, his advocacy of aloha ‘āina was ultimately victorious, even if attenuated. As George Helm consistently argued through speech and song, it has always been the case that territorial rights are fundamental to the Kānaka Maoli movement for self-determination. Aloha ‘āina is more than a slogan—it is a way of being in the world, a relationship between the human and the more-than-human. In his short life, Helm lived the ideal of aloha ‘āina, which he sang about, advocated for in public speeches and argued for in legislative chambers, setting an example for Kānaka Maoli that continues to echo and resonate today.