Native Diaspora: Weaving People Together Through Storytelling, Art, and Culture
After being born and raised in the Bay Area as a Native Hawaiian (Kanaka Maoli) and Native Mexican woman, Belinda Garcia (also known by her Hawaiian name Kalani), moved back home to Hawai’i at 19. From then, she’s been on a journey to reject what’s been passed down to her through colonization, starting a movement called Native Diaspora.
“[I’ve] been on a journey to unlearn and relearn what I’ve been shaped and conditioned into believing, and driven by experiencing the world through the lens of my kūpuna (ancestors),” she explained. “This is more than a brand; it’s a movement towards autonomy. Through building community and connection, Native Diaspora weaves us together as a people – through storytelling, art, and culture.”
With Native Diaspora, her podcast, blogs, and merch brand rooted in pilina (connection), Garcia encourages people to shift their mindset and step away from the Western belief system forced upon us over time.
“It is the idea that if I am not making it myself, I am finding a small local business that can,” she explained. “[It’s] stepping away from mass production and mass consumerism, limiting our waste, and bridging the gap between Indigenous and Non-Indigenous.”
Native Diaspora also works to connect with people from all over the world through travel, shared experiences, knowledge, and culture.
What is Native Diaspora?
Kalani Garcia explained that “Native Diaspora is a movement towards autonomy and a call for diasporas to return home.”
Per the website, ‘Diaspora’ is defined as “a community of people who have been displaced from their ancestral homeland as a result [of] migration, colonization, occupation, or other forms of displacement.”
With this community in mind, Kalani Garcia’s slogan features three Hawaiian words with a creative twist: “Dekālānize, Remālanize, and Rewaitalize.”
From this, the movement addresses three main facets:
- ‘Kālā’, or ‘money,’ tackles “Capitalism, Institutions, [and] Imperialism”;
- ‘Māla’ translates to ‘garden’ and focuses on “Land, Land rights, Food Sovereignty, [and] Restoration”;
- And ‘Wai,’ ‘water,’ relates to steps focusing on “Life source, Resistance, Growth, Rebirth, [and] Healing.”
Garcia shared that these threads of the movement weave the mission of “Undoing the systems built by billionaires and elites and reverting to ‘āina (land), culture, and community; steering away from mass corporations and keeping sust’āinability in mind.”
The Vision
Together, these focuses guide Garcia’s vision to be “an ethical brand and conscious consumer that supports other small local businesses.”
She explained how this involves “limiting waste by purchasing second-hand items, or making things from recycled items, and utilizing my environment to make things and or provide for myself and community, whether through growing our own food, trading and cultivating barter systems, or connecting back to our roots, culture, and source.”
Garcia also shared that she’s actively involved in a Hawaiian sovereignty group called Nā Wāhine Koʻi, which created a monthly barter system.
“…We trade our goods and services with our community, utilizing ancestral Indigenous traditions and breaking free from Western monetary systems,” she said. “I hope to see more of this throughout the continent, and for this to be a catalyst to show others what’s possible.”
Offerings to the Diaspora
The business side of Native Diaspora offers people a range of merchandise that honors the movement’s mission and vision.
“I make an array of items from natural and up-cycled materials, such as clothing, accessories, stickers/decals, art and crafts, including my hand-woven bags, ceramic charms, and much more,” Kalani Garcia shared. “My shop is now open at Nativediaspora.com. I also have select merchandise being sold at Vipers Sanctuary on O’ahu, Locavore grocery store, and Strictly Native in Hilo, Hawai’i.”
Additionally, Garcia shared that she offers in-person and virtual birth chart readings at Vipers Sanctuary on O’ahu.
“My speciality is in Tropical, better known as Western or Seasonal astrology. This is based on the 12 zodiac signs. I do my readings in both plaicidus and whole sign,” she explained. “I also incorporate some Hawaiian practices, one being Hawaiian Lunar astrology. And I combine both the teachings from Hawaiian Birth Signs, written by Kahu Wendell Silva, and the mahina (moon).”
She also added that “whether you were born under a certain moon or during a certain month, you were said to have a set of skills and personality traits, similar to those of astrology.”
To book a virtual reading, visit the Native Diaspora website.
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Native Diaspora Addresses the Roots of Colonization
Kalani Garcia shared how Native Diaspora started as a podcast a couple of years after she backpacked the Polynesian Triangle in 2023.
“Throughout my backpacking travels, I connected with many other Indigenous and Native people who shared the same stories and struggles that we did back home in Hawai’i.”
She then explained how different imperialist nations still occupy different Indigenous lands to this day. The French occupy Tahiti, Britain occupies Aotearoa (New Zealand), Chile occupies Rapa Nui (Easter Island), and the US occupies Hawai’i.
“The occupations that were done throughout Polynesia were done illegally and unjustly. I wanted a platform that came directly from the people, not those who occupy us,” Garcia said. “Native Diaspora has now grown into my own brand and services, through building connections and community. Native Diaspora weaves us together as a people – through storytelling, art, and historical truth.”
Inspired by her travels, she started her podcast for Native Diaspora at the end of January 2025, and recently celebrated its first anniversary. Just a few months later, at the end of May, she began creating merch after being fired from teaching, and took it as a sign to follow her passions.
The Challenges of Fighting Capitalism in a Capitalistic World
Starting Native Diaspora was not without its challenges. Kalani Garcia shared that when starting, she only supported local businesses in Hawai’i.
“This made it hard for me, as I was not making much profit,” she explained. “I wanted to be involved in every step of the creative process, so I have been learning new skills. I took a screen printing class and have been screen printing my up-cycled merch from second-hand shops, stitching my earrings by hand, making clay items, and weaving bags out of coconut leaf.”
While reportedly very time-consuming, Garcia shared that this truly supports her brand’s mission and vision. And in a capitalistic world run on instant gratification and materialistic values, this level of dedication to one’s ethics as an individual and a business is rarer and more important than ever.
Expanding the Movement
While most of her events are in Hawai’i, Garcia shared her 2026 goal of vending at more markets on the continent to help reach the larger diaspora. As she prepares to vend at this week’s March First Friday Festival, Native Diaspora is well on its way to hitting that goal.
She also shared that she will be at the Four Days of the Aloha festival in Vancouver, Washington, and is hoping to get into the Bay Area Aloha Festival and the HoloHolo festival. Check out the ND Link Tree to see other upcoming events.
In addition to attending more markets outside of Hawai’i, she highlighted her desire to reach people from all over the world, expanding her brand and vision through online sales.
And, she also shared her goal for the podcast side of the business, which involves sorting through all her podcast interviews and sharing her unreleased podcast footage.
Connecting with People and Supporting Community
For Kalani Garcia, connecting with people is her favorite part of her work.
“I love meeting people from different walks of life, especially people who can relate to my story and journey,” she shared. “[And], I love having the freedom and autonomy of working for myself. I’m able to combine all my passions, and do what I love most – creating.”
Through these connections, Garcia also pays it forward and grows the notion of what “community” means by giving back. With sales of select art prints, she shares a portion of the proceeds with a frontline Hawaiian Sovereignty group called ‘Ka Lāhui Hawai’i’, as well as a family in Palestine.
Staying Grounded Amid the Horrors
Navigating the persisting horrors in the world is not for the faint of heart. Finding things to ground herself, Kalani Garcia persists by connecting with her spirit.
“As an empath, I can sometimes feel the weight of it all. Though I could be better at sticking with a routine that brings me peace, some habits and hobbies I have are yoga, walking, deep breathing, and journaling,” she shared. “I weave my custom bags on the beach while watching the sunset. It helps me to feel the connection to my ancestors.”
One particular issue that’s impacted Garcia’s and Native Diaspora work has been the onslaught of AI technologies.
“It’s important for me to not utilize AI in any of the work that I do, as AI has negative impacts on our environment, especially for marginalized communities,” she shared. “I have been told by some people to use an AI assistant to help me get through all of my tasks; however, that goes against what my brand and I stand for. Authenticity is very important to me, and my brand must reflect me, my morals, and [my] values.”
#GetinMotion with Native Diaspora
Support for Native Diaspora comes in all forms. To learn more about Native Diaspora, visit the website, plus check out the shop on the site and on Etsy. Follow Native Diaspora on Instagram, and tag the page if you’ve seen them at an event or bought anything from the movement’s store.
If you’re in Vegas, visit this week’s First Friday Festival in the Arts District downtown to check out Native Diaspora’s booth on the main Art Walk between Art Square and the Arts Factory.
Additionally, Garcia shared that folks can subscribe to her monthly newsletters and blogs under the ‘Weaving Connections’ section on the website’s front page. You can also subscribe to the Native Diaspora podcast on your favorite streaming platform, including YouTube.
And of course, support by liking, sharing, and reposting her content and podcasts goes a long way as well.
Lastly, you can help the mission by signing this petition to ‘Protect Papahānaumokuākea: Stop Elon Musk Rocket Debris in Sacred Hawaiian Waters.’
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