Roberta Taira

Name Roberta Taira

Social Media @mamakiteahawaii

Age 64

Town/Moku Kahalu’u

Island Oʻahu

Leadership Category Mālama ʻĀina - Environmental Sustainability

Nominated by MAX MUKAI

Share with us a little about yourself and what you do.

I am Roberta Taira, owner of Māmaki Native Hawaiian Herbal Tea. We help health conscious individuals connect to lāʻau lapaʻau products so they can be a champion of their own health. We produce an assortment of Hawaiian herbal teas, or tisanes, based on traditional practices of lāʻau lapaʻau so you can experience the natural remedies of old Hawaiʻi.

Why is the work that you do important to you? The community? Māmaki Native Hawaiian Herbal Tea is building the māmaki tea industry based on the traditional practice of lāʻau lapaʻau by growing a Hawaiian medicine chest. It will replicate the success of the farm for the younger generation to earn a comfortable income as farmers while at the same time perpetuating the practice of lā‘au lapa‘au (Hawaiian medicine) and preserving valuable agricultural lands in the process.

Share with us the qualities of leadership you admire and how you express those in your life.

One quality that demonstrates exceptional leadership skills is the ability to facilitate an equal exchange of knowledge amongst individuals in a way that highlights the strengths of that person. For me, I foster a respectful environment with other cultural practitioners and farmers in which we can share the knowledge of our kupuna and ohana in a safe space that is absent of judgement or criticism. I understand that the la’au that was taught to me is powerful because it is precious and unique to my ohana. I also understand that the la’au practices vary from practitioner to practitioner, but it does not make it any less valid or powerful.

Who has inspired you to do the work that you are doing?

My first inspiration was my grandmother, Miriam Kaluakapa Keomalu, who not only preserved the art of lā’au, but also practiced it during a time when she could be imprisoned for her work. She was the one who gifted me her healing hands and prompted me to begin my own lāʻau lapa’au journey. My second inspiration, my mother Dorothy Leong, encouraged me to continue accessing my ancestral knowledge because she was not given that opportunity and was raised in the Western culture. Kahuna Kaipo Kaneakua is my third inspiration. He bridged the ancestral knowledge with the lāʻau and helped me unlock and understand the ʻike that my grandmother had given to me. My fourth inspiration is ʻOlohe Mitchell Eli, who helped me strengthen my physical and mental discipline through lua while also grounding me in the spiritual connection to the ʻāina. The fifth and final inspiration was Herb Kamiyama. He was able to grant me the vision to see how lā’au could be perpetuated throughout the comminuty, while also supporting my ʻohana. He mentored me in growing māmaki for the retail market and before he died, he passed on the kuleana of continuing the growth of the māmaki market.

What is one word that describes something you are excited about for the lāhui?

Ethnopharmacy

What is one word that describes a pressing issue that is facing our lāhui?

Exploitation