MEGAN SPELMAN Photographed “The Heart of Hawai‘i,” p. 76

“As a Hawai‘i resident, I am familiar with the aloha spirit and the beauty of the islands. However, this assignment took me to Lana‘i for the first time, and I was floored by the island’s raw beauty and the quiet kindness of its people,” says Big Island– based photographer Megan Spelman. “A favorite part of my visit was the lack of any chain stores or advertisements, in a way that reminded me of being in Cuba. It’s such a relief to be somewhere so beautiful without a Starbucks on the corner. The stars of the trip, however, were the beautiful stewards of the land, the cultural preservationists profiled in this story. I was humbled by their knowledge and grace and willingness to share; they put the aloha spirit that I thought I knew to shame.”