"Aloha, ‘o wau ‘o McKayla McCullah. No Kāne‘ohe a me Mākaha mai au. Noho au ma Mākaha. ‘O Theresa Melenani Medeiros ko‘u makuahine. ‘O Micaiah Keith McCullah ko‘u makuakane.
As a kānaka maoli, it is important to introduce to you who I am through the lands that I come from and who brought me into this life. It was my ancestors who came before me, who have shaped me into who I am and have placed me in this timeline of life. They are my roots and the tether to my culture that I proudly represent. In Hawaiian culture, it is important to ground and root yourself into who you are. For not so long ago, it was something we almost lost completely. Our language, our people, our lands, our stories and traditions; everything which made us a people was put on the brink of extinction. Hence, why this Indigenous Voices Volunteer Group is held so dearly to me. It is a safe place for us as indigenous peoples to share our stories; with the simultaneous understanding of what we have faced as a people historically.
Cancer is the second leading cause of death for Native Hawaiians, with breast and lung cancer taking the lead. 7 out of my 8 great grandparents passed from cancer; all 8 of them were diagnosed. Most were diagnosed with breast and lung cancer. This was something I only learned of recently, which motivated me to take more action in my volunteering with ACSCAN. And as a sister to ten, it is why Iʻll never give up on a fight like this. It's a responsibility to ensure and hope my siblings and future kānaka don't have to go through cancer journeys like this. Or if there are indigenous peoples who are having cancer experiences like this, to support them in every way, we as ACSCAN volunteers and members of the group can. We must continue to advocate for better access to cancer treatments and support services for indigenous communities. We must continue to fund research to better understand the causes and treatments of cancer in indigenous communities. I am always grateful for the progress we have made in cancer research, but there is still more that can be done. Cancer does affect everyone, but it doesn't affect everyone equally."