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In this episode we sit down with John Kealoha Garcia, Executive advisor to the Nation of Hawaii and founder and CEO of the Ahupua’a inspired barter and trade app Exchange Ave. We explore what an ahupua’a system is, and how the Native Hawaiian people lived in this highly efficient, organized, brilliant, earth-honoring system based on communal land care from mountain to ocean. We dive into John’s merging of his technical background and Hawaiian heritage in this way that strengthens community resource sharing without any fiat currency involved, building bridges both on and off the app. We go into the deep hope found in this merging of ancient and modern technologies, how it works, and how everyone can help reclaim direct peer to peer connection with barter and trade economics by joining the app or using Exchange Engine.
Thank you so much John for coming on as a guest, and I hope everyone checks out Exchange Ave!
Show notes:
- Overview of what was/is the Ahupua’a system: The Native Hawaiian people lived in a highly organized, self sufficient, subsistent social system that was based on communal land tenure and had a unique language, culture & religion. This was a closed loop system that ran from mountain to ocean, and was fueled by barter and trade.
- The vision and function of the app is to reinvigorate resource sharing through technology, via the creation of this “digital ahupua’a” which functions on barter and trade mechanics - no fiat currencies involved.
- Focuses on what skills and resources each person brings to the table beyond money, and also functions to build bridges and connections beyond the app.
- John bringing his technological background and Hawaiian heritage together in this way helped him to reconnect with his culture and to connect others. Some unique items on the app right now include fresh grated coconut milk and the ability to trade horseback lessons for kalo huli and other plants!
- Circumventing modern monetary/real estate barriers to connection this way
- How the app works: Exchange ave for individuals & Exchange Engine for other indigenous communities
- The hope found in this merging of the ancient and the new and acknowledging the sophistication of the Hawaiian people, while unleashing it and allowing people to adopt and co-create with it.
- Guidance & life advice from John: trusting your na’au (gut) & being with the aina, and to eat something from the aina every day.
- Importance of and moment for vision holding for stream restoration and making sure the water flows from mountain to ocean
- Knowledge exchange as an important part of the evolution of the community of the app
