To leave behind our ancestral wisdom is to be a blossom with no roots– eventually, we will wilt and die.
AITO HINE (Warrior Women), by Krysten Resnick, was shot entirely in Tahiti alongside her dance film of the same name. It is an intersectional project that brings womanhood and the environment to the forefront, combining ancient wisdom and modern art forms in order to confront and de-center western systems and provide crucial knowledge about the world around us– past, present, and future. Women of the Global Majority, who are able to call upon themselves, each other, and the sacred lands to which we are intrinsically bound, are central to the health of people and land, and thus the continuation of life.
All the women featured in this series are culture keepers and artists of ‘Ori Tahiti (Tahitian dance). Song and dance, centred on traditional mythology, were the library of the ancient people and contained all the knowledge of the world. Through myth, our ancestors were able to align and develop mind, body, and soul in ordinance with the earth and the cosmos– an act that is wholly necessary but is today seen as frivolous. AITO refers to the word for warrior and is also the name of the tree with the strongest wood, which sits on the island's edge as the guardians of everything within their range. Hine, the word for women, refers to the myth of the first woman, Hina, who held much responsibility and thus much acknowledgment. Within each photo, our modern Aito Hine (pl.) reimagine myth, renew culture, and demand acknowledgment. Using the powerful visuals of connection– to the self, to each other, to the land– this series aims to give a modern voice to myth, unpacking and honouring the wisdom held within traditional indigenous stories. Indigenous culture is not a thing of the past, it is the key to a healthy future.
Aito Hine– the protectors and guardians of life.
