PĀHIKI (Hawaiian): 'To pass quietly, go lightly, touch gently'

Pāhiki came into existence after a series of deeply moving and intimate experiences with death. As we navigated the emotional & logistical complexities of funeral planning, we found a lack of continuity between eco-conscious living and sustainable burial options. The more we observed the more we realized our 'death denial' culture has the unintended consequence of perpetuating poor environmental stewardship. In the West we have defaulted to practices such as embalming; manufacturing caskets made of heavy toxins, metals, synthetic fabrics; and artificially making those who have passed appear animate. These gestures, though temporarily comforting to the living, are wreaking eco-havoc in perpetuity.