Building the Beloved Community: Reflections in Understanding Relationships to Food for Native Hawaiians.

Introduction: Health disparities within the Native Hawaiian community have been well-documented for many years.

Methods: Innovative, culturally relevant, and community-generated approaches are required to truly change the trajectory and impact of chronic illnesses for Native Hawaiians. This article describes the experiences of residents from Wai'anae and Waimānalo who were trained in a process called Building the Beloved Community, and facilitated group sessions for a community-based participatory research (CBPR) project around 'ai pono (eating healthy), seeking to understand Native Hawaiian community residents' perceptions of current and historical influences on eating.