In Hawaiian mythology, 'aina is inextricably linked to the creation story. According to legend, the islands were formed from the tears of the goddess Hawai'i, who was deeply saddened by the death of her beloved, the god Kāne. From her tears, the islands emerged, and life began to flourish.
Aloha for the 'aina was expressed by attitudes of respect, returning gifts to the land, beautifying it, and using it properly (not greedily). More than anything else land, and all that was associated with it, gave a sense of identity to Hawaiians.