The people of Oceania have a deep spiritual and physical connection to the ocean, steeped in the cultural significance of the living ocean as family. This perspective has kept generations of indigenous island peoples in balance with the natural world for centuries. The impact of climate change and the looming threat of deep-sea mining is an existential threat to these sacred marine ecosystems. Advocating for the integration of indigenous knowledge and practices can turn the tides. An example is the traditional Rahui system, a resource management practice that sets aside areas to allow for ecosystem recovery, a highly effective way to protect biodiversity and create community cohesion. This urgent call for global unity among indigenous communities and other experts invites us to work together to preserve the ocean. The demise of the ocean would be our own. Hinano Murphy is a widely recognized expert in Tahitian cultural history. She grew up on Moorea and Tahiti learning oral traditions from her elders. She worked in education as a school teacher and later in her career she served as a technical advisor to the government, developing Tahitian language/culture programs for the schools. She then became the associate Director of the UC Berkeley Gump Research Station and the President of the cultural organization Te Pu Atitia, where she founded the Atitia Cultural Center on Moorea. Most recently she is serving as the Cultural Director for Tetiaroa Society and the head of the Cultural Committee that advises on all cultural matters in Tetiaroa. Hinano is involved in many Polynesian cultural and conservation initiatives and among other commitments has talked about the Polynesian connection to the ocean at the 2019 World Oceans Day at the United Nations, and more recently at the IMPAC5 Congress in Vancouver. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx