“Ahupua’a” by Beth Marcil
“As the native Hawaiians used the resources within their ‘ahupua’a, they practiced aloha (respect), laulima (cooperation), and malama (stewardship) which resulted in a desirable pono (balance). This is sound resource management where the interconnectedness of the clouds, the forests, the streams, the fishponds, the sea, and the people is clearly recognized.” – Carlos Andrade
In Sustainability the Hawaiian Way (Part 1) we talked about “malama ‘aina” – to take care of the land and each other, because we are all connected to the land and each other. In Part 2 we are discussing the Native Hawaiian “ahupua’a” sustainability concept – a pie shaped land division that stretched from mountain to sea that allowed access to all resources. Within the ahupua‘a, highly specialized technologies such as fishponds and lo‘i kalo (taro gardens) ensured an abundance of food. Working in concert with the other ahupua‘a within a moku (district), the Hawaiians created a community-based system of self-sustaining resource management. Principles of ahupua‘a management enabled Hawaiians to sustain large and healthy populations without compromising ecosystem integrity for thousands of years.
To see what an ahupua’a looks like watch this video interview with Earl Kawa’a, who also describes the ahupua’a concept from a Native Hawaiian perspective.
Sustainability Studies 