' ...... : . .

e evitall of Foodwa in Hawai'i 2 T

Na ai 0'010' lo'u 1 The Turbulent Seas of Moloka'j Malia Akutagawa

Living Culture, Living Ahupua'a feeli ng left us and the initial hock ofb ing ubm rged in the ocean faded in the early light of day.: n, I have to My brother Wiliama and I had two childhoods. Our first admit that watching the sun rise over the water and eing childhood was a very happy one, as we felt the love of two Kapualei's majestic outline on the mountain somehow 6 parents. Then in 197 our mother perished in a car accident made it all worth it. Back at home, we'd remove the fish while taking us to preschool, leaving our young father to tangled in the net and place them in the iced cooler, wash raise us alone. That's when our second childhood began. down the net, and reset it back into the boat. After finish­ ing these morning chores, we'd have just enough rime to We lived in Kamala, East Moloka'i Island, at the base of take a quick shower, put on our school clothes, and run out Ka'apahu ridge where the great lizard protector Kapualei to the bus stop. is naturally etched into the mountainside. In happier days, Mom and Dad taught us how to crab with the scoop net, The following year, we embarked on our second childhood catch 'apae (tiny shrimp) with a fine bamboo mesh net, and three miles down the road to the ahupua'a of'Ualapu'e, search for clams. It was as though the 'aina (land and sea) where our grandparents lived. Grandpa Masao has since was our grandmother, cradling us lovingly in her arms. passed on, but Grandma Kitty still lives. She is nearly a Later, with a smaller income to support us, we depended centenarian now with faded eyesight. She can't catch crab even more on the 'aina for survivaL and gather limu (seaweed) anymore, but she possesses a keen wit, a kolohe (mischievous) mind, and a sharp memory I was seven and Wiliama was six when Dad and Uncle filled with genealogical facts and funny stories of family Reuben taught us how to lay net. This kind of was and kiipuna (community elders) long-passed. Her stories grueling. It meant laying long pieces of net into the night keep them alive. just as the sun set on the horizon. Dad and Uncle Reuben remained on board, releasing the net evenly, while Wiliama Thanks to Grandma Kitty, I perfected the art of crabbing and I had the unenviable task of pushing the boat in chest­ and learned to identify, clean, and prepare a number of deep water. At times the waves would slam us sideways edible limu delicacies: limu 'ele'ele, pakeleawa'a, manauea, against random coral outcrops. We each bear a hundred and ogo. The shoreline and shallows are her domain as a cars from those scrapes. After setting th net, we'd reluc­ kupuna (elder). She and the late Aunry Lani Kapuni, her tantly pull ourselves back into the boat, feeling the shock of former contemporary and next-door neighbor, were the the night wind hitting our backs. Shivering, we'd lie supine keepers oflimu knowledge. Aunty Lani's granddaughter on the boat floor and gaze at the stars overhead as the out­ Zelda kept the limu tradition alive, and I did the same with b rd motor puttered us home. my grandma. We always consulted the moon calendar to determine the best period for fishing and gathering. The n xc d y b for th sun ro e, Dad would shake us best time to gather limu and to go crabbing was at low . to r riev the n t. nee that bleary-eyed, drowsy Kahananui Stream entered into our area fi eding our limu 2

randm told u a great puhi (eel) guard I p nd. fi hpond h a kupua (super natur I nim I rm. a t pond are protected b o water pint. . ) t houg hI'k let h e puhi ofcUalYtno . . apu' kno n other kmd of guardtan spirits uch I as the of I upeke fi hpond further east. Each guardian fi h into the pond and ble se the pond With Fr 111 h r w w uld p by an ov rhanging kiawe have never seen the puhi of'Ualapu e pond b-Vl.lln".~ . , Ut did (01 quit) r hat randma I i ty on idered her lucky its powerful strength when someone once placed rab ~ at hing p t. h would i ring there to hang iron piping across the makaha. This grate mad . a e It rom th bran h nd dangle bundle of rotting fish scraps for fish to enter the pond, and it was improperl in th hallow. Thi wa randma's special bait to attract by a newcomer who wanted to r~i s~ domestic XUcks crab, parti ularly th white, I uahonu crabs, and blue pond. When we passed by the makaha along the pinchers. Grandma would often set her bait and then walk our fishing grounds, we saw each piece of iron pipe back home. She would wait a few hours and relax at home like corkscrews. My father told us it was the puhi to give the crabs time to smell the bait and eat to their its disapproval. The strong flOWing through content; then she'd return with her scoop net and bucket makaha and my father's words always made me to retrieve enough crab for her pot. when passing by. The way the pipes were twisted me of the kind of graceful, flourishing, serpentine I liked Grandma's method. It seemed more fair than using of a huge moray eel I once saw when it snuck OUt of a iron box traps. Grandma's low-tech procedure conveyed to hole to snack on fish we had caught and strung me a kind of ethic that is missing today. It's a rhythm that dive float. the old-timers have of not worrying, knowing that the 'aina provides and that there is no need for anxiety and greed. The end of the kuapa led us to the palena (boundary) If some crabs eat their fill and leave, it's okay. Grandma 'Ualapu'e and marked the beginning of the next will still have enough for her pot. Mission accomplished, Kalua'aha. We did not traverse beyond the fishpond's Grandma would retrieve her strings from the kiawe tree, That domain belonged to the Pedro, Bangolan, Kong, careful not to leave 'opala (rubbish) behind. Showing her Kalima, and Castor 'ohana (families). From the palena gratitude, she'd always leave the baitfish in the water for would head out to our fishing grounds comprised of more crabs to enjoy. patches in the shallows and fringing reef where the break. We'd fish just inside the wave break and let the Dad continued our fishing education, teaching us the names current drift us westward. of special fishing spots or kola in 'Ualapu'e and good grounds for he'e (octopus). We would begin our fishing forays with My preferred spear of choice was the Hawaiian sling. I our tabis (traditional Japanese socks) on our feet and gear preferred quickness and second, third, and fourth in hand while making the short trek on the foot trail behind that a three-pronged spear with a rubber sling afforded Grandma's house to the beach. Passing by Grandma's lucky The tedious cocking and re-cocking of the hinge gun crab-catching kiawe tree, Dad, Wiliama, and I would hug not my style. It required patience and quiet delilberiilom the kuapa of the large 'Ualapu'e fishpond, then give a wide that clashed with my youthful brashness. berth around the malciha, the opening sluice gate where the currents and tidal exchange are strongest, carving a little The hinge suited my brother's personality more than channel through the sand. own. Wiliama had already cultivated the discipline of a

OUAIS 30

la d, ga h ring f~om its ric an ing in h a all require a heart rev ren e and a kuleana to give back.

hunter. He went on long trek up the mountain with Dad The numerous heiau at Manawai and 'Ualapu'e and tudi d moving deer herd through the scope of his massive undertaking required to construct them rifle. H only took aim when he felt confident about the a much larger population in ancient times than hot. Wiliama applied the same patience while searching families living there today. Dad said it must for big fish under coral crevices. He knew his spear barb like Rome, with the amazing dry-stack stone would secure big fish trying to shake loose and that he of these ancient temples. We would encounter could retrieve them even from tight reef puka (holes). heiau every five minutes along our walk while I caught the easy fish, such as manini, Grandma's favorite. explain their function and purpose. There is Like most old-timers, she loved to eat manini with the guts only women could utilize. It was for pounding inside, either prepared as a soup or piilehu (grill) style. made from wauke (paper mulberry). I imagined wauke growing in Manawai as well as hundreds fter catching enough fish for dinner, we'd exit the of sweet potato growing at 'Ualapu'e, for that is its at the palena marked by the inner edge of another fishpond a hill of sweet potato. These rich agricultural that led into Manawai ahupua'a. This is where Uncle vanished, replaced by introduced lantana, kiawe, Phillip and Aunty Toochie Kalipi lived. We played with Christmas berry. Old taro fields hide in plain their son, Dukie. stone-lined terraces suffocated by huge java plum

Throughout Manawai and 'Ualapu'e there were a series My favorite heiau is one that Dad and I admire for ofheiau (ancient stone temples) that my grandmother impressive construction. One could place a level to described as collectively forming a kino (body). There was dry-stack wall face on the west bank of Kahananui even a heiau in the ocean, and my father told me it was and find it to be perfectly straight and balanced. the wawae (feet) of the kino. As with real feet, it walked. platform of the heiau reveals a beautiful ocean The fishermen in our area told stories of how this heiau south and Maui, Kaho'olawe, and Lana'i islands at in the sea could be found in one spot at a certain time, zon. We once found a conch shell placed on the and when they attempted to visit the heiau again, it was left it undisturbed out of respect. I imagined kilo gone, only to return after a time ofholoholo (traveling ers) looking for fish schools and directing the to parts unknown). ermen) below. Or perhaps in darker times, the the ancestors as a lookout for enemy canoes and a As mystical as these stories sound, I have learned not to was used to sound a warning to the people. The discredit them. One cannot help but feel the spirits of the also nestled in a gulch and was perfect for land and strong mana (power, life ) within the stones stargazing. Like my Aunty Kamakahukilani taught and the soil itself. Walking the land, gathering from sky could be divided into a grid and the ridges at its richness, and fishing in the sea all require a heart of and west could aid in the study of star and COflstellM reverence and a kuleana (responsibility) to give back. movements rising above one ridge and setting at Kahananui stream wind we to Paku'i, then raddle In ancient im the base of thi large h iau as it w nd eas ard. r m h sea, we can clearly see the length ofpaku'i. e u ed it a marker to let u know we w re reaching the nd 0 our dive ground . As we would mak OUI way to hore we'd pass through the narrow ahupua'a of Kahananui which measures the width of th tream and its banks. Kahananui was the domain of the Bicoys (my mother' family), the Kadowakis, and Sagarios. The tream transports kukui (candlenut) shells that fall from groves abutting Kahananui. These kukui roll gracefully in the gentle waves and serve as new substrate for limu 'ele'ele spores to attach to. I love Aia Na Kai Po'olo'olo'u: T he Turbulent Seas these mobile limu beds of kukui and the ease of harvesting of Moloka'i 'ele'ele strands from their lightweight, rounded shells. The kiipuna of old, when they built the fir t loko i' As a child who only knew life on Moloka'i and the simple (fishpond), asked themselve : ways of gathering food, I took it for granted that food was everywhere. In my grandparent's backyard were four mango How can we miilama (care for) the papa (reef) and the moana trees, an ulu (breadfruit) tree, an avocado and guava tree, (open sea) that holds the life and che source ofour sustenance? several types of citrus trees from orange, lemon, and lime, Aia nii kai po'olo'olo'u. mai'a (banana), and liliko'i vine (passion fruit), and the pigs and chickens we raised year-round for meat and eggs. Up in Ho wcan we reduce on these areas so that they can continue the mountains wild pig, deer, and goat meat could be easily on forever? procured. In ankle-deep waters we harvested crab and limu, and along the reef we fished. We were always provided for. Ho wcan we feed everyone, including our keiki (children) and mo'opuna (grandchildren, descendants)? In my teens, I started to notice differences in the health 'and abundance of the resources. The first thing I noticed is Howcan we create a place co attract the fish so chat everyone can that Kahananui Stream was more often dry than running. have food and not have to cravel for to acquire ? In my earlier childhood the stream ran with every vigorous rain, even of short duration. Now Kahananui needed a How can we fulfill the needs ofthe fish so chat they will fulfill our deluge of rain over a prolonged period for the aquifer to needs? recharge and for surplus water to fill the streambed. The limu, which relied on freshwater input from the stream and The ancestors studied the habits of the fish. They selected coastal springs, began to disappear or were reduced to small those fish lowest in the food chain, knowing that pound patches instead of the big carpets I used to see covering for pound, it was more efficient to eat herbivores instead the fishpond benthos. I believe these observations in the of carnivores roaming the open sea. The kiipuna observed early 1980s were the precursor to what became a growing that fish like ''ama (mullet) and awa (milkfish) feed on awareness in the '90S of what we now call climate change. limu and graze on micro-algal mats covering the shallow Oth r contributing factors are poor ahupua'a management benthos. They observed that these fish search for the "sweet and over-pumping of water for domestic use. water:' the freshwater seeps along the shoreline. After careful planning, the kiipuna constructed the loko kuapa 32

arming and fi hing to harve ting i1iahi ( ora micr -en j ­ "v.J 1IUaJ\V"".... .J exp rt to China. The traders referred to the e built th p nd and a "kua leho for their calloused backSides [;0 m in drov ,multipli d fatt ned nd ne er left. fIned In film d urn nay ti 1 d A Mau au: To ont;nue long hours of shouldering sandalwood logs. Th rainfore t in central Moloka'i also bears the For vcr th la 1 UffiU ula J hn I a'imil aua keep r of sca~ M I k 'i' an i n hula and m ' lelo (tori ), describe the enterprise' a pit i carved into the land in the sh exact scale of a ship's hull to determine the w rk 0 I a a k --, MolokaT original fi hpond architect. pro~ h 1 ko ita buil in h di tri of I anu'u wa named hold of sandalwood. The tall stands of ' ilia hi that 1 ahinal aloa - "~I ina f h great I ngth" - for the large the rainc1oud, supported the watershed, fed s springs from mauka (mountainside) to makai long t n laid a h ft undation. Thou ands of people built th pond. h y rri d the stones one-by-one, hand­ along the many ahupua'a are no more. to-hand along v n human hains transecting 10 miles of land and mountain range connecting Kanu'u on the Foreigners introduced certain plants that Outcompete outhea tern shore to Peld unu, the steep north shore natives. They also brought hooved animals that valley dominated by sea cliffs. To commemorate this great the landscape. Today, heavy rains continuously achievement, the name of Kanu'u was changed to Puko'o, precious topsoil onto reefs and in fishponds. _'-.~,".Ull['"'-!I< reflecting the complete organization and cooperation brought in mangroves as a last-ditch effort to trap achieved in building Kahinaloaloa. An unintended consequence, however, has been damage to Moloka'i's historic fishponds. Ocean By the end of the 6th century, Moloka'i had built hundreds carry buoyant mangrove pods and deposit them f fishponds. Today, there are 58 main ponds. The smallest kuapa. Their roots take hold, break through fishpond i 10 acres and the largest is 500 acres. Fish production far and up coastal springs. Some loko ita are In,..~,..,,.~_ : ceeded the needs of the people. Kumu John recounted able now, replaced by mangrove forests. an ancient phrase unique to Moloka'i: na kai po'olo'olo'u. This phrase captures the huge volume of fish thriving in the fishponds which caused the waters to visibly churn into The Birth of the Aloha 'Aina Movement on "turbulent seas" even while ocean conditions beyond the Moloka'i and a Legacy of Pule 0'0 kuapa were calm. This amazing bounty earned Moloka'i its undisputed reputation as 'aina momona - a fat land There were other, more direct threats to our fishponds indeed! It also reflects the wise management of the kupuna, and reefs. These threats sparked the aloha 'aina mo,vellllC! who fashioned these ponds to provide food not only for on Moloka'i. 'Aina at its etymological roots means themselves, but for their keiki and mo'opuna. We are living which feeds:' Aloha 'Aina is a patriotic love for the beneficiaries of their craftsmanship and love. that feeds us. Most will trace the Aloha 'Aina mo,vellnen to the march ofHui Alaloa in the mid-I970s across Change happens slowly on Moloka'i, but we are not immune Moloka'i Ranch lands marked with No Trespass signs. to challenges. Land privatization, foreign occupation, and grassroots gathering to reopen our traditional trails the commodification of natural resources have degraded seeded the early leadership of Protect Kaho'olawe our ahupua'a. Despite efforts to protect the ancient land that ultimately ended the U.S. Navy's bombing ..... n.Or.·_-­ tenure system, Hawai'i, united by Kamehameha under one Kaho'olawe Island. But even before that rime, the kingdom, fell prey to foreign influences. As the Kingdom organized in opposition to the destruction of th reef. engaged in international trade and a market economy, fronting Paialoa fishpond, adjacent to our arly "'A"~--- ' the maklainana (common people) were redirected from fishing grounds in Kamala.

OURIS 34

he pond to the outer edge of the center 0 f t randio e d elopment plan included a reef rum ay oral fill could plug the pond. Invpcr..... runountO f C " in the project due to mtermmable marjna, high-ri e ondominium, luxur hou ing on the confid enc e mountain lop ,tenni court, and other recreational d equipment failure. One day, a worker repeate amenitie . My dad and hi neighbor organized prote ts and what he thought was a log in the water, only to- petition drive. With no power to preemptively challenge late that it was Kapualei's tai~. The grea~ lizard d velopment plan hat hed in corporate boardrooms far from the water's depths, rea!Jng up agaInst the away from our humble island, the community knew it was 'on crew They all abandoned the constrUC tl . David packing a ling hot to Goliath. It didn't help either refused to return. that all land u e deci ions were made on Maui as the central hub of our tri-i I county and on O'ahu as the seat of state In my na'au (gut), I know that Kapualei remains government. We have learned over the years that if we because we have not forgotten her. When we must fly on our own dime to Maui and O'ahu to protect ,_. we also stand in solidarity with our t h e ama, our island, we will. the supernatural that bless the 'aina. always been strong because we have never rel1nOllli I was just a baby during the height of the dredging opera­ commitment to protect her. tions. Dad described it as a time when coastal waters bled milky-white from pulverized coral skeletons. When As an island people, we have united from East to I saw this place as a child, riding above the dead reef in our protect Moloka'i. We do this with a ferocious flat-bottom boat, I cried with a profound grief. The fish island. This vigilance has earned Moloka'i the re long gone. The land too was chalky white with coral chips. About two-thirds of Paialoa pond was plugged with as a bedrock of activism. co al fill. Off-road vehicles could drive over this area. Tall eeds and kiawe bush hid the remaining pond from view. How important is this place to us? It is everything~ Only a few koloa, an endangered species of Hawaiian duck, us and nourishes us physically, mentally, and could be found floating in the fishpond now cut off from the sea. Despite the hurt I feel to see this offense to the 'aina, I am grateful that the development was ultimately E Ho'i Ka 'Aina Momona - Restoring stopped in its tracks. We've learned that it isn't just important to play It was Kapualei, the great lizard deity of Kamalo, who felt If we are to preserve a legacy of 'a ina momona for our distress and intervened. Paialoa fishpond was built for mo'opuna, it's also essential to playa strategic Kapualei as a second dwelling. She blessed the pond with fishponds are still important to us. They are like abundance. Over millennia, Kapualei pulverized stone and something we can always fall back on to provide hardened lava beneath the mountain to create tunnels to transport water from the rich north shore valley of In the mid·'80s and '90S the community began in Pelekunu to our southeast shores. These waters fed our loti to restore loko i'a. The late Senator Daniel Inouye kalo (taro patches) and created the muliwai (sweet brackish pioned our efforts with federal dollars to train water conditions) for the fishponds. Hawaiians in fishpond restoration, water quality toring, and . Several Mana'e ponds. The construction crew pumped coral fill into the pond 'Ualapu'e, were restored by hand. Moloka'i al 0 each day, only to find their work undone the next day. efforts to streamline th dr, coni n fishpond The coral chips always seemed to migrate away from the system that requires 17 dift r nt county tat, 5 TH VIT LIZ TIO OF FOO •

approvals and a hefty finan ial investment 0 dra t n i­ need. t the me tim ronmental a e smen and archaeological report. It took another two decade befor multiple government bureau. not farmed in ancient time . cfacies gave way to an ea ier permitting y tern. market or oy ter and r m nirorin th m in rim - tal grow-out cag . The fishponds continue to teach u abou how to adapt to a changing environment. Uncle Walter Ritte, his on AH'i fishpond i managed by th nonprofit Ka Honua I alaniua, and Hanohano Na'ehu manage Keawanui Momona Ind. with the help of Unci r Dud it Fishpond. They are rna ter fishpond builders. When cattle a respected kupuna (eld r) and rna ter la ai'a. He t k ranching above them caused landslides and deposited mud a more traditional management approach. Much of th into the pond, they constructed berms to protect the mangrove has been removed and the pring are flowing loko ita. They reopened many springs that were plugged up once more. The makaha function properly now facilitating by mangrove and brought life back to the pond. The pua good current flow that increases dissolved for (fingerlings) gathered around these springs and took shelter happy and healthy fish and upporting a natural flushing there. Also, diseased fish with parasitic growths on their mechanism to remove mud and suspended sediment. The scales sought these healing waters. limu has also returned with new, vibrant growth. Uncle Merv teaches the children various now They discovered ways to repurpose cut mangrove by that the fish population is rebounding. fashioning hale kia'i loko (fishpond houses) stationed at the shoreline as a place for teaching and docking their raft. Another kupuna, Uncle Herbert Hoe, prepares healthy From the makaha (sluice gate) they observe fish coming traditional foods as part of his signature 'Ai Pono (eat and going through the pond gate, count their numbers, right) program. He brings innovative methods to preparing monitor their health, and harvest during tidal exchanges. traditional foods that are easy, 'ono (delicious), and pono They also placed mangrove sticks and branches into the (balanced, harmonious). He also encourages the community muddy bottom of the pond to serve as new substrate for to eat the invasives, like gorilla ogo, rather than dismiss it limu 'ele'ele spores. Limu gatherers in Mana'e now have a as limu 'opala (rubbish seaweed). The introduced gorilla ogo new source to harvest from. In 201l, when a small tsunami limu has been outcompeting our traditionallimu varieties. arrived from a powerful earthquake in Japan, it brought One strategy to reduce their numbers is to eat them. significant damage to Keawanui. The men repaired the To illustrate how tasty this new species oflimu is, Uncle wall in a matter of months. In that experience they also Herbert prepares gorilla ogo omelets. discovered that the remaining mangrove stands had protected part of the fishpond wall and a classroom from Fishponds reveal so much about the 'aina and the commu­ wave damage. nity. Their condition tells us how healthy the mountain is and, consequently, how healthy our community is. As Thus, the approach at Keawanui has been to use kiipuna we restore loko ita, we restore our culture, identity, and wisdom to manage, but to be unafraid and unapologetic in well-being. Our Moloka'i kia'i loko (fishpond caretakers) adapting new techniques for a modern setting that poses teach us that we are resilient people. When sea level rises, different challenges. An illustration of this methodology is we will adjust and place more stones on the kuapa. When the culturally grounded belief that using industrial aqua­ our traditional foods are threatened, we will do what we culture grade pellet to feed fish is unsustainable. Rather, can to save them, but we will also adapt to new foods if we the pond is manag d with an eye towards restoring its have to. natural ecology, which will in rurn meet fish nutritional 38 OURISH

When my hand tou h the I uapa and I take the time to between chews of soft cuttlefish. We topped admire the craft man hip of my an e tor, I imagine each with sweet guava. p6haku ( tone) that wa carried hand-to-hand among men, women, and hildren. The e p6haku hold the loving Ma'ana (satiated), she gave me a lesson in intention and mana (power and life force) of our ancestors. astronomy. Aunty Kamaka was a natural When 1 touch the tones, I touch my kupuna and find the by her tutu kane (grandfather) from Lana'i, a ource of my own trength. and navigator. She was well-suited to her hukilani, "the eye pulled towards the heavens. Kamaka carried a walking stick and had a little, Longing and Memory legged dog named Kizi. When Kizi died, she constellation of Canis Major with the dog star I live in urban O'ahu now, in a place called Mo'ili'iIi at the Kizi. She always referred to Akua (God) as the foothills of the University of Hawai'i at Manoa, where I and liked especially His sky paintings. teach law and Hawaiian Studies. I am learning the stories of his place. I was told that beneath the concrete buildings, Aunry Kamaka struck the air with her ko'o asphalt, and pavement around me is an amazing matrix of a movement she described as "splitting the coral caprock and underground streams that mix with the She drew an invisible grid with her ko'o and ocean. Fish swim through the coral matrix underground. to make sense of the patterns in the sky. She Somewhere near my apartment is an underground cave to observe closely the winds, clouds, and subtle with springs. I was cautioned against seeking the cave, weather. She said I was blessed to have long hair though, because carbon monoxide from automobiles sitting I could use it to determine wind direction. She in traffic often settles down into the cave and one can un­ her leo (voice) to play with the wind. ~trumlmi:n2:-.1 wittingly die from the toxic exhaust. harp, she serenaded the sea with her gruff and

There are times when I have a powerful craving for limu Hawai'i-Ioa, kO like kakou 'ele'ele the same way I enjoyed it as a daily snack stored in KOpa'a me ka lokahi e a quart-size mason jar in Grandma's icebox. Before the new KO kala me ka wiwo'ole semester begins, I will return home for a visit. Grandma has Onipa'a kakou, onipa'a kakou been calling for me, and my lonesome heart longs to sit at A lanakila na kini e the beach with her, to smell the wondrous limu fragrances E ola, e ola, e ola na kini e of'Ualapu'e, and to feel the black sand between my toes.

All Hawai'i stand together, it is now and I will also honor the memory of Aunty Kamakahukilani. To raise our voices and hold our banners My best recollection of her is sitting at the same beach and We shall stand as a nation waiting for her to retrieve from her bag the delights she To guide the destiny of our generations gathered on her walks. She took out a lemon, a guava, and And sing and praise the glory of our land pa'akai (sea salt) dyed with healing 'alae (red clay) from Kaua'i. She salted a slice oflemon for me and one for her. When I look back on that day, I think how fitting The explosion of bitter citrus invigorated my senses. Next, for her to sing that song beneath the shadow of she fetched from her purse a bag of poi and dried cuttle­ fish . She bit one end of the poi bag and told me to bite the heiau, the place where the last kahuna (priests) other end. From each end we squeezed poi into our mouths a prophecy in the wake of Qyeen Ka'ahumanu's abolish the old Hawaiian religion. The kahuna 7 THE RE IT lIL. TIO I OF FOOD SI HA II

th hardship that the people would uffer under foreign Malia A utagawa is a K oak 'Oiwi (N tive H w ii n) rule. Our ali'j chief:) auld fall but future g neration born and raised on the island of Molok Ii, She IS n would ri e once more to rene\ the culture and bring pono Assistant Professor of Law and H w iian Studi s with to the land. Once each month we would hear echoed in the Hawai'inuiakea School of Hawaii n Knowledge - the dark night the slow and ingular b at of a pahu (drum) Kamakakuokalani Center for Hawaiian Studies and from Paku i hciau. The pahu topped beating a few year the William S. Richardson School of Law - Ka Huli Ao ago. I believe it is our time no to ri e and fulfill the final Center for Excellence in Native Hawaiian L w. Malia pieces of the \! anana prophecy). is part of Hui 'Aina Momona a consortium of scholars throughout the university community charged with To be raised in a place like this - a place filled with so addressing compelling issues of indigenous Hawaiian much mana and memory - has led me to an inevitable knowledge and practices, including the legal regime destiny. I have memorized every curve and space of my and Native Hawaiian rights associated with malama aina. I hear its pulse. I breathe in sync with its breath. (aina (caring for the land), and with a focus on cross­ With all my being, I love this place. With my life, I will disciplinary to natural and cultural resource protect it. I will tell the mo aIda of this place that it may management, sustainability, and food security. endure forever. Malia is a founder and board member of Sust'ainable Moloka(i, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that focuses on maintaining Moloka(i's cultural legacy of 'aina momona (abundant land) while embracing modern pathways to a sustainable future.

View publication stats