1. Our Ahupua‘a © Hawai‘i C’s Aquaculture Waikalua Loko, Kāne‘ohe Bay, Island of O‘ahu

2. Mōhala i ka wai ka maka o ka pua. Unfolded by the water are the faces of the flowers. (Mary Kawena Pukui. 1983. ‘Ōlelo No‘eau No. 2178.)

3. Water was sacred in ancient Hawai‘i.

4. The people believed it was a gift from the gods. © Yves Rubin

5. Mahi‘ai (farmers) relied on water to feed the crops in their ahupua‘a. © Hawai‘i C’s Aquaculture

6. Wai (water) was needed to grow kalo (taro) – the main food staple in early Hawai‘i. © Hawai‘i C’s Aquaculture

7. The mahi‘ai was allowed to use water as long as he cared for this precious resource.

8. The maka‘āinana (commoners) worked together to build large irrigation systems called ‘auwai to transport water to their lo‘i kalo (taro patches). © Hawai‘i C’s Aquaculture

9. Nutrients from the lo‘i were returned to the stream by way of the ‘auwai.

10. Where do you think these nutrients ended up?

11. They would wash downstream and feed the plants and animals in the loko i‘a (fishponds). © Hawai‘i C’s Aquaculture

12. In early Hawai‘i, the people worked cooperatively to mālama (care for) their ahupua‘a. 1898. Bishop Museum Collection

13. They knew that wai was their most valuable resource. © Hawai‘i C’s Aquaculture

14. And they shared in the work to protect and preserve it. © Hawai‘i C’s Aquaculture

15. Your Challenge! Build a model of an ahupua‘a that shows how Hawaiians used water from a stream to irrigate their kalo. Your model should include: mountains a stream lo‘i kalo ‘auwai system ocean