Kahaluʻu Kūāhewa Place-Based Study
As part of our hui’s work with NSF CBIKS, we had the opportunity to focus on the ʻāina of Kahaluʻu Kūāhewa as a Place-Based Study. We partnered with Kahaluʻu Kūāhewa stewards, Jesse Kekoa and Kimberly Kahoonei to tailor a study to address the needs and interest of their work.
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The study was driven by four major goals:
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Conduct in-depth planning and implementation of the restorative reuse of the wahi kūpuna traditional agricultural system portion of the Kahaluʻu Field System of Kahaluʻu Kūāhewa.
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Investigate and encourage a modern model for food sovereignty and food security that incorporates indigenous agricultural systems and modern resources into wahi kūpuna stewardship and overall ʻāina land management through research, place-based and Hawaiian Indigenous Knowledge
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Thoroughly study the wahi kūpuna preserved landscape of Kahaluʻu Kūāhewa inclusive of their water systems to determine their potential function in our current Hawaiian cultural setting.
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Build stronger relationships of kānaka to ʻāina, adapting to current climate conditions and mitigation of future climate changes by responsibly managing water in these “dry-land”, ʻāina maloʻo and encouraging native growth and regenerative agricultural practices.
Guided by these goals, various tasks were identified and carried out throughout the duration of the year. Tasks included the development of a Wahi Kūpuna Stewardship Plan. This foundational research provided a basis for future studies into understanding ways to protect and care for the wahi kūpuna associated with Kahaluʻu Kūāhewa and adapt them into our modern systems through intentional restorative reuse. Insights into what should be included in a Wahi Kūpuna Stewardship Plan of this type was inspired by the collaboration of community partners and individuals connected to the area. Through Pilina Building activities and “Talk Story Sessions,” conducted throughout the year, we engaged with community partners, members, individuals, and other stakeholders in order to grow relationships with one another and openly share of each others connection to Kahaluʻu Kūāhewa and the broader Kona region, stewardship challenges and recommendations, and other topics meant to inform and strengthen the stewardship and research of our place-based study.
Additionally, as part of this work, we compiled and created a repository of existing data associated with Kahaluʻu Kūāhewa that the stewardships of this wahi can utilize for future studies,, conducted water sampling of the makalua and loko of the area, created a baseline data for water surveys, and participated in an engaging field training with Nā Maka Onaona to understand kilokilo methods for analyzing the quality and movement of water in this ma uka portion of Kona. These field training sessions helped to strengthen and build capacity for indigenous knowledge and methods for scientific observations and data collection. Another component of the Place-Based Study included efforts dedicated towards the expansion of the project site to gain a deeper understanding of kalo production unique to the area.
The study aimed to answer three primary research questions:
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What mea ʻai Hawaiʻi are the most beneficial for hāpai and nursing mothers?
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How much of these mea ʻai Hawaiʻi that are beneficial for hāpai and nursing mothers were produced in Kahaluʻu Kūāhewa during ancestral times?
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How much of these mea ʻai Hawaiʻi are being produced in Kahaluʻu Kūāhewa today?
A comprehensive analysis of Māhele ʻĀina was conducted for Kahaluʻu Kūāhewa with specific attention placed on the loʻi kalo, māla, and kīhāpai documented during the era. The Māhele ʻĀina analysis served as an additional layer of ʻike to understand the footprint that existed in Kūāhewa, and the potential of what can be achieved moving towards the future. Within specific areas of this site, indigenous knowledge and traditional agricultural techniques coupled with modern resources were used to encourage food sovereignty and food security in our island community. Restored kīhāpai were prepared and planted with kūpuna kalo in order to determine the best regenerative reuse practices that can be implemented to increase the yield of kalo produced in the kīhāpai. The study of kalo was desired in order to understand the capacity it would require to produce a yield that could sustain a nursing mother, an ʻohana, and eventually, a thriving community sustained by the foods grown from the ʻāina. The study of kalo was conducted in order to identify how much land (by acreage, number of māla, number of kīhāpai, etc.) is necessary to cultivate lūʻau to consistently support the dietary needs of one nursing mother, and extrapolate that land area to estimate the necessary land area needed to provide for many mothers; as well as, identify how much labor (in hours) is necessary to cultivate kalo and lūʻau to consistently support the dietary needs of one nursing mother and the entire ʻohana, and extrapolate that number to estimate the necessary labor needed to provide for many mothers/single ʻohana. An ethnographic component which included interviews with Kimberly Kahoonei and Pua o Eleili Pinto were conducted in order to capture their experiences and manaʻo related to the health of birthing mākuahine and the importance of nurturing a diet that celebrates our indigenous foods and beliefs as a necessary nourishment we can give to our keiki.
Throughout the duration of this study, the hui participated in the Hawaiʻi Agricultural and Agroforestry exchange to network, share, learn, and be exposed to other organizations and individuals for knowledge exchanges to occur. The hui has been a part of the cohort, working with Māla ʻŌiwi, a network made up of 14 ʻŌiwi-led organizations who all grow food and restore ʻāina, people and relationships linked to farms and forests. These experiences have deepened our connection through stewardship sharing and communicating challenges and successes.