Since 2024 Hoʻomau Nā Maka o ka ʻĀina has collaborated with Kuaʻāina Ulu ʻAuamo (KUA) to present place-specific screenings during KUA’s Hui Mālama Loko Iʻa, an annual gathering of fishpond practitioners from 60 revitalization projects across the archipelago. Convening over the course of a few days at a host loko iʻa, practitioners work together to exchange knowledge and skills related to the management of fishponds. With support from the KUA team, Hoʻomau NMOKA edits a one hour program from newly digitized footage from the Ahupuaʻa Fishponds and Loʻi collection (1990) in advance of the gathering, with content relevant to the planned huakaʻi and host site. These edited programs compile stories from late kūpuna and kupaʻāina around specific fishpond practices and memories as well as documentation of particular wahi. On the culminating night of the annual gatherings, the videos are shared as small offerings in hopes that the 30 year old footage may provide some valuable insight into the change and continuity of places and communities.

The outdoor screening included recently digitized tapes with Oliver Dukelow in Wailuku, Burt Sakata in Waiheʻe, and Parley Kanakaʻole in Hāna. It was especially meaningful to bring footage of Waiheʻe back to Waiheʻe, the ahupuaʻa where the gathering was held this year. In the 1990 footage, Uncle Burt advocates for the restoration of the loko iʻa kalo and auwai, at a time when it was slated for development as a golf course. Now over thirty years later, the stewards of Waiheʻe are setting the foundations for the fishpond walls and eventually the ‘auwai along the sand dunes, to prepare for the return of wai to this area. This past Saturday, following the screening, 100+ members of KUA and Maui community gathered to build 1,000 feet of kuapā. It was truly a blessing for Hoʻomau Nā Maka o ka ʻĀina to be a part of this gathering and witness the continuity across communities, generations, and the archipelago.

Mahalo i ko Waiheʻe