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.
Collaborating with KUA, we made an edited program featuring 1990s footage of Billy Akutagawa at Aliʻi, Kūpeke and Keawanui fishponds, and William “Billy” Kalipi and William Kalipi Jr. of Hui o Kuapā at ʻUalapuʻe fishpond. Mahalo Brenda and KUA for inviting us back!
The gathering was hosted by Maile and Hanohano Naʻehu, the current poʻo for Hui o Kuapā, a Molokaʻi organization that was founded in 1989 and is dedicated to restoring traditional fishponds. During the huakaʻi, we had the privilege of helping to restore ʻOhalahala, an 800-year-old fishpond that they steward in Kūmimi, by contributing to the rebuilding of its kuapā. Another memorable day was learning from Uncle Walter Ritte and his ʻohana about land management practices in the ahupuaʻa of Kaʻamola, where they explained that the loko iʻa mirrors the health of an ahupuaʻa. We also visited Keawanui and Aliʻi fishponds and witnessed their transformations since the archival documentation over 30 years ago. Mahalo i ko Molokai for being a model of resilience and ea! Ola!