Waipa Foundation
In ancient Hawaii ahupua’a were sustainable communities of land, water, and people. Waipa, on the North Shore of Kauai, sustained a significant community of Hawaiians who grew kalo and other crops. Several ‘auwai systems (water irrigation) were used for kalo growing in the Waipa valley through the 1860′s. Rice was then grown and milled between the 1860′s and 1940′s, followed by ranching through the 1980′s.
The Waipa Foundation is restoring these 1,600 acres as a learning and community center for the preservation, perpetuation, and practice of Hawaiian culture. It is a place where Hawaiians can renew ties to the ‘aina (land), and to restore the health of natural resources and native ecosystems of the ahupua’a. The land is rich with resources, including 1,400 acres of lowland conservation forest, 120 acres of agricultural land, 22 acres of coastal land along Hanalei bay, and its own perennial stream.
The non-profit foundation envisioned a valley in which streams would always flow uninterrupted from the mountains to the ocean, allowing migrating native fish to flourish. They dreamed of ‘ohana returning to farm native crops, gather medicinal plants, and support their families from the land. They imagined children learning their culture, and ‘olelo Hawai’i (Hawaiian language) would be spoken throughout the valley.
The Waipa Foundation welcomes lifelong learners to participate in various cultural and ‘aina based programs and projects, and to share what they do, and how they do it. They also provide various programs for keiki on farming, cultural practice, vegetables, and poi. They feed families from all over Kaua’i, and welcome customers and vendors to a weekly farmers market. They are managing and restoring native forests, a fishpond, wetland, native plant communities, kalo farming areas, and a stream. Waipa is an example of the perpetuation of Hawaiian culture, lifestyle, economy, and ‘ohana by just doing it.
Kauai History and Ahupua’a
Private property was unknown to ancient Hawaiians, but they did follow a complex system of land division. A whole island (mokupuni) was divided into several moku, usually in the shape of a wedge and running from the mountain crest to shore. Each moku was divided into ahupua’a, narrower wedge-shaped land sections also running from the mountains to the sea. The size of the ahupua’a depended on the resources of the area, with poorer agricultural regions split into larger ahupua’a to compensate for the relative lack of natural resources. Each ahupua’a contained the resources they needed, from fish and salt near the ocean, to fertile land for farming taro in the midlands, to koa and other trees growing in upslope areas. Hawaiians shared and traded fish for other foods or for wood to build canoes and houses. Specialized knowledge and resources peculiar to a small area were also shared among ahupua’a.
Stewardship of the land and its resources was formalized through the kapu system. The kapu (taboo) placed restrictions on fishing certain species during specific seasons, on gathering and replacing certain plants, and on many aspects of social interaction as well. In this way, the community maintained a sustainable lifestyle. The ahupua’a was a self-sustaining unit that extended elements of Hawaiian spirituality into the natural landscape, and in the activities of daily and seasonal life. By sharing resources and constantly working within the rhythms of their natural environment, Hawaiians enjoyed abundance and a quality lifestyle. This lifestyle also encouraged a high level of artistic achievement in crafts like Hawaiian kapa, featherwork, competitive sport, dance, and chant.
