WAIKŪPIʻO

Waiākea, Hilo, Hawaiʻi (2016)

Kahina hewitt

Located in the wahi kūpuna of Kahaluʻu Kūāhewa in the district of North

Kona there are identified water sources, retention, and distribution

systems; this is contrasting to often predominant discussions about Kona

being dry with a lack of irrigation. This research aims to highlight the

abundance of water sources, features, retention, and distribution systems

found in Kahaluʻu Kūāhewa. These features include kuaiwi, ʻauwai, and

pūnāwai and were identified through ethnohistorical research and the

examination of historical and contemporary maps to ultimately inventory

and create a comprehensive list of these impressive bodies of wai.

Conducting fieldwork was an additional component of this project.

Fieldwork techniques that were implemented include ground truthing,

GPS documentation, and mapping using a compass and baseline mapping

technique. Through the Wahi Kūpuna Internship Program, the 2022 cohort,

Ka Hālona Lewa o ka ʻŪmeke ʻAi, established relationships with the

revered ʻāina of Kahaluʻu Kūāhewa and hope to continue to support its

growth by encouraging the Kona community to familiarize themselves

with the place through wahi kūpuna stewardship.

Kahina's project here

Kawai souza

The research offered in this narrative aims to assist in the cultivation and

development of agricultural practices at Kahaluʻu Kūāhewa, a major

agricultural zone in the ahupuaʻa of Kahaluʻu in North Kona. Kahaluʻu

Kūāhewa is the largest known remaining portion of the Kona Field

System, a rich rain-fed dry-land agricultural complex on the mokupuni

(island) of Hawaiʻi. This research highlights the importance of regenerative

agriculture methods in ensuring a sustainable maximization of food

production and identifies ancestral regenerative agriculture methods

currently being or of interest to be practiced at Kahaluʻu Kūāhewa. To aid

in the understanding and implementation of these ancestral regenerative

agriculture methods, we documented one of the kīhāpai or cultivated

patches at Kahaluʻu Kūāhewa. It is the aim of this research to assist in the

expansion of current agricultural practices at Kahaluʻu Kūāhewa in order

to move toward a future in which food production is primarily self-

sustaining.

Kawai's project here

Kaʻala bertlemann

“Paepae hou ia ka Pōhaku” comes from a longer saying: Paepae hou ia ka

pōhaku i paʻa maila ke kahua hale hou; to prop up the stones once more,

so a new secure foundation is formed. With this research I hope to

contribute to the foundational knowledge of heiau , their function, and the

relevance of heiau to people and place. Heiau and our smaller shrines like

ʻahu, Unu and Koʻa were the spiritual pillars of our communities. Through

scholarly articles, reports, maps, and by conducting interviews with

community members in Kahaluʻu, I was able to create a catalog of the

heiau in Kahaluʻu. Additionally, the catalog includes a listing of the different

types of structures used for prayer and worship and the names of the

heiau within the ʻahupuaʻa of Kahaluʻu. Considering that we were

frequently working in the agricultural field system of Kūāhewa in Kahaluʻu,

this research additionally highlights agriculture heiau. In this report I

introduce what heiau are, there is a bit information of the history of our

heiau, and the story behind the decline of our use of heiau in Hawaiʻi.

Kaʻala's project here

Kainani merill

The ʻāina known as Kahaluʻu Kūāhewa is located in the ahupuaʻa of

Keauhou in the moku of Kona within the mokupuni of Hawaiʻi and stands

at a central location for the West Hawaiʻi Educational complex. This

location is ideal for offering ʻāina based educational experiences for the

West Hawaiʻi Educational Complex. Through a series of interviews done

with educators from a variety of grades, experience levels, and different

originating regions, the query focused on the type of support that would

be appropriate, convenient, and practical for public education teachers

in the West Hawaii Complex area. The response from educators was that

a premade curriculum that could be easily and effectively brought into

their classrooms, with activities such as coinciding field trips, would be

especially beneficial. Another matter that was brought to light was the

turnover rate within the Hawaiʻi Department of Education that leads to

high hiring rates of new and non local teachers. The lack of familiarity

with the region and culture could also be addressed by Kahaluʻu

Kūāhewa through family based Professional Development that includes

introduction of ʻāina, culture and curriculum development support. By

developing a robust infrastructure and a thriving variety of curriculum,

Kahaluʻu Kūāhewa has the opportunity to effectively positively impact

public education within its complex area.