the story
The ahupuaʻa: how Maui's land was divided
The Hawaiian land system the evening's storyteller refers to, in plain terms.
Reserve your seats for the feast ↗The ahupuaʻa in brief
| Idea | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Shape | A strip of land running from the mountains to the sea |
| Ruled by | A local chief, with a land overseer called the konohiki |
| Grown and gathered | Taro, sweet potato, breadfruit, coconut, fish and animals |
| Name | From ahu, a heap of stones, and puaʻa, pig |
From the mountain to the sea
An ahupuaʻa was a socioeconomic and climatic unit that followed a valley's drainage and ran from the high ground down to the shore.
Who looked after it
A local chief, the aliʻi, ruled each one. A land overseer, the konohiki, administered it, and priests regulated the seasons for taking resources.
What it provided
Taro, sweet potato, breadfruit and coconut grew in the lowlands and uplands, fishing grounds and aquaculture systems supplied the sea's share, and animals such as pigs and chickens were kept.
Where the word comes from
Ahu means a heap or cairn, and puaʻa means pig. Boundary markers were stone heaps where offerings were placed for the chiefs.
The values behind it
Self-sufficiency depended on shared values such as aloha, respect, laulima, cooperation, and mālama, stewardship of the land.
On the lawn
The evening's host tells how the ahupuaʻa was settled and gives insight into Hawaiian values, and the dinner is billed as farm-to-table.