E Ola Ka ‘Aina: Paepae o He‘eia
This article is reprinted with permission from a new magazine: PMA, which stands for Positive Mental Attitude. <www.getthatpma.com>
Paepae o He‘eia is a nonprofit entity that is working to repair and restore an early Hawaiian fishpond steeped in legend and lore. It was once the spiritual and political center of a complex society in the Ko‘olau Poko district of Windward O‘ahu. A strict kapu system was in place at the pond for generations. All who contributed to the fishpond’s function earned a right to its bounty. Gruesome executions and human sacrifice awaited those who broke bespoken laws. It’s been recently designated as part of NOAA’s National Estuary Research Reserve System.
He‘eia Fishpond is a marvel of human ingenuity, cooperation and a living monument to a profound, native understanding of resource management and allocation. The stones that make up the 7,000-foot wall of the fishpond were hand-passed from miles away, sourced from the mauka (inland) forest about 800 years ago. The wall encircles 88 acres, and the human effort required to construct it was
