Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 34, Number 7, 1 July 2017 — Mālama ʻāina, Mālama Honua [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Mālama ʻāina, Mālama Honua

A s we herald home our now glob- /\ ally recognized ieon, Hōkūle'a, with her message of

# % mālama honua, may we / \takeamomenttoreflect on the great kuleana they have taken up, and mahalo all of those who have sacrificed to complete this epie journey. He lei ka'apuni honua, he lei aloha nō. The lesson of mālama honua, to care for our island Earth, is something our society must commit to at every level. May our policy makers continue to think forward to our state's renewable energy goal by 2045. I encourage our business

leaders to implement sustainable strategies into their models when possible. As kanaka, I eall upon you to do your part to mālama and aloha 'āina, because as a eollective, we ean solve our climate issues that directly affect our island home. He 'āina nani a kamaha'o. Sustainability practices encourage us to tackle the issues of water management, waste management, long-term Ananeial stability, societal heahh, natural resource management and conservation, and selfsufficiency. The latter being our most pressing issue. As we keep in mind the accomplishments of Hōkūle'a and PVS, and their commitment to mālama honua and sustainability, I would like to bring to light an organization doing great work to secure and perpetuate a most vital natural resource in Hawai'i, wai (fresh water). E ola ka wai a Kāne, the living waters of Kānewai. That organization is Maunalua Fishpond Heritage Center (MFHC) and they have taken up their kuleana for the past 10 years to rehabilitate the spring that feeds the fishpond and Maunalua Bay. Nestled in the sea lands of Kuli'ou'ou, O'ahu, there is a spring and fishpond known as Kānewai. The name reminds us of the travels of Kānewai and Kanaloa as they went about our pae 'āina bringing forth fresh water springs. Onee

stagnant, hlaek, and mosquito-infested waters, the spring is crystal clear and bountiful with rare freshwater native

species that were believed to be gone from the southern shores of O'ahu, such as hapawai, 'o'opu 'akupa, and 'ōpae 'oeha'a. With a rehabilitated spring, the potential for a thriving fishpond is imminent, and could provide for our communities onee again. MFHC is a community-based group bringing together nā 'ōpio, kumu, and 'ohana at Kānewai spring. Focated on private property, MFHC teaches the community the history of Kān-

ewai and the greater Maunalua area, as well as the immense cultural, environmental, and societal need for wai. For the last two years, MFHC has partnered with the Trust for Puhlie Fands (TPF) in an effort to purchase the property for whieh the spring is located. Their purchase of the property will ensure the spring is kept alive and well in perpetuity. Kānewai spring serves as a symbol of hope for our lāhui. The restoration of our sacred and vital resources is not only important for the heahh of our lāhui but an absolute necessity. The southern shore of Kona, O'ahu, where fishponds were plentiful, now choked with homes, was arguably the site of the largest fishpond in the world, Keahupua o Maunalua. A plaee teeming with cultural vitality and a people rich with resources, Kānewai spring and fishpond is a heaeon of light, a lone star on a cloudy night. As a lāhui, let us follow the example of eommunity based organizations like MFHC, with the same rigor, persistence, and commitment to mālama 'āina. I encourage you again, 'o Hawai'i, to heed the eall and take part in the work that is laid before you. The world will look to us as a lāhui committed to mālama 'āina. E mālama honua me ke aloha. ■

LEO 'ELELE TRUSTEE MESSSAGES

Carmen "Hulu" Lindsey Trustee, Maui