Kipahulu 'Ohana's Kapahu Farm
Ancient wisdom brought to life
By Jan Welda Fleetham
Haleakala Times
Wednesday, July 21, 2004
Just before the bridge crossing over the stream at Ohe'o Gulch (which is still called Seven Pools in some tourist brochures), there is a road heading up toward the mountain.
I parked my car next to a locked gate there, having made an appointment a few days before with John and Tweetie Lind (Kipahulu 'Ohana's Project Directors), to visit Kapahu Valley. Although I was a little bit late, a big silver truck drove right up, stopped, and Tweetie, a gracious, lively woman, got out to greet me.
Tweetie hosts an interpretive hike and tour of Kapahu Farm and its "Taro Patches" at 1:00 pm on the first Tuesday of each month, making stops at historical sites along the way, helping people to experience what life was like in old Hawai'i.
Hikers meet outside the Kipahulu Visitor Center, and should bring water, lunch, rain gear, sunscreen and sturdy hiking shoes - food, gas and potable water are not available at Kipahulu. No reservations are necessary for these hikes; you can park in the National Park Service Parking lot nearby. (Please call 808 248-8673 for more information).
She offered me a ride in her four-wheel-drive truck, saying that the road could be pretty rough at times. Thanking her, I climbed into the back, joining two young women, employees of an organization based in Wailuku called Alu Like, who had come to work in the taro lo'i (irrigated terraces) that day - Na'ai Kanakaole, and Tweetie's daughter Akaneki Lind. Kealoha Beck, also sent by Alu Like, joined them later.
Kane Lind, another of John and Tweetie's children, was driving. He expertly maneuvered the large truck over the rutted, slippery road along the lush banks of Ohe'o Stream, and parked in an open area near a shelter resembling a traditional Hawai'ian hale.
There is an incredibly rich abundance of living, moving water here. Water is in the air, misting down from the sky, it's bubbling up to the surface of the ground from natural springs, it's rushing down the mountain stream toward the ocean, spilling over into magnificent waterfalls.
Water is captured and guided through an irrigation system that circulates it in and around the neat, carefully restored taro lo'i.
And that taro is "all organic", John said. "We bury all the weeds, return them to the soil, and it helps the taro grow. We have about five different local varieties. Way back from ancient times, taro was planted here, but this area was all overgrown, thick jungle and swamp, when we started. We teach kids, work with the community, and in restoring the taro, we are also restoring the 'ahupua'a system, bringing back an entire way of life."
Seabury Hall, Kamehameha Schools, Gefu University in Japan, and Hana High and Elementary School, to name a few, regularly send students out here to work in the lo'i and learn about these traditions.
The coastal area of O'heo, including this place, Kapahu Farm, was added to Haleakala National Park in 1969. In 1980, the United Nations designated the upper area of this valley as an International Biosphere Reserve.
"Kapahu means the drum; it's like a bowl here, the shape of a drum, and sounds really echo. When the water is big, you can hear the drum sounds of the strong waterfall, and of the pohaku - stones - rolling in the stream," Tweetie explained.
"Kipahulu 'Ohana was incorporated as a nonprofit organization in 1995 by a group of Native Hawai'ians with genealogical ties to Kipahulu. That same year we entered into a formal Cooperative Agreement with the National Park Service, by which the 'Ohana assists the Park Service to 'preserve, maintain, restore and interpret the Kipahulu 'ahupua'a for public use and enjoyment' and undertakes related educational, economic and natural resource management activities," according to their first newsletter.
Senator J. Kalani English and Don Reeser, Superintendent of Haleakala National Park, helped them write the Agreement, which was recently renewed until 2008.
Both John and Tweetie emphasized the vital importance of the upcoming East Maui Taro festival, the main purpose of which is "to promote taro," John said, "Taro is traditionally our main staple food; it's important for our people to experience this, get back to their culture. The Taro Festival is our biggest festival. It's a reunion where taro farmers, fishermen and former students have a chance to get together, share their experiences and talk story. We share what we've learned about taro, talk about problems and how to handle them, exchange information."
At the 12th Annual East Maui Taro Festival, on July 24 and 25, be sure to visit the Kipahulu 'Ohana Booth — they will be selling poi and other local products, and there will be poi-pounding demonstrations.
This is just a small sample of all the things to see and do at Kapahu Farm; for more information, you can visit their website at kipahulu.org.
The President of Kipahulu 'Ohana's Board of Directors is Michael Minn; Executive Director is Scott Crawford; phone number is (808) 248-8673, and you can email ohana@kipahulu.org, or write to Kipahulu 'Ohana, Inc., P.O. Box 454, Hana, HI 96713.
"The Kipahulu 'Ohana is dedicated to the cultural sustainability of the Kipahulu 'ahupua'a on Maui, Hawai'i through educational programs which incorporate local, national and international partnerships and projects. We envision families working in harmony together to preserve and enhance the traditional cultural practices of the Hawai'ian people. To this end, we conduct cultural demonstrations, restoration projects, self-sufficiency programs, biological diversity projects and other related endeavors."
Kipahulu 'Ohana Mission Statement
