Hawaiian Farming HIstory
Like much of Hawaii's agricultural lands, Waipa's physical landscape has been significantly altered through agricultural practices over the last 200 or so years, obliterating much of it's physical history. From the physical remnants, mo'olelo, and archived information, however, it can be ascertained that Waipa sustained a significant community of Hawaiians who grew kalo and other crops, prior to the Mahele. Halaloa Heiau, with Kane as it's diety, is the only heiau whose location is known today. Several ancient agricultural systems have been located, and one mapped, in the upper Waipa valley. There may have been significant kalo growing in the Waipa valley through the 1860's, as indicated by several 'auwai systems which feed the lower valley, kuleana records, and a documented observation during the 1860's. Rice was a major agricultural product grown and milled at Waipa between the 1860's and 1940's. Ranching was practiced at Waipa from the 1940's through the 1980's. The ahupua'a of Waipa was awarded to Ruta Ke'ilikolani, great-granddaughter of Kamehameha I, during the mahele, and subsequently passed into the landholdings of Kamehameha Schools, Waipa's current landowner. MODERN HISTORYThe Waipa Project began in 1982 when a group of Hawaiian kupuna (elders) from the Halele'a communities, along with their `ohana (families) and k ako'o (supporters), organized to preserve Waipa, which was at that time slated for development of high-end agricultural estates. Their mission was "to restore the ahupua'a of Waipa as a Native Hawaiian community center and learning center, a sustainable, culturally and community-based model for land-use and management." After four years of negotiating, the group convinced Kamehameha Schools to lease the land to them instead of developing it. These kupuna envisioned a valley in which streams would always flow uninterrupted from the mountains to the ocean, allowing migrating native fish to flourish. They dreamed of 'ohana returning to farm native crops, able to support their families from the land, rather than working multiple menial jobs to survive. Their vision encompassed restoring native upland forest where people could come to gather medicinal plants. They imagined that 'olelo Hawai'i (Hawaiian language) would be spoken throughout the valley, and envisioned Waipa full of children learning their culture (Blaich, 2003, p.4.). Today, the landowner, Kamehameha schools, through their 'AiANCIENT HISTORYLike much of Hawaii's agricultural lands, Waipa's physical landscape has been significantly altered through agricultural practices over the last 200 or so years, obliterating much of it's physical history. From the physical remnants, mo'olelo, and archived information, however, it can be ascertained that Waipa sustained a significant community of Hawaiians who grew kalo and other crops, prior to the Mahele. Halaloa Heiau, with Kane as it's diety, is the only heiau whose location is known today. Several ancient agricultural systems have been located, and one mapped, in the upper Waipa valley. There may have been significant kalo growing in the Waipa valley through the 1860's, as indicated by several 'auwai systems which feed the lower valley, kuleana records, and a documented observation during the 1860's. Rice was a major agricultural product grown and milled at Waipa between the 1860's and 1940's. Ranching was practiced at Waipa from the 1940's through the 1980's. The ahupua'a of Waipa was awarded to Ruta Ke'ilikolani, great-granddaughter of Kamehameha I, during the mahele, and subsequently passed into the landholdings of Kamehameha Schools, Waipa's current landowner. MODERN HISTORYThe Waipa Project began in 1982 when a group of Hawaiian kupuna (elders) from the Halele'a communities, along with their `ohana (families) and k ako'o (supporters), organized to preserve Waipa, which was at that time slated for development of high-end agricultural estates. Their mission was "to restore the ahupua'a of Waipa as a Native Hawaiian community center and learning center, a sustainable, culturally and community-based model for land-use and management." After four years of negotiating, the group convinced Kamehameha Schools to lease the land to them instead of developing it. These kupuna envisioned a valley in which streams would always flow uninterrupted from the mountains to the ocean, allowing migrating native fish to flourish. They dreamed of 'ohana returning to farm native crops, able to support their families from na Ulu program, is a partner and supporter of the Waipa Foundation