The Ahupua’a System of Hawai’i: Serving the Lands and Waters with Kumu Mikilani Young

Ahupua’a. The ancient Hawaiian system that honors the interconnectedness of the land, waters, clouds and all living things. The system is inherently based in sacred reciprocity, sustainability, collaboration with and responsibility to others: to the lands, waters, and life itself, thriving from the mountains to the sea. The destruction of the Lahaina Fire is an example where the connections between people and the land had become broken and out of balance to the detriment of all. Within the Ahupua’a, the people would practice: aloha (respect), laulima (cooperation) and malama (care or stewardship) in order for the whole to be pono or in sacred balance. The system encompasses culture, spirituality, hydrology, aquaculture, forestry, land regeneration, and caring for watersheds. Ahupua’a is a living example of ancestral wisdom, innovation and well-being where the people take care of the land and the land in turn, takes care of them. Kumu Mikilani Young [http://mikilaniyoung.com], Co-Founder of the nonprofits, United Pillars of Aloha and Kaiapuni Ho’ola Piha Sanctuary, joins us on this show to share the essence of the Ahupua’a system as a global example of how we can unify, be abundant and fulfill our shared responsibility to Mother Earth. For an extended interview and other benefits, become an EcoJustice Radio patron at https://www.patreon.com/posts/87744154?pr=true Discussion with Mikilani on youth advocacy in 2021: https://wilderutopia.com/landscape/spiritual/kiai-up-the-rise-of-empowered-youth-with-mikilani-young/ Discussion with Mikilani on stopping Mauna Kea in 2018: https://wilderutopia.com/landscape/spiritual/ecojustice-radio-ku-kiai-mauna-the-mauna-kea-movement-to-protect-sacred-sites-ep-25-part-i/ Mikilani Young is a Kanaka Maoli (or Hawaiian) traditional kumu hula and cultural practitioner who lives and walks a spiritual path set by her ancestors and guided by ke Akua (which means Creator/God). She has been a teacher for 26 years, where her approach to the practice and teaching of Indigenous Hawaiian ways is suited to the challenging times we live in. Her path is a discerning one to not exploit or diminish the mana of her own knowledge while maintaining and honoring the Creator of the Universe. The work she has done as a co-founder of the nonprofits (United Pillars of Aloha and Kaiapuni Ho’ola Piha Sanctuary) [http://mikilaniyoung.com], is in service of Mother Earth and the unborn generations. Carry Kim is Co-Host of EcoJustice Radio. An advocate for ecosystem restoration, Indigenous lifeways, and a new humanity born of connection and compassion, she is a long-time volunteer for SoCal350, member of Ecosystem Restoration Camps, and a co-founder of the Soil Sponge Collective, a grassroots community organization dedicated to big and small scale regeneration of Mother Earth. Podcast Website: http://ecojusticeradio.org/ Podcast Blog: https://www.wilderutopia.com/category/ecojustice-radio/ Support the Podcast: Patreon https://www.patreon.com/ecojusticeradio PayPal https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=LBGXTRM292TFC&source=url Executive Producer and Intro: Jack Eidt Hosted by Carry Kim Engineer and Original Music: Blake Quake Beats Episode 186 Photo credit: Mikilani Young