Maui ahupua’a project now has videos to go with its educational road signs

HONOLULU, Hawaii (HawaiiNewsNow) - Brilliant Minds Media has produced three educational videos on Hawaii’s ancient land division system for the Maui Nui Ahupua’a Project.

They talk about the system from three different perspectives.

Cultural advisor Clifford Naeole said its important to discuss the method his ancestors followed.

“It’s important for practitioners. It’s important for our people. It’s very important for our guests to understand just how sensitive this aina is, that which feeds us,” he said.

Vernon Kalanikau heads up the other half of the project. He’s in charge of the creation and installation of highway and road signs that display the original names and characteristics of Maui’s different areas.

“It’s important that we get our traditional names back up and the boundaries and educate not only the Hawaiian community but the visitors too,” he said.

Ancient Hawaiians followed a system of land division that ran from the mountain to the sea. The areas were self-contained sections for fishing, farming and sources of fresh water.

“I believe every Hawaiian here is a product of an ahupua’a,” Naeole said.

The project also supports the concept of sustainability. In creating the signs, Kalanikau relies on community input. “The names to those areas are connected to the kuleana and to maybe the families of that area,” he said.

Maui County funded both the video and sign projects, and Maui Food Technology Center is a sponsor. The project helps people understand the ahupua’a concept from an unfiltered view.

“The great thing is that we weren’t held back in what we had to say. We all spoke from the heart,” Naeole said.

To see the signs and view the videos, go to MauiNuiAhupuaaProject.com.

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