The scent of ka ua ʻala lingers in the morning air as the lilinoe settles at the foot of Hokunui, our steadfast mauna standing tall against the horizon. From the lanai, I watch a family of koloa ducks glide toward the pua pond for their morning nourishment before the rays of the sun spill over Kalanipuʻu. I step into the crisp dawn to pick the ripest hei I’ve been watching mature all week.
Living on the loko iʻa is both privilege and kuleana – a calling to preserve the agricultural traditions of our kūpuna. Moving through the hale, I check the off-grid systems of our zero-net-carbon home, where innovation meets tradition. Balance is our teacher.
I walk to the shoreline of the loko iʻa and begin my pule of gratitude – e ala ē, Kānehoʻālani, nā ʻaumākua, e hō mai… As the chant fades, I see an ʻanae leap from the water – a hōʻailona of renewal. Two decades ago, such a sight was rare on Hulēʻia River. These herbivores feed on phytoplankton, maintaining the delicate balance of the pond. Once choked by mangrove, the loko iʻa now thrives with ʻoʻopu, limu, and other native species. In restoring the pond, we restore ourselves.
I take a moment to kilo – the tides, the currents, the whispers of ʻāina. A local fisherman and his grandson gather their ʻūkana, taking only what they need. Their practice of selective harvesting, guided by generations of observation, is a reflection of aloha ʻāina and the resurgence of a gifting economy. They will share and trade their catch, perpetuating the spirit of the ahupuaʻa system where self-subsistence and reciprocity sustained thriving communities.
The loko iʻa is more than a fishpond – it is an incubator for abundance, a model of sustainability that amplifies nature’s design. Our kūpuna understood the harmony of fresh and saltwater, the placement of each pōhaku, and the spiritual reciprocity with land and sea. Their engineering was ceremony, their science, aloha. Even now, in a world consumed by extraction, the loko iʻa stands as proof of another way.
A single fishpond can yield over 166 kilograms of fish per acre. ʻAlekoko, at 32 acres, could produce over 5,000 kilograms – once part of a network of fourteen loko iʻa along Hulēʻia. These ponds amplified fish stocks, feeding communities through hukilau that nourished the island. Our ancestors didn’t take from the pond; they nurtured it as a system-wide incubator, ensuring that life flowed outward to all.
Today, a new generation carries the mantle of aloha ʻāina. Their leadership is global, blending ancestral wisdom with modern innovation. The prophecies of Aunty Pilahi Paki and Kapihe are unfolding – Hawaiʻi emerging as a beacon of regenerative practice. Our islands remind the world that economies can be distributive, circular, and rooted in care rather than consumption.
The 800-year-old rock wall, rebuilt by our community, draws thousands to restore the pond and their connection to ʻāina. Guided by the principle of Hulihia – the cycle of upheaval and renewal – we understand that change is constant. Each generation must navigate its own shifts, learning in rhythm with nature. Restoration is not just about food; it is about mindset – rejecting scarcity, embracing abundance, and allowing adaptive management to flourish.
The loko iʻa now nourishes body and economy. It provides food, creates jobs, and supports new indigenous enterprises – fish fertilizer, shellfish cultivation, limu propagation, and kalo farming – all contributing to food sovereignty and health. Hawaiʻi moves closer to freeing itself from dependence on imported goods.
Once, our culture was commodified – our people framed as entertainers for visitors seeking paradise. That narrative nearly erased us. But today, models like the fishpond stand as living systems of innovation and community. This circular economy is awakening global consciousness, challenging extractive paradigms, and proving that indigenous values hold the blueprint for sustainability. Frameworks like ʻĀina Aloha Economic Futures guide us on this journey.
Soon, students from the local charter school will arrive – not for a tour, but for initiation into a way of life. These keiki will one day lead the halemua and Manokalanipō University, carrying forward lessons of balance, adaptation, and leadership rooted in ʻāina.
We stand in the turning of an age – flipping the script of capitalism and returning to the wisdom of nature. The answers to our collective future have always been here, embedded in ʻāina and carried in our moʻokūʻauhau. ʻĀina momona – flourishing land – is more than the soil beneath us. It is the thriving mind, body, and spirit of our people.
We are the answer to our own needs. Ever learning, evolving, adapting, and giving back, we live the values we profess – guided by the ancestors, grounded in the land, and illuminated by the rising sun.
Mason Chock is the President of Kupu Aʻe Leadership Development on Kauaʻi, specializing in experiential education. A Certified Master Facilitator of The Leadership Challenge, he also facilitates Everything DiSC, Five Behaviors of a Cohesive Team. As a coach, consultant, and keynote speaker, Mason drives social change through leadership growth across business, education, and government. A former Kauaʻi County Council vice chair, he is also a cultural practitioner of uhau humu pohaku, hoʻoponopono and lāʻau lapaʻau.