Just like the ʻāina, the Hawaiian people did not claim ownership of the water. The Hawaiian people understood that they were stewards of the ʻāina. The Hawaiian people understood that the precious resource of water was a gift to help them survive. They were thoughtful with their use of the water. The ʻahupuaʻa was set up to where the water flowed from the mountain to the sea to enable all the people of the land to make proper use of it. When the mahiʻai veered water from the stream to nourish the loʻi kalo, they channeled the water to return to the flowing streams, and carry on with itʻs course. Today, the water does not flow from the mountain to the sea. We are taking advantage of this precious resource. Someone got the idea that they own the water. That they can sell out and STEAL the water from the streams to benefit the corporate businesses. We need to remember the value of our water. We need to remember that when we STEAL the water from our streams, we are interrupting mother nature. We are interrupting the flow of things. Let us learn from our kupuna. This ʻāina once flourished with enough food to feed a population greater than what we have today. Respect the resources, and we will be provided with everything needed to be sustʻāinable.
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