"Pono Wai: The Responsibility of Ancient Hawaiian Water Rights" (Dr. Uluwehi J. Hopkins)

Land is a tangible thing that humans have been able to "own," and therefore, control. Yet, what enables humans to live on land is the accessibility of water. The Hawaiian Islands were organized through the Ahupuaʻa System, often described as pie-shaped pieces of land that stretched from mountain to sea, with each piece being managed by a chief situated in a complex hierarchy. However, the staple crop of the Native Hawaiian people was kalo, grown in wetlands. For this reason, Hawaiʻi could be better defined as a waterscape, with extensive irrigation canals wherever possible. Effective management of the whole relied on the granting of water rights based on responsible and ongoing relationships with water. This talk will explore what water rights were in Hawaiian society, and how such rights enabled a community built upon collective abundance and responsibility. 

Uluwehi Hopkins is a Kānaka Maoli (Native Hawaiian) scholar descended from Oʻahu Island lineages. Her work is immersed in Hawaiian knowledge systems and researching the methods used by her ancestors to maintain a balanced relationship with the environment and cultivate a state of communal abundance. She shares these findings through teaching in universities and in the community. In addition to joyously diving into Hawaiʻi’s vast archive of material produced by in the Hawaiian language, Hopkins often utilizes moʻolelo (oral histories) and other language productions, such as mele (songs), oli (chants), and kaʻao (fables), as sources for revealing knowledge systems that have been overlooked, but could offer insights into a more sustainable future for all.

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Location: WZU, Room 101 (Building U), Universitätsstr. 1a (innocube), 86159 Augsburg

Time: 12:00 – 13:00

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