Below: Kūpuna story weavings created and shared in a workshop at Ke'anae Uka. 
Click on an image to hear the audio recording. The collection is also hosted on a StoryCorps Archive.

Herman Ka'auamo shares stories about gathering 'O'opu, Hīhīwai snails, 'Ōpae shrimp, and Dojo loaches in streams as bait for fishing.

If we take care of kalo, kalo will take care of us kanaka. Same with water. We need to care for the water and it will care for us.

Lehua shares that her whole family were 'opihi pickers. They used to collect a lot and the children would help in prying the 'opihi from the shells.

Kiele shares how her mom would take children on night hikes to gather ʻopae and hīhīwai in the streams of Piʻinaʻau.

Grandfather harvested kalo and stacked bags along Hana Road. Rosalind & cousins "helped" in kalo patches so they could swim in Ching's Pond to clean off.

Lokelani reflects on swimming in streams and how they nourished all the plants that her grandma tended in Ke'anae.

Kahala's weaving began as a pineapple but evolved into a hoʻokupu, a traditional Hawaiian offering given to show respect, honor, or gratitude.

Pauline was told that lo'i kalo work was man's work and was sent to O'ahu for high school, but came home after 1 year to the lo'i kalo patches she loves.

Pomai recalls being fed by his grandmother from a bowl by hand. She would say "Omizu. Omizu". He today feeds family keiki in same manner.

Pearl lived next to Waiakamilo stream where bathed swam, washed dishes, and caught o'pai. She has sweet memories of Ke'anae.

Lynnette recalls her experiences swimming in a freshwater pond with family.

Nalani shares a playful story of her lauhala airplane representing flying to the 9th Island (Las Vegas).

Richard shares a tsunami story in which he was surprised to find a baby pufferfish looking back up at him from a puddle in his church's parking lot.

David recalls Bull Durham bag as tap water filter on Pāʻia plantation kitchen sink catching bugs and leaves.

Blase shares that as children he and his cousins would walk along road to see waterfall on Sunday, their only free time of the week. They would collect small plums in mayonase jars and mash into jam. They also would catch o'opu, moi, and āhole.

Blase and his cousins walked to waterfall on Sundays. They collected small plums in mayonase jars and mashed into jam. They also would catch o'opu, moi, and āhole.

Listen to these stories. What fellow organisms are mentioned? Are they still abundant? What kuleana is mentioned that we need to hold? How are their childhood experiences and pilina to ʻāina and water different from yours? Similar? What might we carry forward from these mo'olelo as we envision a future of community water stewardship in East Maui?
(Note: The bottom row kūpuna stories are accompanied by nala nala weavings by artist Takara)
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