THE SENATE

S.R. NO.

142

TWENTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2003

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 
   


SENATE RESOLUTION

 

Requesting the PERPETUATIon of THE aHUPUA`A DISTRICTS for government-owned lands.

 

WHEREAS, in pre-contact Hawaii, the land was divided into districts, which were then divided in smaller, often pie-shaped, sections called ahupua`a that followed the boundaries of complete ecosystems, running from mountain peaks through forests, river valleys, flatlands, and marshes to the sea; and

WHEREAS, every tenant of each ahupua`a had access to the resources of each part of the ecosystem, such as the forests' timber for canoes and houses; the rivers' fresh water for drinking, cooking, watering crops; the flatlands' soil and contours for growing crops, and the ocean's bounty and vastness for fishing and sea travel; and

WHEREAS, the idea of "pono" ruled the ahupua`a in that no one could take more than they immediately needed from the land, water, or sea; and

WHEREAS, the ahupua`a governing system ensured that the natural ecosystem stayed in balance and that the integral and entwined relationships among land and sea, water and land, and life and death continued unimpeded and with respect; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-Second Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2003, that when any site known as an ahupua`a has been acquired by a governmental entity, every effort shall be made to follow as closely as possible the "blueprint" of an ahupua`a of the 17th and 18th centuries; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that simulation of an original ahupua`a be used to achieve revitalization of the current ahupua`a as much as possible; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the private sector cooperate in these efforts as much as practicable; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Governor, the Chairperson of the Board of Land and Natural Resources, the Director of the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism, the Director of the Office of Planning, and each mayor and county council of the State.

 

 

 

OFFERED BY:

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Report Title:

Ahupua`a Preservation