Master craftsmen train new generations in traditional Uhau Humu Pōhaku while the ancient fishpond system emerges from decades of neglect.

POIPU, Hawaii, June 10, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- In a powerful act of cultural reclamation, Hui Mālama O Kāneiolouma has begun an ambitious dual restoration of the sacred Kāneiolouma Heiau, simultaneously rebuilding ancient interior walls using traditional Hawaiian building methods and revealing long-buried fishponds that represent sophisticated pre-contact aquaculture systems. This milestone marks the most comprehensive restoration effort within the 20-acre wahi pana (storied place) in modern times.

The project centers on two critical cultural preservation efforts: master stone masons training 20 apprentices in the ancient art of Uhau Humu Pōhaku (dry stack masonry) to restore interior walls, while a parallel effort clears decades of invasive species and debris from ancient fishponds in the complex's southwest corner near Waiohai resort.

Supported by $425,000 in grants including $400,000 from the State of Hawaiʻi and $25,000 from Historic Hawai'i Foundation, the work represents Phase III of a comprehensive cultural preservation effort to restore this 1400s village to its pre-contact state. Led by master craftsman Peleke Flores, who trained under renowned Kumu Palani Sinenci, the restoration employs only traditional materials and protocols, ensuring cultural authenticity across all elements of the ancient village system.

The fishpond restoration reveals the sophisticated integration of ancient Hawaiian life, where freshwater from the sacred Waiohai spring once flowed through taro fields before nourishing fishponds that provided sustainable protein sources. After decades buried under invasive vegetation and accumulated debris, these engineering marvels are becoming visible again, demonstrating the advanced ecological knowledge of Hawaiian ancestors.

Visitors to this sacred site—located in the heart of Kauaʻi's most visited region—witness living Hawaiian culture in action across multiple systems. Unlike museum displays, Kāneiolouma offers authentic cultural experiences where visitors observe traditional building techniques, learn about integrated agricultural and aquaculture systems, and understand the spiritual significance of this wahi pana that contains 23 religious idol sites and the sacred spring of Waiohai.

The restored village will showcase traditional hale (structures), functioning taro fields connected to the restored fishponds, ancient irrigation channels, and the only intact makahiki sporting arena in the Hawaiian Islands. Plans include a visitor interpretive center offering guided cultural experiences that connect modern audiences with the sophisticated, sustainable practices of ancient Hawaiian civilization.

"A lot of people would look at this and see just rocks. They don't know that there were taro patches here, and fish ponds, and a whole Makahiki arena. Hopefully we can bring back some of those traditions and be able to teach this to the next generation," said Peleke Flores, Alaka'i, Uhau Humu Pōhaku.

Hui Mālama O Kāneiolouma is launching a two-year campaign to raise $5-7 million for complete restoration of all village systems, culminating in a statewide Makahiki festival in fall 2027—the first authentic celebration of its kind in generations.

For more information or to support the restoration effort, visit: www.kaneiolouma.org

About Hui Mālama O Kāneiolouma Hui Mālama O Kāneiolouma is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization established to protect, restore, and perpetuate the Kāneiolouma Heiau Complex as a living cultural preserve. Under a stewardship agreement with the County of Kauaʻi through 2037, the Hui leads all restoration efforts with guidance from cultural experts, practitioners, and community volunteers.

Media Contact

Moani Tolentino, Hui Mālama O Kāneiolouma, 1 (808) 635-5949, media@kaneiolouma.org, kaneiolouma.org

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SOURCE Hui Mālama O Kāneiolouma