Land can be owned, but water sustains life. This talk explores how traditional Hawaiian water rights shaped a society built on collective abundance, stewardship, and harmony with the natural world.

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.