Loko Iʻa Pāʻaiau Fishpond Inspires Story of Healing and Peace

The story is about a boy who helps restore a 400-year-old fishpond and, in the process, finds healing and harmony within himself. Although written to teach children about the practice of aloha and mindfulness, adults can also learn meaningful lessons about healing and forgiveness.

The central theme of the book is hoʻoponopono, which has many meanings including, “to make amends, forgiveness, to make right, to rectify, to begin anew,” explained Le, a professor in the Human Development and Family Studies program in the Family Consumer Sciences Department at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.

“You first need to do ho’oponopono within yourself, so this act of letting go of everything that you carry throughout your life, you need to let it go before you can have harmony, which is why we say hoʻoponopono is harmony,” Le added, citing the tenets of Keaulani, fondly known as Uncle Bruce, and Morrnah Nalamaku Simeona, who was recognized as a kahuna lāʻau lapaʻau (healer) and Living Treasure of Hawaiʻi. Uncle Bruce trained under Simeona, known by many as Aunty Morrnah.

Aunty Morrnah developed a modern version of the practice of hoʻponopono, a method for individual problem solving.

“Hoʻoponopono is the practice of making everything into alignment: human, land, divinity. It’s the belief that in the Hawaiian view when you have disharmony, it’s because those are not in alignment, so there are many ways of practicing,” said Kehaulani Lum, fondly known as Aunty Kehau, who studies Hawaiian spiritual practice under Uncle Bruce and is actively involved as a steward of Loko Iʻa Pāʻaiau. “In Aunty Morrnah’s case, essentially, her practice is one of the individual asking Divinity to cleanse and bring everything back to peace.”

Aunty Kehau, who is also president of the Aliʻi Pauʻahi Hawaiian Civic Club, explained the significance of the fishpond as the setting for the book.

“What’s special about this one is that it was the home and pond of the highest sovereign of Oʻahu who governed for over 60 years from this place in peace and there was no war,” said Aunty Kehau. “That sovereign is Mōʻī Wahine Kalanimanuʻia, who built two other royal fishponds and ruled with aloha, benevolence, and abundance.”

Uncle Bruce explained that growing up, he studied Hawaiian culture daily and that the fishpond is an excellent place to restore cultural practices like hoʻoponopono. He said when visitors come to the fishpond, they experience something unique.

“When they come here, the spirit flows through them to bring that memory back of culture,” he said.

Aunty Kehau described how hoʻoponopono and other Hawaiian practices were part of the fishpond restoration and preservation plan developed in partnership with the Navy in 2014. The plan also stated that Loko Iʻa Pāʻaiau would be an active cultural site instead of something akin to a museum.

“We actually find that in the healing of the land, we heal ourselves and when you do that, what you’re giving to the land is so much aloha,” she said.

On Nov. 18, 2023, the Navy along with leaders from Living Life Source Foundation, Ali‘i Pauahi Hawaiian Civic Club, Nā Lima No‘eau and affiliated native Hawaiian organizations signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to solidify and continue efforts to preserve, restore, and maintain Loko Iʻa Pāʻaiau. The MOU has no end date which means the partnership will provide lasting benefits to the community.

Two thousand copies of Hoʻoponopono is Harmony have been distributed across the state by the Hawaiʻi Department of Health and Human Services. The book is Le’s fourth and like the other three, was influenced by ALOHA, also known as the “Aloha Spirit Law,” HRS §5-7.5.

This law was written by Aunty Pilahi Paki, a native Hawaiian Native Hawaiian poet and philosopher who wrote about the importance of aligning the mind and heart in each person. She emphasized five major values of aloha: akahai meaning kindness, lōkahi meaning unity, ‘oluʻolu meaning agreeableness, haʻahaʻa meaning humility, and ahonui meaning patience. The symbolic Hawaiʻi state law, established in 1986, requires that all people in Hawaiʻi show consideration and kindness.

Le is optimistic about the future of the fishpond and believes that individuals can overcome their personal struggles by following the wisdom of Hawaiian values.

Aunty Kehau expressed her gratitude for the book as well as the Navy’s ongoing partnership, which honors the legacy of Kalanimanuʻia through the restoration of the fishpond and provides a place where all are welcome to learn about Hawaiian culture.

“I only know that through this work that the Navy started, her name is being lifted,” said Aunty Kehau. “Her story is being told. She was almost lost to history because there is so little known about her. She ruled when we didn’t have good records. Two hundred more years before we’d be writing pen to paper, so stories were transferred orally … but you can come here, learn, and help create new stories.”