He'eia Fishpond by Steve, Kara, Haruka and Lucas

Heʻeia Fishpond

by Steve, Kara, Haruka and Lucas

Experiences at Heʻeia Fishpond

1. We chanted 'Eia ka Punahou'

2. We made a circle and introduced ourselves.

3. We felt coral and rock which made the wall and described it.

4. We all tried Akulikuli and it tasted like G2

5. We went to the makawai (gate) where the Hawaiians would collect the fishes.

6. We weeded out mangroves and got very muddy.

Questions

1. What did the Hawaiians use the fishpond for?

A. They used the fish in the fishpond as food and fish was their only source of protein. The fish was a kind of food for the people in the ahupuaʻa of Heʻeia.

2. What materials were used to build the pond.

A. Pohaku (Lava Rock) for the outer wall and Koʻa (Coral) for the inner wall where we walked on. 

3. Why is mangrove harmful to fishponds?

A. It sucks the nutrients from the fishpond and makes the dirt black.

4. Interesting Facts 

1. A fishpond has 2-3 guardians, like the moʻo.
2. Another guardian is a sting ray and if someone tries to steal, it stings him or her in the neck and tie him or her up then, throw him or her to a reef with a lot of sharks.
3. The mangroves can grow at least 1 foot a year.
4. The fishpond is 800 years old!!!
5. The fishpond is 88 acres (it can fit all of Punahou School inside it).
6. The coral and rock wall has been stable for 800 years.
7. The fishpond is not that deep so we can walk across the whole fishpond.
8. There used to be 98 or 99 fishponds but now there are only 10 on Oahu.