Application of Traditional Ecological Knowledge and Practices of Indigenous Hawaiians to the Revegetation of Kaho'olawe

Abstract

Kaho'olawe Island has been established as a natural and cultural reserve, and an ongoing process of removal of dangerous unexploded ordnance is to be followed by a restoration of the native vegetation of the island, now largely denuded and highly disturbed by alien weeds. As part of the planning process for this effort, a review of Hawaiian traditional ecological knowledge and land management practices was undertaken, offering many premises, precedents, and practica for the effort, all stemming from chants and recorded practices of Hawaiians. It becomes clear that traditional approaches have much to offer the modern restoration effort.