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Abstract:
Ancient Hawaiian land division consisted
of "mokopuni" (larger islands) divided
into "moku" (districts). Each district
was further divided into "ahupua'a"
(a section of the land from the mountain to the
sea that contained nearly all the resources the
Hawaiians required for survival). The name ahupua`a
originated from "ahu" (an altar of stones)
upon which was placed an image of the head of
a "pua`a" (pig). These stone altars
marked the boundaries between each ahupua`a. Sharing
of resources and "malama `aina" were
the bases of "ahupua`a" living.
Flora
of the Ahupua`a
describes the plant species introduced by the
first Polynesian settlers. It explains how they
used their plants to maintain their lifestyles
and how they used their skills to manage their
"`aina" (land). Most of the plants introduced
were those species that provided for their basic
survival necessities: food plants, fiber plants,
medicinal and other plants of economic values
(dyes, light source, containers, utensils, wood,
etc.).
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Nelda K. Quensell
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