According to an online resource, wai, in Hawaiian is defined as, water, liquid or liquor of any kind other than sea water. We all know as Hawaiians how important our water systems are. Our water comes from all of the natural resources that surround our Hawaiian ʻāina. Back then when our ancestors were present, the people of Hawaii valued every resource that they were given, especially off of the land. The ʻāina that our people were allowed to access had so many rich and valuable features they were able to live healthy. When said "healthy" we refer to organic and locally grown food, not produced food that has been easily given to you. This can also refer to our wai problem. Today that type of respect to our land has somewhat disappeared. Not a lot of us today know where our water comes from, because we can access it so easily. We have companies around the island that sale the wai to us. It is our kuleana to respect and see how our wai is becoming. Making sure that our natural sources, that create the wai is properly running and flowing clean water for us and our ʻohana. How well do you know your water and its system?
Wai Learning Trip
We had the opportunity to go to the Kahaluʻu water source and waterfall. Before we went on the learning trip I was not really motivated. I did not think I would have as much fun. I was in the first group and we hiked to the waterfall. To get to the waterfall you had to hike about a 30 minutes all uphill. The mud was slippery and it was hard to get around. When we reached the waterfall it was so beautiful, and pure. We were able to feel the water, it was very cold. The next thing that we did was we went to the water tunnel. This was one of the best experiences I have ever had on a learning trip. The tunnel was about 5 football fields long, it was very cold. There was no running electricity in the water tunnel. When we got to the end we were able to hear the water, it was very loud. We got to fill up bottles of the water. When I drank the water it was tasted pure and clean. It was a very different experience. This learning trip was very different from the past learning trips I have gone on. I would recommend it for anyone who was to learn about where their wai comes from.