UTILIZING HAWAIIAN LANGUAGE NEWSPAPERS TO IDENTIFY KEY WATER RESOURCES IN HAWAI‘I

Hawaiʻi was one of the most literate nations in the world by the end of the nineteenth century as literacy rates were estimated at 98%. With over 100 newspaper publications in ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian language), these nūpepa (newspapers) documented natural phenomena, environmental observations, and cultural practices that provide valuable insights into pre-development conditions and natural resources. Researchers of the ʻIke Wai (knowledge of water) Project looked to these precious resources to 1) examine how nūpepa were understood and used by Native Hawaiians and 2) better manage future water resources in Hawaiʻi. First, nūpepa articles in reference to water were identified and translated by the Institute of Hawaiian Language Research and Translation (IHLRT). Second, translations and extracted excerpts (or “nuggets”) were examined to enrich our understanding of water and study areas from a Western science perspective. This process conveyed the importance of specific water features —particularly aquifers, anchialine ponds, and coastal groundwater discharge— to local communities and Western science alike. In addition to the information contained within the nūpepa themselves, a number of community members expressed that without the outreach efforts of the IHLRT, they would not have collaborated with the ʻIke Wai Project or an academic entity such as the university. The research presented here highlights our findings, discusses the importance and benefits of place-based science, and presents broader implications for ethically conducting science in indigenous communities using indigenous knowledge and methodologies.