*3.2. The Maluaka Project*

The Maluaka Project was born from the joining of forces between a series of service-learning anthropology classes taught by Jack Rossen during academic winter intersession and the mapping and restoration of the ten-acre parcel Maluaka parcel of the North Kona agricultural field system by Keone Kalawe and Mahealani Pai. The collaborative archaeological project involves excavation ¯ and intensive water flotation to examine field engineering and to recover plant remains. The work is conducted in collaboration with Kamehameha Schools and involves linkages with lineal descendant of that land, elementary, intermediate, and high school students, and at-risk youths, teaching all of them the complexity and genius of Hawaiian agricultural systems and combatting the negative stereotypes of ancient Hawaiians created and maintained by foreigners (e.g., stupid, lazy, etc.). The long-term goal is to revitalize the ancient agricultural terraces and platform system, utilizing Native Hawaiian knowledge and fine-grained archaeological and archaeobotanical data to understand the site in terms of spirituality, technology, layout, and plant patterns.

Over the years, a relationship was formed through sustained interaction. Community-based clearing, restoration, mapping, and utilization of the site was underway by Mahealani Pai and ¯ Keone Kalawe. Courses designed for New York college students to experience the culture and history of Hawai'i Island, led by Jack Rossen, performed service at a wide range of venues, including Maluaka. Each year, the group would spend more and more time at Maluaka, contributing labor while learning about the system. Efforts at the site grew in scale and scope, clearing and restoring more of the site while increasing community engagement and education. Each year the college returned, Mahealani, Keone, and their students had cleared and mapped more of the site. At one point, ¯ Mahealani wondered what type of research would be needed to understand the specific agricultural ¯ patterns of the planting platforms and pits we were uncovering; Jack Rossen mentioned that from the perspective of an archaeobotanist, it was a matter of excavating with an emphasis on water flotation recovery and microscope analysis of plant remains, along with starch, pollen, and phytolith studies. This conversation led to the devotion of courses to the Maluaka site and the creation of on-site field schools. During four summer field seasons (2015–2018), excavations in various sectors and elevations of Maluaka occurred, recovering numerous artifacts, and more importantly, discovering high levels of infrastructural development such as an extensive underground canal system, the system of firepits cut into pahoehoe lava, and three to five meter high mounds used as observation points. Unlike many areas of Kona, Maluaka has seasonal water sources in the form of groundwater and spring-fed wells.

How did the Maluaka Project develop from philosophical and intellectual perspectives? It began with the foundation of long-term relationships of friendship and trust. As visitors to the island, New York researchers and students gave volunteer labor over several years with interest and respect for Native culture and history. The Native Hawaiian counterparts gave welcome, cultural perspectives and indigenous practices. From an intellectual standpoint, both parties knew they wanted to combine Native wisdom and knowledge with Western science to understand Hawaiian agricultural systems from a more powerful perspective than could be accomplished by either approach alone. This combination means understanding how archaeology and archaeobotany can provide carefully collected systematic data, and how the long-term site mapping and contemporary usage and observations contribute to a fine-grained understanding. From the start, all understood that Hawaiian agriculture must be understood in terms of Native Hawaiian concepts of land and social organization. Everyone involved has endeavored to understand agriculture as part of broader, integrated, and aligned sacred landscapes. That means understanding the agricultural configuration and observation points (pan¯ an¯ a) of Maluaka in relation to sacred sites (heiau) at the coast below at Keauhou-Kahalu'u, ¯ and other major nearby sites such as the Kaneaka holua (land-sledding) slide. Most importantly, ¯ all agreed that the research must have practical applications: to understand the modern potential of the agricultural system and rebuild with our eyes toward the future food sovereignty of Hawai'i.

### *3.3. Mala Kalu'ulu ¯*

Mala Kalu'ulu Cooperative (MKC) was born out of a desire to restore the ¯ *kalu'ulu*—a nine square mile band of traditional breadfruit (*Artocarpus altilis*) agroforestry that stretched 20 miles across the Kona landscape. (The origin of the term *kalu'ulu* is uncertain but appears in early historical land claim records describing the breadfruit zone. Some elders have indicated the term should be, or is a contraction of, *ka ulu 'ulu*, literally meaning "the breadfruit grove".) Research by Noa Lincoln into the extent and productivity of the breadfruit belt in this area suggested that it produced between 20 and 50 million pounds of breadfruit annually [10], and that the establishment of the breadfruit belt appears to be suited to the unique biogeochemical factors of the region [9]. Inspired by this research, a group of local farmers, entrepreneurs, and educators, in partnership with Noa Lincoln, formed MKC and applied for, and won, the 2015 Mahi'ai Matchup, a farming business plan competition supported by the Pauahi Foundation and Kamehameha Schools which provided a 4-acre land parcel in the heart of the ancient breadfruit belt.

During its establishment, MKC's founding members discussed at length the model of incorporation, ultimately settling on a worker cooperative venture for multiple reasons. Foremost, it was agreed that it was of the utmost importance that the restoration provides people livelihoods and opportunities. It was argued that the cooperative model reflected the traditional social system, in which *kuleana* dominated. *Kuleana* is often defined simply as "responsibility," but in reality was a reciprocal function of rights that were based on one's responsibilities; in ancient times, a person's ability to access resources related to his or her contribution to maintaining those resources, just as

the rights of cooperative members to access benefits is based on their relative contributions, or in cooperative terms, patronage. Furthermore, in restoring traditional agriculture, MKC wanted to establish that the systems were viable and relevant in the modern world and therefore wanted to develop in a way that could ultimately be self-sufficient. Enrollment in the cooperative is open to all, and the leadership donates time to ensure the success of the program.

Since its inception, MKC has worked to transform its own and other Kona parcels away from dominance by invasive species or mono-cropped agriculture back into the traditional breadfruit-based systems that once existed. These multi-layered agroforestry systems produced environmental benefits, were biodiverse and resilient, reduced the need for chemicals and inputs, were highly productive, and were culturally relevant ways of producing food [75]. The mission of MKC is "to enhance our understanding, appreciation, and utilization of traditional Hawaiian land use practices focusing on food production, and through food production and distribution, research, and education, to enhance sustainability and self-sufficiency in the Hawaiian Islands." Guided by Native Hawaiian values and practices, MKC aims to work with others across the State to collectively re-learn and enliven the techniques our predecessors used to subsist on the *'aina ¯* (land), and through proper engagement increase engagement in, and awareness of, Hawaiian cultural perspectives on environmental health and stewardship. Through this work, MKC helps to advance understanding of innovative farming principles developed by early Hawaiians and how these principles can apply to contemporary cropping systems. In addition to restoration and research of the traditional system, MKC develops an "adapted" version of the system to meet today's market demand better; for instance, by planting a wider variety of crop sub-species for year-round production. The concomitant restoration of the traditional system and development of a modern version may help to demonstrate the viability and relevance of traditional farming practices in today's socioeconomic environment.

In addition to ongoing restoration of the traditional agroforestry system, MKC engages in holistic agricultural production, research, and education. The restoration plan is based on extensive ethnohistorical testimony that described in detail, from both western and native perspectives, the form and function of the *kalu'ulu*. Research interests have since emerged in how the traditional agroforestry system interacts with the young soils of south Kona, and in documenting the impacts of ecosystem services, nutrient cycles, and biodiversity. Multiple research partnerships have been established to pursue these interests. On-site research has been participatory, with researchers participating in the farming activities, co-forming research concepts, and leveraging research studies to create more opportunities for engagement and collaboration. From the beginning of this project, an emphasis was placed on community outreach, initially by sharing the ethnohistory and previous research that has been conducted about the *kalu'ulu* and growing to include sharing results from the restoration activities and related emerging research projects hosted at MKC. Since it was formed, MKC has hosted dozens of educational programs, farmer trainings, researchers and interns, and events at the farm site.
