Cindi Punihaole

Cindi Punihaole photographed by Ronit Fahl at Kahaluʻu Bay

It's about feeding our children. So there will be fish in the bay, the bay will be healthy, and corals will flourish. That's when the bay will be pono.

Auntie, could you introduce yourself?

My name is Cynthia Hanohano Punihaole Kennedy, and I am from Kona, Kamaʻāina of Kona on Hawaii Island and I graduated from Konawaena high school in 1968. So, I'm dating myself now. Then I went to the university on the mainland, and in 1998 I returned home to enjoy my mom and dad since we lost so many years together.  But I realized that it was too late. My mom was already having bouts of Alzheimer's.  When I was in high school, I always wanted to visit the mainland. I felt that I didn't have an opportunity to stay at home and find a good job in Hawai’i.

In Hawai'i in the 1950s and sixties, Kona was really a country town. When I was growing up, we had no electricity, no running water. So we studied with the kukui lamp. You had to survive. You had to work on the land. You had to go fishing. You know, my dad taught me how to throw net when I was ten. I had a small little net, like a five-footer, and he would have a twenty-footer. Soon, the net I would be throwing would be a nine-footer. I believe my dad wanted my brothers and me to learn how to take care of ourselves, fish and hunt, build mālaʻai so that we could take care of my mom in case something happened to him.

When I went away to college and returned home, I realized not only what I had lost in those years, but also what was gone from the islands.

When I went away to college and returned home, I realized not only what I had lost in those years but also what was lost from the islands. Things that I took for granted were gone. Pohā, groves of pohā where we would just frolic in the fields and just pick and eat it like our candy; no longer there. 200-year-old mango trees bulldozed down just for a better view of the ocean. There seemed to be a lack of thought about balancing diversity with healing and respecting the 'āina. 

We continue to talk about those values and work ethics that were so important when we grew up because we feel they are disappearing. The younger generations are disconnected from our 'āina. They rely on Walmart, Costco, and Target for their comforts and are buried in their cell phones all day long. Our children have no idea where a steak comes from. They say, "Aunty, the steak comes from KTA." But before KTA, there was a cow! We learned how to raise and kill a cow and pig and dress it. The young ones have not experienced those things. When I was working as a part-time teacher at Kealakehe High School in 2003, we created an agricultural program for high school students.

Photo by Studio Kealaula

Students planted kalo and raised pigs, turkeys, and ducks. They grew vegetables in a hydroponic system and sold the produce to KTA. I felt that it was vital for them to work with the soil and with their hands. 10th-grade girls were acting like 10th-grade girls, right? They were focused on their nails and hair. At the ag center, the girls decided they wanted to plant kalo. “Okay,” I said, “but you realize it is not just planting the kalo, but taking care by weeding, cleaning the crop, and watering.” Some of the girls did not want to get their hands dirty and work in the hot sun. They said, "Oh no, it's so hot out here, and my nails will break.” But you know, after a while, some of them realized it was so important to learn these skills. Eventually, the girls created a weekly routine. At the end of the school session, they harvested and steamed their kalo for poi.

We had ʻuhaloa growing and they were pulling it, right? Because they thought, "Eh, all these weeds are growing all over." And I said, hey, you know, guys, one day that plant can save you. So, the next day they were watering it.

We had ʻuhaloa growing, and the students were pulling. They thought, "Eh, these weeds are growing all over the place." And I said, “Hey, you know, guys, one day that plant can save you.” So, the next day they were watering it. You want them to learn in a fun way. So 20 years from now, they will realize what they learned. At the time, I believed that “planting seeds of thoughts”  was critical. So that in their life’s journey, maybe a seed will sprout, and they'll say, “Oh, Aunty Cindi taught me that, and this plant can help us," or to be aware of how you work on the land, how you treat your animals, how you should respect them because they give their life so you may sustain your life. 

I always told the kids, don't name the animal if you're going to eat it. You just feed him. But of course, I get a baby pig, and the first thing they do is, because she has red hair, they named her Pele, right? So, I said, “We're going to eat the pig at the end of the year when I show you how to clean and kalua it.” They feed her, and she grows up nicely, and they learn how to take care of her. At the end of the year, we planned to kill her. Still, the students were having second thoughts because they got attached to her. So, I took her back to the pig farm and traded her for another pig, so they felt better about slaughtering it. They learned not to name the animal because then they fell in love with it.  But you know that's how the children learn. 

Students also worked on research projects using native plants and fish.  I think for our children, they blossom in “classrooms without walls” with meaningful outdoor experiences. . Where a child believes that reading a book and observing nature (kilo) is wholesome. “ That's how we grow up, right? You look at what's happening, why it's happening, and when it is happening.

I always say, "By honoring the past, you enrich your future."

You want to make sure that our children learn by, and I always say, "By honoring the past, you enrich your future."  And where that intersection of science and culture comes in is critical because we can learn by science. But, still, we were observers' years before we even heard of the word scientists, and we could sustain ourselves on our island or any island and care for each other if we know how to take care of the place. At Kahaluʻu, because I grew up on the ‘ahupua`a (from the mountain to the sea), I was taught the ways of a farmer and a fisherwoman. 

Before COVID19, Kahaluʻu Bay was in a state of demise. We put aside the ways of our kūpuna of how to take care of place. Greed took over, and the goal became how much more we could put in this small 4.2-acre park to make as much money as possible from the visitors. All advertising focus on Kahaluʻu Bay as a “turtle bay” where the snorkeling was wonderful!” And so the masses came and “loved our bay to death.” Now 95% of the cauliflower corals are dead in the bay by stressors like climate change, pollution, and visitors trampling on them.  Today we are working on refocusing Kahaluʻu Bay as a sacred, celebrated and storied place called a Wahi Pana.  A successful refocus project will need the collaboration of the State, County, businesses, and community. Together we can educate and engage our visitors and community to help in caring for place.  Include the visitor as a solution rather than a problem.

Cindi Punihaole photographed by Ronit Fahl at Kahaluʻu Bay

Include the visitor as a solution rather than a problem.

At the same time, we’ve observed the regeneration of the coastal areas and the bay post-COVID. The limu (algae) and fish species are in abundance. Fish species that we have not seen for many years returned. It is a blessing. Now we must find a way to protect and continue this healing.

Kūpuna say, “My icebox is full; now our children can eat.” We need to take care of these wahi pana and protect mother nature so she can continue to feed us if we are cut off from the mainland or cargo ships coming here. We shouldn't depend on cargo ships; we should rely on what we can do here to take care of community. 

We should be teaching our children survival skills, the spawning cycles, and “when to take and when not to take.” For example, when the manini are spawning, you do not take. Also, you only take what you need for immediate personal or family needs.

I was taught by my kūpuna those unwritten social codes that continue to guide me today

I am my own enforcer. I don't need a DOCARE Officer asking, ‘Let me see in your cooler.’ I was taught by my kūpuna those unwritten social codes that continue to guide me today. Because if you take care of the ʻāina, it will take care of you. Those are things you want to teach your children so that they, in turn, can teach their children.

You know, we have so many feral pigs, sheep, goats, and chickens, and we have so much ‘ulu, mangoes, and avocado just wasting on the side of the road. And we still are buying avocados and mangoes for out of state.  What is wrong with us? We could corral the sheep right at Pōhakuloa, bring in a mobile slaughterhouse or just give away the live animals to our community. It hurts me when I read in Civil Beat or other media how the children are going hungry. Why are they going hungry when we have so much food? As I say, talk is cheap, right? We can talk all we want about these things right in front of our face, or we can start a project that can help solve a significant problem and then tweak it. You know, start it, see how it works.

In May, the cauliflower corals are going to spawn all over the Island, including Kahaluʻu Bay.  I asked the County if they would close the park for a week for the spawning event. The planulae, the babies, need time. Petrochemical sunscreen, people trampling, and snorkeling in the bay would interfere with their ability to settle. The Department of Aquatic Resources says it takes about 90 days. We were fortunate to get a week’s closure for the county parks. But I also understand that the health of our economy is essential too. We've gone through a whole year of a pandemic, and I've seen people suffer, and businesses suffer. So, we ask our community and visitors alike to please give us a week so that our corals have a chance. After the last year of rest, we see so many of our babies coming back. That is why we need to work together to find solutions that balance biodiversity with economic recovery.

We need to work together to find solutions that balance biodiversity with economic recovery.

Cindi Punihaole at Kahaluʻu Bay, photographed by Ronit Fahl

At the same time, we need to look at how we can mitigate the nitrogen and phosphorus getting into the water. Those are critical things to get a handle on. It is a serious concern because we test the water in the bay every month. We know how high the numbers are, and we are working on a plan to convert the cesspools, septic tanks, and injection wells to a closed-circuit system. At the same time, we must implement programs to manage the carrying capacity of the bay. We can't allow 10 million visitors to visit without a good sense of place and unknowingly destroy everything that has come to fruition in the post-COVID year.

We can't allow 10 million visitors to visit without a good sense of place and unknowingly destroy everything that has come to fruition in the post-COVID year.

With the state, I’m working on implementing a program for a snorkel trail in Kahaluʻu Bay, so that visitors can get educated and have a rewarding experience while snorkeling on the trail. Kahaluʻu Bay presents a beautiful array of marine life. I hope the snorkeling trail will provide a safe place to adjust masks and snorkels without trampling all over the reef. It will be voluntary, but if you educate the visitor before they get into the bay, they will understand the importance of the trail, and 99% of the people will try to respect it. That's what you want. You want 99% of the people to try; maybe 1% won’t, but it's far and few between, and it'll protect the rest of the bay.

We continue to look at other ways to manage carrying capacity, protect our resources, and heal the 'āina. A visitor parking/entrance fee at county parks would help fund educational programs and upgrade facilities. This new funding source will also provide economic opportunities for our communities. The visitors feel enlightened and rewarded, and the parking fee becomes minimal.  The bathrooms at every park require upgrades.  I mean, what is wrong with Hawai’i? When you go to the mainland, the visitor rest stops are immaculate. Our bathrooms don’t make it a welcoming place. Not only for the visitor, but locals also use our parks.

I truly believe if we can create jobs that pay enough for our children to stay at home, to be able to buy a place, to have a car, and have a family, then they won't have to go away for 30 years and miss all of their family get-togethers.

We need to look at implementing shovel-ready, realistic programs, not just any program, but programs that will help the environment, help the community, and help the economy grow. I truly believe if we can create jobs that pay enough for our children to stay in Hawaii, to be able to buy a home and a car, and raise a family, then they won't have to go away for years and miss the specialness of family. I am one of those children who felt I had to leave. In a way, it is bittersweet that I went away. Coming back made me realize how special and lucky I am to live in such a beautiful place. And I know we must find a way to take care of this place before it is too late.

Cindi Punihaole at Kahaluʻu Bay, photographed by Ronit Fahl

Though I am glad that I could pursue my higher education on the mainland, I am sad I lost so many years with my family. I was able to return yearly and enjoyed doing things with my Mom and Dad. I also realized that I took our environment for granted while growing up because I felt it would always be here. Growing up here all your life, you don't see it. It's second nature. You go, “oh, but I've done this all my life,” but you don't realize what you're doing may be detrimental to the environment now, today. So, I'm happy in a way that I went away, but I'm heartbroken that I only had a small window of time to spend with my Mom and Dad.

Research confirms that chemicals found in sunscreens and fertilizers are harming the reef, environment, and people. We need progressive candidates that believe in taking care of the people and the environment. Candidates that aren’t persuaded by money or power. Lauryn, how do I find these candidates?

Noa Lincoln said something like, “Everybody's looking for that golden bullet- the one thing that will fix it all.” You both brought up fertilizer. Agricultural production on volcanic rock requires a lot of inputs, and now you're bringing it back around to the impact that has on the ocean. In the meantime, bureaucratic red tape prevents us from turning many of our rich resources into soil and soil amendments.

It is unbelievable the way we think here. I don't know if you've ever visited a wastewater treatment plant? In Waikoloa, Cal Water’s plant processes to R-1 grade then recycles the water back onto the lawns throughout Waikoloa. I organized a tour of the Waikoloa WWTP, and one of the scientists in our group was from Switzerland. He worked in wastewater treatment plants. Several Swiss WWTPs standards are “toilet-to-tap.” That means wastewater flowing into the plant will process to R-5 standard, in which the end result is drinking water. With this process, the solid waste can then be used as fertilizer for our farms. We have the technology, but we must find the funds to implement these processes to protect our environment and future generations. Fish waste can also be collected and processed into fertilizer for our agricultural ventures. By creating organic fertilizers from local sources, we can reduce the purchase and runoff of high pH fertilizer entering our ocean waters. That is why we need candidates in office that lobbyists and million-dollar companies cannot buy, but ones that will make the right and pono decisions to stop killing our 'āina.

Kahaluʻu Bay Education Center, photo by Ronit Fahl

What are we doing to our planet?

What are we doing to our planet? I was with my girlfriend the other day in Hilo, and she said, "you know, the 'āina looks sick now." We spray so much poison and fertilizer on it that it looks weak. I'm concerned. I wonder if our community is getting sick as our food is taking up the poison sprayed on them. I don't know if you met Chantal Chung of Maona Gardens; I understand her vermiculture garden is thriving.

I interviewed her for this project.

When I was young, If Dad saw something in disrepair, like a stone wall or roadway to the shore, we just fixed it, without thoughts of SHPD or DOCARE fining us, like the thinking of today.  Do you know what I'm saying? “It's a cultural property; you can’t touch it.” So just let it deteriorate? I think it's unfortunate that we lack respect and common sense today, with too many rules and regulations that aren’t enforced.  

We need to empower the “boots on the ground” folks that have worked with the land and know how to take care. Our children are the future, and we need to pass on our knowledge. A few short years from now, our school children will be the leaders and shakers of Hawaii.  We need to prepare them and train them to become good leaders because we need to change the current mentality of business as usual. 

Talking and planning for 30 years without any substantial results is not acceptable. Not addressing and solving the wastewater treatment systems, cesspools/injection wells/septic tank conversions,  the degradation of our coral reefs, and failure to develop food security on Hawai`i Island is disgraceful.  Shame on us if we leave these significant problems to our children and their children because we didn't have the guts to stand up and say, “No more, enough already.”

Can you talk a little about the importance of a healthy reef system to our food chain?

Well, in order to have a healthy reef, you would need to really look at all of the different factors. A reef is like a rainforest. It is the rainforest of the ocean. The corals, the uhu, the limu, they need each other. The uhu chomps on the dead coral, and they actually create space where the baby corals can come and settle so that they can grow again. One uhu can poop out 700 pounds of sand a year, just one uhu! It’s a beach builder, but we love to eat it. That's why the spawning guide is so important now. We need our fisherman, but we need to teach our fishermen when to take and when not to take. So we never eat the yellow tang or the kihikihi, because they were the ones that brought in the eating fish. The colorful fish bring in the fish that everybody wants. The halalu and akule schools come in, but all of those natural resources, all the invertebrates, all depend on each other for survival. You know, the turtles come in and their food is there. The babies are in the tidal flats so that they can survive.

Dad always said, when you go out and take limu kohu, you leave the place like you never was there.

I think people don’t realize how selfish they are. They want to satisfy themselves rather than taking care of the many. Dad always said, when you go out and gather limu kohu or anything, you leave the place like you were never there. That's how we should be not only for the makai land but also for the mauka land. You should leave it like you were never there, and you should always care for it. Taking care of one place may be different from another. So you kilo or observe first, and you ask the families of the land for access. Makalawena is different from Kahaluʻu and Kukio, but the way you respect it is these unwritten social codes we all lived.

A rare, visitor-free moment at Kahaluʻu Bay, photo by Ronit Fahl

You listen to the land because, kumu pa'a i ka ʻāina, the land is your teacher. It will tell you what it needs.

These pono practices that our tutus taught us are part of our being. So, you know, you do certain things at the beach that you pay your respects to. You listen to the land because, kumu pa'a i ka ʻāina, the land is your teacher. Listen to it, and it will teach you how to take care. You maka’ala yet be respectful and humble. And I think that's what we miss sometimes. We miss being humble, and we miss understanding and listening, and not being greedy. I watched a lady exit Kahalu`u bay one morning with a three-prong. She had four nice size fish on her line. She didn't have twenty or 30, you know, she had enough for her family. It is like throwing your net. That's what Dad would always say. "When you go, you always remember that a family is coming behind us." So we go, and when we have enough- we pau (finish).

Hawai’i has experienced many waves of colonization. Many people say that there is a wave of colonization right now due to the pandemic. What do you do when you have an influx of new residents, settlers who weren't raised with that same knowledge or that same value system or honor system? How do you reach those people? Because you said, maybe we don't need a law, we could do this on this unwritten social system.

The Kohala Center was approached by the University of Hawaii Sea Grant agent, businesses, kupuna, and community in 2006 to help expand the ReefTeach program created by UH. At the time, Kahaluʻu Bay was already dying. Four hundred thousand people visit this small four-acre park every year. That's an enormous amount of people trampling on the corals and limu (algae) and harassing the turtles. UH had six Girl Scouts educating the visitors on reef etiquette. The Kohala Center agreed to help, and the Kahaluʻu Bay Project was launched. Today, we have over 500 trained volunteers all over the world. When they come to vacation, they take the time to help ReefTeach. We are fortunate that volunteers from all walks of life decide to volunteer and take care of the bay. See, locals are busy making a living; it’s tough for them to volunteer. It is essential to teach the children before they start working and becoming a part of the workforce to instill these values.

See, locals are busy making a living; it’s tough for them to volunteer.

Kahaluʻu Bay Education Center crew, photo by Ronit Fahl

We have visitors that come here, fall in love with Kona and move here. They love the ambiance, they love the bay, they love to snorkel, and they offer their help. I teach them how to become aloha ambassadors and empower them to do their very best. They learn to become observers, citizen scientists, and ReefTeacher Aloha Ambassadors. As a result, a number of people that moved here have become volunteers and stewards of our ʻāina. The time for action is now. The collaboration of the state, the county, the federal government, the community, the visitors, and businesses will make pilot programs successful. Implementing realistic pilot plans/projects that help continue the healing of the resources we have seen during the COVID pause will be a win for us. The goal and focus should always be healthy ʻāina, healthy kānaka, a balance of biodiversity with economic recovery.

You educate and empower people to do their very best. People feel good when you engage them, and when they do something good, if you praise them, they will want to do more. I think that is human nature. You want to make the visitor feel that they are part of the solution and not part of the problem.

If the State legislature isn’t helping protect the environment and our keiki, I’m going to create a groundswell of support to help me.

I developed the Adopt a Day at Kahaluʻu Bay and Train the Trainer programs that provide local businesses the opportunity to either volunteer at Kahaluʻu Bay or train their employees to educate their customers.  

The Chamber of Commerce Sustainability Committee has helped me spread the word on sunscreen products that help care for the coral reef. Today we’ve placed mineral-based sunscreen dispensers with zinc oxide at the bay for visitors to use. The State Parks Department is installing a dispenser at Waialea bay, and Waikoloa Land Co. is considering placing a dispenser on their property. You create a movement and model for others.

If the State legislature isn’t helping protect the environment and our keiki, I’m going to create a groundswell of support to help me..

You create a movement and model for others.

You know what I'm saying? And the community is passionate about it. The businesses are passionate about it. And the corals, we can take care of place. You know, people go awww, we have to wait until next session. I don't wait for them. I go figure out how to do it and get around these guys. You can't wait for them.

It's just like the coral spawning. Everybody said, :I don't know if you can close the bay". Who cares? Just ask them. Then my first year, three years ago, they go, “You can only close it half a day, that's it." I said, “but they need at least a whole day.” I know that. I've seen them hatch. Not even a day, they need a week. Then the next year, it was "Well, we'll close it two days", and now it's closed for a week. But you gotta do it, you just have to ask them. If they go, "No", you go, okay, I'll figure something else out.”

When I interviewed Davis Price, he said we need an Auntie Tammy (Smith) in every community. I think we need an Auntie Cindi in every bay. Even though you're not waiting around for it, is there specific legislation that would help your efforts?

One of the most critical pieces of legislation bans the petrochemical sunscreens, octocrylene, and avobenzone. Last session, SB132 passed unanimously by the Senate but was killed by Representative Johanson, Chair of the Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce (CPC). It is very disappointing that Rep. Johanson would not hear this SB132 even with the many scientific peer-reviewed papers warning of the dangers of these petrochemicals to the environment and the children. You would think that the Representatives we vote into office would have the people’s safety first and apply the Precautionary Principle because these ingredients are labeled as drugs by the FDA. 

Another significant issue is solving our wastewater issues on all islands. A major stumbling block is being able to allow private-public partnerships to help solve the problems.  We must find a way to work with our unions, legislature, county, and state to find common ground so we can move forward.  Trust plays a major part in this kind of discussion.  But we must focus on converting cesspools, septic tanks, and injection wells because they continue to pollute and contaminate the very waters that give us life.

Trust is everything.

Today the handshake does not mean what it used to.  When my dad promised to do something for you and shook your hand, it was a binding contract.  Today we do not see that kind of commitment.  

Today many are disconnected from pono practices.  We seem to have lost the Aloha and those unwritten social codes that bind us. But on the other hand, with the pandemic, we’ve seen many people caring for each other.

Kahaluʻu Bay Education Center crew, photo by Ronit Fahl

My last question for you is, who have you been inspired by during this time?

Well, I know my colleagues at the Kohala Center, Nicole, Megan, and Melanie; they’re all doing such an excellent job in the areas of food sustainability and legislative engagement. 

At 70, my inspiration was/is my Mom and Dad. They taught me everything I know about the land. It wasn't from a book; it was working and observing the land.  Dad learned from his dad, uncles, and aunties. I believe now we are the book. It is our responsibility to share our knowledge with the young ones that will take our place.  It's about doing, talking, modifying, and sharing successes. There are so many young folks like Noa Lincoln, Chantal Chung, and Kyle Datta. We're all spinning a thread, and all of these threads bind together to create a beautiful fabric. Everyone contributes to this fabric, from the mauka to the makai. Our fishermen are so important. One day a fisherman said to me, "I feel awful because I think people hate us?" That makes me sad because to me they're so important. I grew up a fisherman, and without our fishermen, we would not have survived. So, they inspire me!. I think we need each other, and we all must respect each other.

Cindi Punihaole at Kahaluʻu Bay, photo by Ronit Fahl

We're all spinning a web, and all of these threads bind together to create a beautiful fabric. Everybody is necessary in this chain. You know, from the mauka to the makai.