Tide and Current
Tide and Current
Fishponds of Hawai‘i
Tide and Current chronicles ten years in the life of author and artist Carol Araki Wyban, during which she lived with, learned about, and came to love the fishponds of Hawai‘i. In lyric prose and art, the book captures the essence of the timeless ecological truths she discovered.
The author relates her experiences from the viewpoint of an entrepreneur, but one with a deep commitment to the past and to the legacy given to us by the ancient Hawaiians regarding the use of fishponds as food production systems. Unlike other native cultures that hunted and gathered over vast territories, the Hawaiians developed renewable, sustainable, and comprehensive management of their natural resources in the islands’ limited space. They were innovators who took a great step from catching fish to raising fish.
With drawings and photographs, tables and graphs, Wyban presents not only the daily routine of life at a commercial fishpond, but also an in-depth look at how the Hawaiians managed their resources, the technology they developed, and the myths, legends, and kapu associated with the fishponds. Their inventiveness has important implications for us today and for nurturing future generations.
Tide and Current is a remarkable statement in an age in which we tend to look askance at the cold, objective facts of science; in which entertainment too often substitutes for learning; in which support for daily life from a benevolent government is looked upon as a right; and in which citizens of Hawai‘i seek an identity in which past and present will enrich each other. . . . [I]t leaves the reader with an enormous appreciation of an intricate system which for centuries provided subsistence to a people who were completely dependent on the land and sea around them.
In addition to a liberal sprinkling of myths, legends, and kapu (laws) associated with fishponds, Wyban leads the reader to an unmistakable conclusion—the Hawaiians were great innovators in their leap from fish-catchers to fish-growers.
