Fisherman Kaiana Ahmad takes us out on an aku (tuna) boat for a day of deep-sea fishing and Keoki Fukumitsu shares his life as a taro grower in Hakipu‘u on the island of O‘ahu.
Kaiana shows how sea birds help fishermen find schools of fish and demonstrates the use of fishhooks and lures. We travel with him and the aku boat crew to Waimea bay to capture bait fish.
Born to a family well known in the windward district for their bountiful lo‘i (taro gardens) and ready supply of poi, Keoki struggles to continue the tradition while dealing with such modern-day problems as low stream flow, water pollution and introduced pests.
NĀ MAKA O KA ʻĀINA
We are Joan Lander and Puhipau (1937-2016) of Nā Maka o ka ‘Āina (“The Eyes of the Land”), an independent video production team that, since 1981, has focused on the land and people of Hawai‘i and the Pacific.
We exist to document and give voice and face to traditional and contemporary Hawaiian culture, history, language, art, music, environment and the politics of independence and sovereignty. Our over 100 documentary and educational programs have been seen on PBS, Hawai‘i public and commercial television stations, public access cable channels, and broadcast/cable networks in Canada, Aotearoa (New Zealand), Japan, Mexico and Europe.
Our award-winning productions have been used by teachers and scholars in classrooms in Hawai‘i and throughout the world, and our iconic footage of the Hawaiian sovereignty movement has been featured in numerous documentaries by other producers.
