As the world looks to Hawaii for lessons in sustainability, Hawaii looks to Hokule‘a. The message of the Malama Honua voyage was that coupling ancestral wisdom with modern technology can provide us with a viable pathway forward as humanity navigates the unchartered waters of the 21st century. While Hokule‘a stands as a premier example of this, practically applying this notion on a large scale presents some challenges for policy-makers and resource managers.

For many of us in Hawaii, the ancestral wisdom that we draw upon was born out of the ahupua‘a system of resource management, which helped our islands attain a state of aina momona — or perpetual abundance. While far from the utopia that some make it out to be, the islands — managed under this system — were able to maintain large tracts of highly biodiverse forest, clean waters, productive fields, abundant fisheries, and robust and healthy communities; and, the governance of food production — agriculture, agroforestry and aquaculture — was at the center of it all.

One of the keys to the success of the ahupua‘a system was the development of food-production systems that were designed to fit in and be beneficial to each community. Agriculture was once a source of pride for communities, and it enhanced the spiritual and physical well-being of the people. Sadly, this can’t be said for enough of our communities today. Whereas, the motivational driver in ancient times was the honor of the place and the well-being of its people, it appears that the same can seldom be said today.

A poignant example of how a shift away from this concept has affected a community is on the west side of my home island of Kauai. Many there are yearning to rediscover this kind of pride in agriculture.

The return of Hokule‘a from its global voyage has both reignited our inspiration, and given us an example of what can come of marrying the past to the present. Its return has opened the door to look at our island home holistically and to make decisions which account for the connections between the health forests, streams, crop production, fisheries, and human well-being. It permits us to ask for the return of an agricultural paradigm that honors the interrelatedness of these components of our island system.

Master navigator Nainoa Thompson said that Hokule‘a sailed the world searching for answers only to find that the answer has been here all along. By being acutely aware of the consequences of our actions, and being mindful of them in our decision-making processes, we can set our communities and our planet on a hopeful trajectory. This is the wisdom Hokule‘a shared with the rest of the world, and then brought it back home to us.

Its global voyage reminded us that it is vital that we bring together ancestral wisdom and modern technologies in ways that are attentive to the needs of places and the communities who know their resources better than anyone else.

Is importing and licensing continental models for agriculture the best decision for our island systems? Perhaps, perhaps not, but we need to ask that ancient question: Will our actions provide future generations with more abundance?

Hokule‘a has opened the door, for those who have oversight and leadership roles in managing our precious land and water resources, to be guided by honest answers to that critical question.

Kawika Winter is the director of Limahuli Garden and Preserve of the National Tropical Botanical Garden. He received his Ph.D. in botany from the University of Hawaii at Manoa.