Overview

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.

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9780824813963

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Reviews

A remarkable statement. . . . It 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.

A remarkable statement. . . . It 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. 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.--E. Alison Kay The Hawaiian Journal of History

Author Information

Carol Araki Wyban is an author, artist, and management consultant whose career as an aquaculturist began as a fish farmer at Lokoea, an ancient Hawaiian fishpond on the north shore of O'ahu. As an independent consultant, she has worked with the State of Hawai'i and the National Park Service toward restoration of other fishponds on O'ahu, Moloka'i, and Hawai'i Island.

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