The National Park Service’s online travel itinerary recently added highlights of Asian American and Pacific Islander heritage, covering 70 historic sites in 16 states and territories — including 27 locations in Hawaii.<\/p>\n
On that list is Huilua Fishpond in Kahana Bay, a prime example of Hawaiian aquafarming practices, among an estimated 97 Oahu fishponds. The seven-acre pond has been destroyed by storms and rebuilt twice, and is now being cared for by Friends of Kahana. According to the online description, Huilua serves as a “tribute to the technological innovation of the early Hawaiians, who were the first people to develop true aquafarming in the Pacific.”<\/p>\n
The travel itinerary highlights sites associated with Pacific Islanders’ accomplishments and struggles, according to NPS director Jonathan Jarvis. “For the early settlement of the country to the economic development of the American West,” Jarvis stated, “(Pacific Islanders) have played a significant role in the history of the United States.”<\/p>\n