Water as Wai: The Spiritual Battle for Maui’s Ancestral Flow

On the slopes of Haleakalā, where rain clouds gather as living ancestors, a century-old ditch system carries not just water but the lifeblood of Hawaiian spirituality. The East Maui water conflict, stalled between private interests and public stewardship, reveals a deeper struggle over the sacred meaning of wai—the fresh water that Native Hawaiians believe carries mana, or spiritual power.

Māhealani Wendt, whose husband Ed is a sixth-generation kalo farmer, understands this intimately. “Water is not a commodity,” she told the Civil Beat. “It is our ancestor, our relative. When you divert the stream, you disrupt the relationship between the mountain, the land, and the people.” Her words echo the traditional Hawaiian belief that water flows from the realm of the gods (Wao Akua) to nourish the earth (Wao Kanaka).

The stalled decision before the Board of Land and Natural Resources, now led by Native Hawaiian Ryan Kanaka‘ole, represents a crossroads between two worldviews: one that sees water as a resource to be owned and another that reveres it as a sacred trust. Kanaka‘ole, raised in the remote Kaʻū district, has promised not to forget his roots. “Growing up on the outside of power taught me that water is the first gift of the land,” he said. “We must ask ourselves: who are we serving?”

For the kalo farmers and East Maui community members seeking democratic water management, the answer lies in restoring the ancient balance—where streams flow freely to feed both taro patches and the spirit. The lawsuit over stream diversion permits, brought by the Sierra Club in Environmental Court, may ultimately decide whether water remains a commodity or returns to its sacred purpose as the connector of all life.