Legal Definitions - ahupuaa

Definition: An ahupuaa is a unit of land in Hawaii that stretches from the sea to the mountains. It was traditionally used to provide the people with the resources they needed for survival at different elevations.

For example, an ahupuaa might include a coastal area for fishing, a valley for farming, and a mountainous region for gathering wood and other resources. This allowed the people to have access to a variety of resources within a relatively small area.

The ahupuaa system was an important part of Hawaiian culture and helped to sustain the population for many generations.