It’s a place my husband, our children, and myself have been going to all our lives. I was born here and raise here and the thought of never having access to it ever again is saddening. When I am down in the valley, I feel at peace, I feel grateful, I feel great love, I feel cleansed of negativity. It is a very special place…it is one on my favorite places. I had the opportunity of hiking to Hi’ilawe once with my family, and it was absolutely magical. I also had to opportunity to clean around the lo’i and look forward to working in the lo’i. My children learn about ancient Hawaii in Waipi’o in school and have a deeper appreciation for the place and all the stories that come with it. The thought of future children of hawaiian ancestry only being able to learn about Waipi’o from school (or not learning about it at all) and see and experience the valley themselves is heartbreaking.
Carolyn Hess
It is the most important place in the world to me for accessing the ocean. It is the place where I connect to what is sacred in the land and ocean
Joe Gaglione
Waipi’o is the place where I learned to swim, to surf, to dive and fish. I’m 36 now and it’s where I have been teaching my 3 children to swim, to surf, to fish and to dive …. Itʻs been a vital role in allowing me to continue to perpetuate the Hawaiian culture. Waipi’o to my family and I is like our church.
John Fero