He chuckled, a low, gravelly sound. “Weeds? Come here.”
For the first time, Hina looked closer. She saw the kōura (freshwater crayfish) scuttling under a rock. She saw the kākahi (freshwater mussels) buried in the gravel, filtering the water. She saw the toitoi (whitebait) flickering in a silver cloud near the far bank. mahinga kai definition
He pointed to the mountains. “The birds in those forests… the roots in the ground… the eels in this water… and us. We are all one system. To take a tuna from this river, you don’t just ‘catch dinner.’ You thank the river. You only take what you need. You never poison the water. You clear the weeds that choke the kākahi . You pass the knowledge to me, and I pass it to you.” He chuckled, a low, gravelly sound
“This isn’t just a river, Hina,” Koro said, finally setting down the trap. “This is our pantry. Our pharmacy. Our wardrobe. But it’s more than a grocery store.” She saw the kōura (freshwater crayfish) scuttling under
“Those are tuna (eels),” Koro said. “They sleep in the mud during the day. At night, they’ll swim right into this hīnaki I’m making.”