An ongoing personal project. Generations of saltmakers from the south shore of Kauai continue traditional salt farming methods that have been passed down for hundreds of years. Saltmaking is a sacred practice, and each red clay-lined "puna" or well is tended by the same family-- these ponds must stay in the family and cannot be transferred or sold to outsiders. The salt, or "pa'akai" that comes from these sacred wells is considered holy and, likewise, it can only be traded or given away.

Due to a confluence of factors including climate change and nearby development, the salt ponds have become less productive over the years. The saltmakers are fighting to keep their traditions alive, but as the rainy season gets longer and flooding increases, the ponds' annual yield is diminishing.