The ancient Hawaiian myth that sparked a modern ecological breakthrough

The scientific practice of Kiana Frank, a microbiologist at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, melds contemporary techniques of empirical data-collection with Indigenous knowledge born of her Native Hawaiian heritage. In Decoding Ancestral Knowledge, Frank recalls how an ancient Hawaiian myth, handed down through oral tradition, led her to a scientific breakthrough with meaningful implications for managing and restoring local fishponds. Told via a combination of in-the-lab and in-the-field footage, as well as a touch of paper puppetry, the short documentary offers an intriguing look at how ancient ways of understanding the natural world can help shape a better future.