To honor a kingTemple of Lono joins Kulana Huli Honua to preserve heiauBy Hadley Catalano, Big Island Weekly, June 18, 2008The Temple of Lono ceremony, held at the Ahu..ena Heiau at Kamakahonu Friday and Saturday evenings provided a cultural turning point for the traditional Hawaiian spiritual group. The priesthood, which traditionally veers away from political involvement, united behind Mikahala Roy and the Kulana Huli Honua to promote and sustain customary spiritual practices at Ahu..ena and other cultural sites around the island.The ceremony, according to Hank "Hanalei" Fergerstrom was in honor of King Kamehameha I, who refused to convert to Christianity and choose not to turn his back on his ancestry. The 20-some participants who came out in support on both nights participated in offering ho..okupu to the heiau, learned about past and present events and were taught to play the ka..eke..eke, or bamboo pipes.The turning point for the Temple of Lono came following the simultaneously scheduled luau, held Fridays at King Kamehameha Hotel.The issue of holding the luau on what Fergerstrom and his group hold as sacred land provided the incentive for their involvement in the yearlong struggle fought by Roy and Kulana Huli Honua. They seek to regain the right to caretake the heiau. Roy's father and kahu, David "Mauna" Roy, restored Ahu..ena, but after his death in 2005 and King Kamehameha Beach Hotel switched hands in 2007. The new owners, Pacifica Hotels, discontinued the Roy's preservation agreement.According to Palani Anuumealani Nobriga, head of the Temple of Lono, it was time to take a stand. While the Temple participated in the largely attended Ho..owehewehe last August, it was the combination of religious and cultural misrepresentation that ignited their participation in Kulana's case.Adjacent to the luau, the Temple of Lono conducted their rituals. According to Fergerstrom he had called in to inform the hotel, however, King Kamehameha Hotel General Manager Jak Hu said he did not receive the message. Hu continued saying that hotel security present throughout the evening is standard for any luau.Many ceremony participants felt that the security officers taking photographs were being disrespectful. Hu said that the photographs were taken as a precautionary measure, to document what was happening in case of interference.As Temple of Lono practitioners proceeded, stopping once because of noise levels at the luau, many tourists came over to watch their ceremony unfold and take photographs of their own."This is the real tourist opportunity," said supporter Aelbert Aehegma of the native Hawaiian practice."Sure, we could work with the ceremony and the luau show," answered Hu when asked about incorporating these authentic rituals into the hotel's operations. "It's not a problem. We try to work with the community."However it was a well-intentioned phrase from the luau's emcee that caught the attention of Nobriga."She said that 'our kupuna are here to do their ceremony' but finished up her speech explaining that it was here at the heiau that the Hawaiian religion was disbanded. It's funny. We're in some parallel with the luau. You can see the contradiction here. It's a cultural representation clash."He went on to explain that such comments feed an inaccurate portrayal of Hawaiian history."There was a holocaust of the Hawaiian people that stood up for their religion," explained Nobriga, noting that the people didn't sacrifice their faith without a fight as the history is most often recounted. "About 300 thousand Hawaiian fought and died. It was after King Kamehameha died in 1819 that the missionaries came in 1820 and banned Hawaiians from any ancestral worship. We don't play Hawaiian on the weekends. We are a religion in hiding."Nobriga and Roy say conflicting beliefs held by many Christian Hawaiians are the source of misinformation about the ancient practices."A lot of people are afraid, if they are good Christians," explained Roy. She maintains that the heiau is a place of worship and reflection for all denominations. "There is so much for people to learn and once people know, then they will understand. This temple was restored by my father for the people."Besides what they regard as fear and confusion, culturalists like Roy and Fergerstrom have to contend with a romanticized version of all things Hawaiian created for tourist consumption as they strive to preserve their culture for future generations."Things are happening on the grassroots level," said Aehegma who stressed that it is because of failed efforts of government organizations to protect traditional Hawaiian sites. "We're here, we're not going to stop."Aehegma noted that the organizations have bonded to fight for basic traditional rights, such as the freedom of spiritual and ancestral worship. They seek the same freedom their ancestors had to time their events with the seasons, setting of the sun and stellar alignments -- the same kind of calculations used by the Temple of Lono for this ceremony. At the same time these groups fight for the right to bring their religious practices into the 21st Century."There are also riparian rights to these sites," said Aehegma noting the state ordered public access from mauka to makai. "The Saturday night meeting was a reaffirmation of the various native groups to continue the cultural preservation of Ahu..ena Heiau and other cultural sites, the sharing of Hawaiian values and freedom of religious practice."Nobriga stressed that the Temple is focused on the continuation of ancient worship and its mission is to not use religion for personal gain. The affiliation with Ahu..ena, which is the subject of a legal battle between Roy and the hotel owners presents some challenges for the spiritual order, but these days, preserving Hawai..i's ancient ways often means battling in court."We've been holding the key from generation to generation. Waiting for the door," said Nobriga who said they are joining but not running point on the case. " This is a religious matter, that's why we're here. That's why we're going on to the case with Ahu..ena. We're going to start building things around the temple. Bring to light this issue, see if religious issues come up. Historically we have to so we can open this door."In the meantime, while legal court cases are pending, Roy continues to be a constant presence at Ahu..ena on Fridays from 9 a.m.- 3 p.m."I chose this to be a weekly touch-base place for the community to come down, to bring plants to serve Ahu'ena, to talk-story and share, and to become updated on activities happening here. In the day of Kamehameha, the people worked their mala'ai (gardens) for the king on Fridays. We chose Friday as our day to "work for the heritage of the king."
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