Hawaiians gather to protect Wailua
 | Hula dancers perform before the lelele at the ‘aha ho‘ano, Friday, at the Pu‘uhonua O Hauola and Hikinaakala Heiau in Wailua. The vigil wasorganized in part to raise awareness about the proposed multi-use pathroute on Wailua Beach.Dennis Fujimoto/The Garden Island |
by Michael Levine-The Garden Island
WAILUA — With the weather and waves “rockin’ and rollin’” in recent days, cultural practitioners seeking to protect Wailua Beach from theproposed multi-use path expressed optimism that now is a time oftransition for Kaua‘i.
Native Hawaiians were joined by othercommunity members for a 24-hour vigil — called ‘aha ho‘ano — that wasscheduled to be held at Pu‘uhonua O Hauola and the Hikinaakala Heiau atthe north end of Lydgate Park near the mouth of the Wailua River fromnoon on Friday until noon on Saturday, with Hawaiian chants, dances andprayers every hour.
Kumu Hula Kehaulani Kekua, one of theevent’s organizers, said Friday afternoon following the 4 p.m. ceremonythat she had “petitioned the elements to help us send a message,” andthat she and other practitioners were “energized” by the lightningshow, powerful surf and cool, comfortable temperatures.
“Ourmain concern are the iwi kupuna,” Kekua said, adding that those inattendance were merely “celebrating and honoring our traditions andcultural, spiritual and religious practices.”
“Even if they don’t understand what we’re doing,” she said, “we want them to see the living culture.”
Shesaid the path should stay off of Wailua Beach because it would be awaste of public resources and energy to put it there only to have itwashed away by the ocean, pointing to the waves pounding the sandbehind her and adding that her Hawaiian ancestors have never builtanything on the beaches.
“I couldn’t help but step forwardbecause my name was on the list of people who wanted it on the beachand nobody talked to me,” Kekua said. She claimed that the commentattributed to her in the environmental assessment was actuallyreferring to her recommendation that Kuhio Highway not run behind CocoPalms resort, and that her words were twisted to apply to the multi-usepath.
In recent months, the long-standing plan to have the14-foot-wide path run along the beach was thrown into doubt when thestate Office of Hawaiian Affairs reversed its position on the proposaland recommended that it instead run mauka along the so-called “canalroute” due to cultural and burial concerns.
County officialshave said that the next step is a series of stakeholder and publicmeetings to determine which route the path should take. Countyspokeswoman Mary Daubert said Friday that Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr.and Parks and Recreation Director Lenny Rapozo had appeared at thevigil at around noon Friday.
Kekua, who said her mother andCarvalho’s mother were close and she and the mayor have enjoyed alifelong friendship, said she realizes it is a difficult position forhim to be and she hopes to help him understand the cultural urgency ofpreserving Wailua Beach.
“We’re here to reach out to the ancestral powers of this land to bring balance,” she said. “Hawai‘i is a very mana-ful place.”
Anattempt to reach Kekua late Saturday afternoon to see if the group hadindeed stayed on location for the full 24 hours in spite of — or inlight of — the inclement weather was unsuccessful.
• Michael Levine, assistant news editor, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 252) or mlevine@kauaipubco.com.
Native Hawaiians were joined by othercommunity members for a 24-hour vigil — called ‘aha ho‘ano — that wasscheduled to be held at Pu‘uhonua O Hauola and the Hikinaakala Heiau atthe north end of Lydgate Park near the mouth of the Wailua River fromnoon on Friday until noon on Saturday, with Hawaiian chants, dances andprayers every hour.
Kumu Hula Kehaulani Kekua, one of theevent’s organizers, said Friday afternoon following the 4 p.m. ceremonythat she had “petitioned the elements to help us send a message,” andthat she and other practitioners were “energized” by the lightningshow, powerful surf and cool, comfortable temperatures.
“Ourmain concern are the iwi kupuna,” Kekua said, adding that those inattendance were merely “celebrating and honoring our traditions andcultural, spiritual and religious practices.”
“Even if they don’t understand what we’re doing,” she said, “we want them to see the living culture.”
Shesaid the path should stay off of Wailua Beach because it would be awaste of public resources and energy to put it there only to have itwashed away by the ocean, pointing to the waves pounding the sandbehind her and adding that her Hawaiian ancestors have never builtanything on the beaches.
“I couldn’t help but step forwardbecause my name was on the list of people who wanted it on the beachand nobody talked to me,” Kekua said. She claimed that the commentattributed to her in the environmental assessment was actuallyreferring to her recommendation that Kuhio Highway not run behind CocoPalms resort, and that her words were twisted to apply to the multi-usepath.
In recent months, the long-standing plan to have the14-foot-wide path run along the beach was thrown into doubt when thestate Office of Hawaiian Affairs reversed its position on the proposaland recommended that it instead run mauka along the so-called “canalroute” due to cultural and burial concerns.
County officialshave said that the next step is a series of stakeholder and publicmeetings to determine which route the path should take. Countyspokeswoman Mary Daubert said Friday that Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr.and Parks and Recreation Director Lenny Rapozo had appeared at thevigil at around noon Friday.
Kekua, who said her mother andCarvalho’s mother were close and she and the mayor have enjoyed alifelong friendship, said she realizes it is a difficult position forhim to be and she hopes to help him understand the cultural urgency ofpreserving Wailua Beach.
“We’re here to reach out to the ancestral powers of this land to bring balance,” she said. “Hawai‘i is a very mana-ful place.”
Anattempt to reach Kekua late Saturday afternoon to see if the group hadindeed stayed on location for the full 24 hours in spite of — or inlight of — the inclement weather was unsuccessful.
• Michael Levine, assistant news editor, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 252) or mlevine@kauaipubco.com.
Copyright © 2009 - Kauai Publishing Company
Comments
As Dennis walked away from Wailua, I was concern as to what a Garden Is journalist observation would say in his opening remarks to the general public that was not there to first hand experience a religious and sacred ceremony. Well I guess, "rockin’ and rollin" seems to tell all--I assure you that Elvis Presly mentality does not represent the true nature of Halau Palaihiwa O Kaipuwai the officiators of our traditional offerings of ho'okupu upon the lele. Participants that were present offered their ho'okupu that was appropriate to the focus of the gathering. The natural elements Kumu Hula Kehaulani Kekua 'petitioned' was by no means a "denouncement of roots and branches" said by Nathaniel B. Emerson in his publication of "Unwritten Literature of Hawaii" from page 108. For there was no incompletetion on the part of any participants that stood up right for a "24-hour vigil — called ‘aha ho‘ano —" As a particpant, I assure you there was no comfort in seeking spiritual guidance from our ancients. Participants were elderly Na Kupuna to infants and practitioners to community before the elements. As our elderly danced, and chanted their kahiko before their lele of offerings--infants stood watch.
Heavy with the burden of our iwi kupuna and in the dark with the thickening hauna smell of Wailua stream in the air, we chanted "E Ala E!" which was done repeatedly to chant up the sun at sunrise. We stood at the edge of the shores beside the mouth of the Wailua stream as the light showned over the disturbance we could see the kanawai and its swirling whirlpool mixture of moe lepo meet the freshness of a turbelant sea. As our Na Kumu and their Na Haumana chanted, at first, the sun showed itself as a thin lining--edging the clouds. As the sun rose above the clouds our thoughts were reckoning with our Na Kupuna Iwi. My personal thoughts "while watching kane and ku, I yearned for my sister hina."
To build a bike path over our Na Kupuna Iwi are progressive and emacipating for foreigners and their place of origins. Unlike foreigners of other origins--our ancestors are part of our living. To peddle over our Na Kupuna Iwi is like shaking the earth of its axis. To free the burden of this autrocity, I'd like to say that the governing entiy should align themselves with their ancestors and the officiators of a thousand year old moolelo. Kaohi