Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 7, Number 9, 1 September 1990 — Na iwi welcomed in solemn ceremony [ARTICLE]

Na iwi welcomed in solemn ceremony

By Ann L. Moore Ceremonies were held on Thursday, July 19, at the Honolulu airport for the return of na iwi o Hawai'i Nei, the bones of the Hawaiian ancestors. The iwi had been held at the Smithsonian lnstitution in Washington, D.C., for a hundred or more years. Representatives from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs along with a ceremonial group from Hui Malama I Na Kupuna O Hawai'i Nei went to Washington D.C. to coordinate the federally mandated repatriation of the bones. The group included OHA chairman of trustees Thomas Kaulukukui Sr. and trustee Moses Keale, Native Hawaiian Freservation Task Force Chair Lydia Namahana Maioho and task force member June Cleghorn. The ceremony to mark the return was arranged by the Office of Hawaiian Affairs Native Hawaiian Preservation Task Force and Hui Malama. By 11 p.m. a quiet group had assembled in the United Airlines third floor where a ceremonial area was bordered with ti plants.

A light breeze stirred the balmy night. The moon gave no light to earth but deflected its rays to the vast reaches of space. Members of Hui Malama I Na Kupuna O Hawai'i Nei, led by President Edward Kanahele, had lovingly and prayerfully prepared the bones at the Smithsonian for repatriation to Hawai'i. They returned on United flight 817 with the bones and were ushered directly to the ceremonial area. The Hui Malama representatives had been under kapu since the start of their journey on Monday, July 16. John Lake broke the silence with the first chant at about 11:35 p.m. An answering chant was sung by Parley Kanakaole. The bones arrived in special containers and were carried to an area behind the 'ahu. The team from Hui Malama gathered in the center of the room, near the bones and surrounded by the people to chant prayers and 'oli. The chants, learned especially for the occasion, had such power and were of such depth and resonance that every person felt the reverberation to the marrow of their bones. Following a blessing by Rev. Leon Sterling,

ho'okupu were offered by 'Ahahui Ka'ahumanu, Hale 'O Na Ali'i, Daughters of Hawai'i, trustees and administrators of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, the Govemor of Hawai'i and personal representatives of Hawaii's U.S. Congressional delegation, Hawaiian family members representing islands of genealogical lines, members of island burial councils, and finally by support staff. The ka'ai holding remains of kupuna from O'ahu left Honolulu for reinterment at about 2 a.m. The kapu was lifted and people greeted the Hui Malama members with aloha. Light refreshments were served. By about 4:15 a.m. Friday morning, those who had been able to stay for the vigil joined hands in a prayer circle. The remains were soon to be taken to eaeh of the home islands where island burial councils would participate in the reinterments. Rev. Sterling noted that soon the day would break and for the first time in more than a hundred years the bones of the kupuna would be warmed by a Hawaiian sun. The vigil ended at 4:30 a.m.