Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 11, Number 2, 1 ʻAukake 1994 — E hoʻomau i ka lomilomi [ARTICLE]

E hoʻomau i ka lomilomi

Last of a series by Keoni Kealoha Agard In 1932, M.F. Long published "Recovering the Aneieni Magic," based on his and other research dating back to the 1860s. This book and others he wrote on Hawaiian healing were banned in Hawai'i by the Territorial government because they explored the ability of Hawaiians to heal through prayer. After seeing startling results, Long wanted to know why Hawaiian prayer seemed more effective than Christian prayer. Long wanted to know how Hawaiian prayer could cause broken bones to heal instantly, sickness to be cured, and mueh more. Was it the prayer itself? Was it the words the Hawaiians selected? Was it the Hawaiian language? Was it the knowledge of other bodies whieh exist together with the physical

body? Was it the state of mind of the native practitioner? What was it? More importantly, how did it work? In 1992, while attending the South Pacific Arts Festival, I met Freddy Tiare, a native of Aitutaki (an island in the Cook Islands ehain), who now resides in California. The islanders of Aitutaki trace their ancestral lineage back to the island of Hawai'i. Freddy and I decided to attend a gathering of healers at St. Joseph's Church in downtown Rarotonga where we met a group of Tahitian healers and massage practitioners. Their goal was to organize the Pacific Islanders in order to preserve and protect their knowledge from exploitation by foreigners. Even with their expertise and experience, the Tahitians were amazed when Freddy began to correct physical problems of people assembled in the crowd by straightening out bones, re-

balancing the body, and other conditions through light manual manipulations that were only one to two minutes long. Something beyond the ordinary was occurring. Freddy was taught this art by his grandniother from childhood to his teens. These were the old Hawaiian bodywork healing techniques handed down and preserved through generations

still surviving on a tiny, remote and isolated Pacific island. Later I related this story and the goal of the Tahitians to Helen 0'Connor and Jimmy Lewis, my cousin. They indicated that they had a similar desire to organize, preserve and protect the knowledge of the native practitioners of Hawaiian healing arts here in Hawai'i. We acknowledged that

the lā'au lapa'au practitioners were already on their way to organizing their own network in Hawai'i. On the other hand, lomilomi, bodywork and hands-on healing are in a distinctly different field of knowledge and expertise from lā'au lapa'au. Thus, because our 'ohana were and still are lomilonii therapists, continued on page 18

Lomilomi from page 1 7

Helen, Jimmy and I in November 1993 began a collaborative effort to organize the first native Hawaiian lomilomi conference in order to provide the foundation for the practitioners themselves to protect and preserve their sacred art for future generations. We approached the Office of Hawaiian Affairs and OHA agreed to provide financial assistance. OHA has joined our planning committee to coordinate the Native Hawaiian Lomilomi Confer-ence this month, August 10 and 11. It is our goal to see every Hawaiian 'ohana have one of its members trained in lomilomi and bodywork. As we look to the future, this ancient pracliee will help to contain health care costs for our 'ohana, our new nation, and our Hawaiian trusts. In the future, hopefully by 1996, we will have a contingent of Hawaiian healing practitioners participate in the South Pacific Arts Festival. We must preserve this sacred art. E ho'omau i ka lomilomi. Does the magic still exist? Headaches — Sue Nabarrette: "From childhood I

have lived with headaches all my life. Upon returning home to Hawai'i, I had my first lomilomi treatment. A week later I realized I had no headache. After regularly weekly massages on the Mainland for years with no lasting results, I find that lomilomi is definitely more effective.' Baldness — Kehau Cummings: "For three years I was bald because of a rare disease. Western medication was not able to cure my problem. However, after having bodywork done, my hair began to return within one week. Now I have all my hair and more." Pain — Maria Davis: "I was involved in two car accidents and experienced great pain for over a year. Prescribed medications did not help me. I thought I was going to die from the pain. But within 20 minutes of my first bodywork/lomilomi treatment, all my pain was released. I'm living proof that it works." Misaligned shoulder — Roxanna Davis: "For months I suffered extreme pain for whieh painkillers were prescribed by my Western doctor. But the pain still persisted and there did not seem to be a cure. X-rays showed nothing wrong. When I visited a lomilomi therapist she diagnosed the

source of the problem, then through lomilomi was able to reset my collarbone. Since then my pain has disappeared through just one treatment." Kupuna ailments — Sharon Pattison: "My mother, Edna Burge, broke nine vertebrae in 1988 and later broke both her hips. She was in constant pain. Several medical experts advised me that she would never walk without assistance again. Six years passed and the therapy she received simply did not work. Within 45 minutes of a lomilomi treatment my mother was able to lie flat on her back for the first time in six years without wincing in pain. As she was leaving, she was able to take four steps and walk without any assistance. "My mother also suffered from dementia but as we returned home that day, she was coherent and conversive and was able to recognize her surroundings, whieh she had been unable to do for years. I am convinced that lomilomi is an effective therapy for senior citizens. Lomilomi makes the life of the caregiver (myself) a lot easier. Lomilomi is the closest thing to a miracle; sometimes it takes more than conventional medicine to help those in pain." Does Hawaiian lomilomi magic still exists? You must try it for yourself, then decide.