Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 17, Number 7, 1 Iulai 2000 — Lessons from our ancestral past [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Lessons from our ancestral past

Editor's note: The following eolumn, co-authored by Trustees Colette Machado and Frenchy DeSoto, is continued on page 8, in the space allotted to Trustee DeSoto. ĪHE RAIDING of ali'i burial caves is nothing new to the kanaka 'ōiwi. On Oct. 6, 1870, Samuel Mānaiakalani Kamakau wrote in Ke Au 'Oko 'a about a story (translated by Mary Kawena Pūku'i in "Ka Po'e Kahiko") conveyed to him by a haole doctor, Dr. John Pelham, known also as "Dr. Pili." This doctor claimed one of his patients was an elder chief ffom Waimea, Hawai'i, who had been injured in battle and that this chief had agreed to allow Dr. Pili to take possession of his body following his death. When the ali'i passed away, his daughter refused to turn her father's body over. Being thus denied, Dr. Pili spied on the family when they secretly took the deceased chief to a hidden burial cave. The doctor returned the next day, entered the cave and saw iwi kanaka (human bones) as well as 'ahu'ula (long feather

capes), mahiole (helmets), 'ahu (short capes), mea kaua (weapons), kāhili, kapa and moena (mats), whieh were described as the treasured possessions of these chiefs. Dr. Pili removed the iwi of the deceased Waimea ali'i to Lahainaluna School. He

also stole a complete skeleton to satisfy a request by a Dr. Andrews. Moreover, Dr. Pili began to plan the removal of the objects. However, soon after the theft of these iwi kanaka took plaee (e. 18351837), the ali'i burial cave in Waimea was consumed by fire, destroying all of the iwi and the valuables hidden therein Kamakau states there was no natural cause for the fire and speculates perhaps the cause was that "[the items] would be taken and subject to humilianon and disgrace, and perhaps the fact that a malihini had already seen these hidden things." Kamakau attributes the same cause to the 1862 fire at Lahainaluna School that resulted in the destmction of the school and the iwi of the deceased Waimea chief. The main lesson ffom Kamakau is that only pilikia comes ffom the desecration of burials. Approximately 70 years later, a similar scenario took plaee at an ali'i burial cave located in nearby Kawaihae. In 1905, David Forbes, William Wagner and Friedrich Haenisch discovered a burial cave containing the mummified iwi of

ali'i as well as numerous possessions of these ancestral chiefs. Noticing loose stones on the floor of the cave, the men took apart a fortified stone wall after "considerable exertion." The stone wall served to seal and eoneeal a small opening to a chamber in whieh chiefly remains and their treasured possessions were secreted. The thieves entered the chamber and stole iwi kanaka and moepū (burial objects) belonging to these chiefs. The items stolen included an ipu 'aina or wood bowl inlaid with human teeth, two female ki'i 'aumakua images, two Kū style male images, a papamu or konane board, a polished bowl, boar tusk neeklaces, a helmet made of human hair and other moepū. The thieves drew straws in order to determine the method by whieh to divide up the loot. Most of the stolen moepū were sold, traded, or donated to Bishop Museum and to the Volcanoes National Park. In the Hawaiian Dictionary, moepū is defined "to plaee artifacts with the dead." "Mai lawe wale i nā mea i ho'omoepū 'ia" See LESSONS on page 8

V I C E CHAlRPERSON'S MESSAGE

[?]

LESSONS

From page 6 means "Don't wantonly take things placed with the dead." Kamakau knew all too well of the dangers that eame with the ho'omā'ino'ino 'ana (desecration) of iwi kanaka and moepū that were hidden in the burial caves. He stated that "the mana kupua (supernatural powers) were also placed in there by the people of old, with kia'i kupua (supematural guardians) to care" for the sacred places and the ah'i who were laid to rest there with their possessions. The burial caves were "molia i ke akua (set apart for the gods)." Kamakau's writings offer a helpful insight into the recent controversy over the ki'i 'aumākua (ancestral guardian images) and other moepū retumed to the burial caves in Kawaihae from whieh they were stolen. A number of Hawaiians have stepped forth and demanded these 'aumākua be removed onee again ffom the burial caves to be made available for viewing by a whole new host of foreign eyes. Some have claimed that these 'aumākua were only placed in the burial caves for temporary safekeeping during a time when all such images were being

destroyed and therefore are in fact not burial items. Some argue that as family members, they have the right to separate the treasured chiefly possessions and utilize them for the future education of our people and society as exemplary works of art. The Kawaihae situation involves certain fundamental values of our culture. Foremost is that the ali'i already determined the purpose of these objects is to aeeompany them in their afterlife. This is evidenced by where the objects were placed and why they were placed there, and not

when placement occurred. As with the burial cave in Waimea, the items taken from Honokoa were placed directly with the iwi kanaka because they were treasured possessions. Moreover, the four 'aumākua images were placed directly in front of the iwi kupuna in a position of protection. This is consistent with Kamakau's assertion that kia'i kupua were left by the people of old to protect these caves. Our kuleana today is to respect the burial wishes of the ancestors. Remember Kamakau's lesson that only pilikia comes from the desecration of burials. The current controversy is living proof. for the record, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs stated in a letter dated March 21, 1994, to Dr. Donald Duckworth of the Bishop Museum regarding the iwi kanaka and moepū removed from Honokoa Gulch that, "the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) - with the eoncurrence of Hui Mālama i nā Kūpuna o Hawai'i Nei - is requesting the repatriation of human remains and burial goods associated with Forbes and Mummy Caves at Kawaihae, on Hawai'i. Our office is coordinating with the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands in seeking this repatriation so that the remains and other items ean be returned and these caves sealed. Although not easily accessible, the caves have been entered and desecrated -

and it is imperative that dignity be restored and the entrances waŪed to prevent future intrusion. We are, therefore, requesting your assistance in expediting this request for the protection of nā iwi." Therefore, the aehon taken by Hui Mālama and the position taken by OHA are most consistent with the lessons left to us by such cultural resources as the writings of Kamakau and 'ōlelo no'eau. When faced with what appear to be difficult cultural decisions today, we have a wealth of historical knowledge to look to for proper guidance. Efforts by fellow OHA trustees to recall the Kawaihae moepū ff om their original plaee of burial would onee again desecrate the iwi kanaka, result in the separation from their treasured possessions and amount to the eommission of the crime of grave robbery. Furthermore, it would not only eondone the original theft of these moepu by Forbes, et al., but it would treat that transgression as a blessing in disguise. Such a result would clearly contradict the teachings of our kūpuna, as articulated by Kamakau. This is a critical juncture for Hawaiians and a golden opportunity to express our cultural identity in a positive manner based on the cultural values left to us by our ancestors. Let us look to them for proper guidance. "Mai lawe wale i nā mea i ho'omoepū 'ia - don't wantonly take things placed with the dead." ■

[?]