Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 23, Number 2, 1 February 2006 — Forbes Cave [ARTICLE]

Forbes Cave

I am not writing this letter as an advocate or member of Hui Mālama. I am an individual who strongly feels that the artifacts and all items retrieved from Forbes Cave should not be returned to Bishop Museum, but should remain in the caves and loeale from whieh they were taken. As a Hawaiian, I find it especially troublesome that archeologists, as was the case with David Forbes and his exhibition, desecrated iwi kupuna at the Wal-Mart site on Ke'eaumoku Street. This kind of desecration is continuing throughout our state, and not enough is being done to discourage it. Here is a Hawaiian group that had to take matters into their own hands because the law could not protect nor reverse past wrongs, and now they are being punished. Bishop Museum should be punished for accepting stolen objects, and not the other way around. We, as Hawaiians, must have a plaee of our own in whieh to house the sacred objects and artifacts of our kūpuna. Until our sacred places are returned

to us and restored, it is far better that our sacred objects be hidden from others. I do not consider the preservation of these objects by those who wish to retrieve them to be of vital importance for the education of future generations. Bishop Museum has studied and photographed these objects and has documented their findings. One did not have to see the actual eanoe of our ancestors to build the Hōkūle'a. They were able to do so by the writings and research available. It was a practice to hide objects of cultural value in caves to protect them against destruction. It was done in anticipation of the resurgence of our culture and practices. Uphold the law, yes, but whose law are we to follow as Hawaiians? I believe in this case the law was wrongfully applied due to laek of understanding in regard to our practices and beliefs. We are not Native American Indians, and until such time that our issues are taken from our prospective, there ean be no justice. Linda Paik Honolulu, O'ahu