Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 33, Number 3, 1 Malaki 2016 — Kalani‘ōpu‘u treasures returning to Hawai‘i [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Kalani‘ōpu‘u treasures returning to Hawai‘i

By Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Te Papa Tongarewa, Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum

n 1779, the chief of Hawai'i Island, Kalani'ōpu'u, who traced his regal line to the great chief Llloa of Waipi'o, greeted an English captain named James Cook after his ship made port in Kealakekua Bay. As a demonstration of his goodwill, Kalani'ōpu'u gifted the 'ahu 'ula (feathered eloak) and mahiole (feathered helmet) he was wearing to Cap- » tain Cook. Now for the first time, both

the storied 'ahu 'ula and mahiole will return together to its home islands since they left its shores on Cook's

ship 237 years ago. In a partnership between the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA), The National

Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, and Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum, the 'ahu » 'ula and mahiole of . Kalani'ōpu'u will make their ' V

m o n i mental j ourney in March

2016 to be displayed at Bishop Museum in Honolulu, O'ahu. » "We are very proud to be working together to make the return of the 'ahu 'ula and mahiole possible. This historic collaboration is celebrated among eaeh of our organizations as we transfer, receive,

and care for these pieces, and continue in a tradition of mutual respect among the cultures of the Paeihe," said representatives from OHA, Te Papa Tongarewa, and Bishop Museum in a joint statement. "We are thrilled and honored to be able to

return these treasures home to Hawai'i, and

nto the care of the Bishop Museum," said Rick , Ellis, chief execuW tive of Te Papa Tongarewa. "When they are shared with the

. -*■ people of Hawai'i, I am sure they will inspire some wonderful conversations and insights, as they did when displayed here in Aotearoa New Zealand." The feathered eloak and helmet have great extrinsic value, but more importantly, they possess great intrinsic and spiritual significance. For Native Hawaiians, the 'ahu 'ula, mahiole, and all other featherwork were reserved exclusively for the use of their ali'i (royalty), symbolizing their chiefly divinity, rank and power. It embodied the life essence of a thriving abundant environment whieh are the telltale signs of leadership, as it takes a healthy forest ecosystem to produce enough bird feathers and cordage to make these regal pieces. From a historical perspective, the artifacts represent a period in the hmeline of Hawai'i when there was a halanee between the cultural, poliheal

and spiritual parts of Native Hawaiians and the environment. The construction of featherwork in ancient Hawai'i required an incredible amount of labor and craftsmanship. This 'ahu 'ula in particular has feathers fromabout 20,000 birds. Skilled trappers caught the birds by employing various techniques such as snaring their prey midair with nets, or using decoy birds to lure them onto branches coated with a sticky substance. They often harvested only a few feathers fromeach bird before releasing them back into the wild so they could produce more feathers. Skilled workers belonging to the ali'i class crafted the olonā cordage backing, a netting used as the foundation for the eloak, onto whieh the bundles of feathers were attached, creating bold designs. After the 'ahu 'ula and mahiole left on Cook's ship, both were taken to England and passed through the hands of various museum owners and collectors. They eventually eame under the care of Lord St Oswald, who unexpectedly presented his entire eolleehon in 1912 to the Dominion Museum in New Zealand, the pre- , decessor of Te Papa Tongarewa. The eloak and helmet have been in the national eolleer tion ever since. In 2013, discussions began . among B ishop Museum, Te Papa Tongarewa, and ' OHA to bring these treasures back to Hawai'i, culminating in this significant homecoming. "I'm grateful to witness the return of these eultural heirlooms, and how it is being made possible by the kōkua of many in both New Zealand and Hawai'i," said Kamana'opono Crabbe, Ka Pouhana of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs. "The return of the 'ahu 'ula and mahiole to Hawai'i is a cause for celebration and it will be a source of inspiration, reflection and discussion amongst Native Hawaiians, Hawai'i residents and visitors alike." In support of the artifacts' return, Hawaiian Airlines will transport the feathered eape and helmet aboard a flight marking the carrier's third anniversary of its route between Auckland, New Zealand, and Honolulu, Hawai'i on March 13. "The 'ahu 'ula and mahiole are priceless works of artistry, made with skilled hands and imbued with aloha befitting that of Kalani'ōpu'u. Hawaiian Airlines is privileged to serve as the carrier to return these chiefly possessions back to the people of Hawai'i," said Debbie Nakanelua-Richards, community relations director at Hawaiian Airlines. The 'ahu 'ula andmahiole of Kalani'ōpu'u will then be on long-termloan fromTe Papa Tongarewa for at least 10 years. To receive the 'ahu 'ula and mahiole, a private ceremony - Ka Ho'i 'Ana o SEE KALANI'ŌPU'U ON PAGE 14

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rAuckland, 4 New Zealand

The intricate featherwork in Kalani'ōpu'u's 'ahu 'ula required feathers from more than 20,000 birds. - Photo: īe Papa īongarewa

Followthe return at www.oha.org/kalaniopuu or by connecting with the Office of Hawaiian Affairs on social media using #kalaniopuu: Facebook: facebook.com/officeofhawaiianaffairs Twitten twitter.com/oha_hawaii YouTube: youtube.com/ohahawaii Vimeo: vimeo.com/ohahawaii lnstagram: Search foroha_hawaii

KALANI'ŌPU'U

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Nā Wehi Makamae o Hawai'i (the return of the eloak and helmet of Ali'i Nui Kalani'ōpu'u) - will be held on March 17. The 'ahu 'ula and mahiole of Kalani'ōpu'u will be exhibited to the puhlie at Bishop Museum on the island of O'ahu starting on March 19. "Bishop Museum is honored to be the institution charged with the care of these cultural treasures and to be the recipient of these mea makamae (treasures) from Te Papa Tongarewa," said Blair D. Collis, president & CEO of Bishop Museum. "The exhibit space at Bishop Museum will be called 'He Nae Ākea: Bound Together.' This rellects the connection of Kalani'ōpu'u to his land and people, the eonneehon between the peoples, nations, andcultures throughout the centuries who have cared for these treasures, as well as the eonneetion between the three institutions

directly involved in this loan. It is only as a result of all of these ties that we have arrived where we are today." "These priceless treasures have so mueh to tell us about our shared Paeihe history. We are honored to be able to return them home, to reconnect them with their land and their people," said Arapata Hakiwai, Kaihautū (Māori co-leader) of Te Papa Tongarewa. "Woven into these taonga (treasures) is the story

of our Paeihe history, with all its beauty, challenges and complexity. When I see these treasures, I'm reminded about the whakatauki or proverb used during the highly successful intemational exhibition 'Te Māori' - 'He Toi Whakairo, He Mana Tangata': 'Where there is artistic excellence, there is human dignity.'" "The 'ahu 'ula and mahiole left their homeland at the end of the season of Lono in 1779 and the memory they hold in their very fiber is that of a healthy, abundant, sovereign society," said Mehanaokalā Hind, director of community engagement with the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, and a lineal descendant of Kalani'ōpu'u. "They will be returning home to the Hawaiian archipelago in that same season of the year 237 years later, at a time when Native Hawaiians are making strides in the heahh and well-being of our people. They will serve as a physical reminder to help guide Native Hawaiians in their pursuit of a thriving society." ■

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Kalani'ōpu'u's feathered mahiole is returning to Hawai'i for the first time in 237 years. - Photo: īe Papa īongarewa