Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 37, Number 9, 1 September 2020 — We are a Spiritual People [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

We are a Spiritual People

By Kalani Akana, Ph.D. Our elders of long ago were a spiritual people. They prayed and gave offerings for the protection of the family. At this time of the pandemic, people are searching for help to ward off troubles. These are some spiritual means for us to revisit: Pōhaku Kāne - Kamakau wrote Ke Au Okoa (3 Mal. 1870): The Pōhaku o Kāne was a plaee of refuge for the family, the generations, the descendants for this and that matter upon the Pōhaku o Kāne refuge, whieh was not a temple, but a plaee for a singular stone image, a plaee to serve as an altar, planted about with ti leaves whieh were very verdant, a plaee for the family to find solace. This is the reason the family would go there, fathers and sons of one family, not outsiders: because the gods have struck them with death, sickness, or some calamity upon the family. . . Although there are possibly no families caring for a Pōhaku Kāne, this is an excellent example of spirituality within the family and sincerity in searching for a cure to end sickness.

Earl Kūwū'ū at his 'ohana class - board and stone. - Photo: Courtesy Ho'oponopono - According to Earl Kawa'a, an elder and a leader of the ho'oponopono (to make right) procedure, the most important component of ho'oponopono is prayer. He further states that

the answers to all problems are in prayer and in revelations of God Puku'i explained her understanding of ho'oponopono procedure whieh were printed in Nānā i ke Kumu Vol. 1. The component steps to revive the family were arranged thusly: • Pule - an opening prayer. • Kūkulu kumuhana - an explanation of the problem • Hihia - delving into the problems that have become entangled • Mahiki - the peeling back of the problems and entanglements • 'Oia'i'o - the urging and encouragement of the pai1icipants to be sincere, truthful, to speak appropriately, and to respect one another. • Uku pāna'i - a means to alleviate the pain and to demonstrate sincerity in asking for forgiveness • Ho'omalu - a recess should anger, hate, and worry eome up • Mihi a me ke Kala - the release of the problem and root causes • Pule - a prayer of release Puku'i shared these thoughts with esteemed elders Richard and Lynette Paglinawan. The two of them wrote in Hūlili V. 8 (2012): The rituals in lua (Hawaiian fighting arts) and ho'oponopono (process for setting things right) teach us to respect mana (supernatural power) and to acknowledge, first and foremost, that there are higher powers that hold jurisdiction over us. 'Ohana - This kind of 'ohana refers to daily meeting to worship together. This family meeting occurred at sunrise and sunset - morning and evening. According to Dr. Ipo Kanahele Wong, the elder would eall to them three times to take care of their hygienic needs to settle them for the meeting, Then the kupuna called thusly, '"Ohana....'ohana....'ohana." They then prayed, sang hymns, and eaeh family member read or recited Bible scripture. This routine was important to the family to strengthen it. If you are interested in the worship service on Ni'ihau please read the dissertation by Dr. Kanahele Wong, "Pukaiki kula maniania no Niihau, na ka Niihau," at http://hdl. handle.net/l0l25/l0l948. We are indeed a spiritual people. ■ Kalani Akana, Ph.D., is the culture specialist at OHA. He is a kumu ofhula, oli anā 'ōlelo Hawai 'i. He has authored numerous articles on indigenous ways ofknowing and doing.