Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 6, Number 5, 1 May 1989 — Makaku [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Makaku

By Rocky Ka'iouliokahihikolo 'Ehu Jcnsen ©

Pondering The lnjustices Visited Upon Our People

We've put a man on the moon. We have space probes to Jupiter and weather satellites that constantly circle the earth. Yet we still have to create a program where native Hawaiian resident artists, or native Hawaiian historians, anthropologists, archeologists, etc. are hired to express their expertise in Hawai'i federal parks, state parks and museums. My long affiliation with native artists from Canada, the United States and other Polynesian nations has made me aware of this glaring laek of eoneem with our structure. Oh, to be sure, if you go to Pu'uhonua o Honaunau you will find a capable sculptor, however, if I'm not mistaken, his job title is "groundskeeper," as was the sculptor before him and the sculptor before him. Excuse me, "groundskeeper?" Don't you think that in this age of enlightenment, we could rectify that gross error and create a position of kahuna kalai ki'i for that and other sacred places . . . and hire someone else to keep the grounds? I think so? The same holds true for other parks — whether national . . . Volcano . . . Pu'u Kohola — State . . . 'Iao — or private . . . Waimea Falls. These are wahi kapu (sacred sites) under federal and state eontrol . . . butthey donothavetheinsighttoemploy native Hawaiians to supervise certain aspects of management, or to generate programs, where the proceeds would then benefit native Hawaiians. Of course, you know what the ideal is? To give all of the sacred places back to us. These are the major tourist attractions of these islands. In the first plaee, I think that there is a moral injustice in exploiting our sacred places, only giving us token admission . . . if we prove that we are native Hawaiians. It is sham, the using of our mulhple t2ilents as artisans and historians free of charge. Representation without proper remuneration! We should not have to double as "grounds-keeper" and artist and then be professionally recognized for only that whieh is described in our job title. Our island museums should also be involved with taking responsibility in this area. They should create positions for resident artists and artisans, thus proving to the world that their view of the native's cultural knowledge is respected. In speaking with a long-time friend, the eminent anthro-

pologist Dr. Terence Barrow, I discovered that he had argued this very point many years ago when the Bishop Museum was under the directorship of Roland Force. He said that he had been appalled for years that the Bishop Museum, our leading museum in the Pacific, had failed, repeatedly, to recognize the importance of hiring a knowledgeable native Hawaiian sculptor to execute artistic Polynesian interpretations for the many exhibits on display. Perhaps the museums in British Columbia and New Zealand might inspire our present museum directors on whieh path to take to correct this oversight. If you attend the many cultural programs at Bishop Museum and other museums around the state, you will find that our native crafts are eapably represented. If you bother speaking to any of the craftspeople, however, you will find that their

presence and talent is financially unre arded. It is kokua! Or better yet, "native rates! Something that has been taken advantage of since the fall of the kapu in 1819. Shame, shame, shame! How does the saying go? Shame on you if you fool me onee and shame on me if you fool me twice? We cannot allow the continuance of this outrageous exploitation. Not only is our talent taken for granted . . . don't we all, sing, strum ukulele, weave leis, dance hula, plait lauhala, work feathers, quilt spreads, carve canoes and statues, weave baskets, tell stories, blessing openings, cure the sick . . . My, we are the giving sort . . . but there comes time when our self must be eompensated for these awesome talents. The time is now! Mai ka po mai 'o'ia 'i'o! Spiritual truth does not require the sanction of the non-believer , . . it is forever!

"Legend of Kukaniloko," by Frank K. Jensen/Shadow Graphs. This sacred site is owned by the Galbraith Estate.