Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 13, Number 5, 1 May 1996 — Mãkua beach [ARTICLE]

Mãkua beach

Mākau Beach has been in the spotlight lately and deserves our attention. Hawai'i is a stressful plaee to live and we recently have seen some of the worst scenarios that are directly related to stress. I believe that people find themselves in the plaee they should be. The folks living at Mākau Beach are no exception. From a personal point of view, I lived on Waimānalo Beach, by ehoiee, for a year ffom 1974-75. It was the most sphitual and healing experience that I have ever had in my 67 years. We never realize at the time all

of the reasons we do what we do, but therapy comes in many disguises and we find our own truth in diverse ways, if we listen to ourselves and honor our instincts. Is there a way that our state could set aside beach and mountain areas just for those of us who need time out, a plaee to eommune with nature, a plaee to heal our wounded sou!s? Could we be respected for our ehoiee, instead of being harassed and made to look wrong? Dividing people into "us" and "them" is only an illusion. We are all us. Whatever happens to me, to degrade another person, degrades me. I know people at Mākau beach who have turned their lives around, they are now elean and sober and have left abusive partners. I believe the state could regulate these sites by asking us to get permits for as long as we needed to be there. The renewal of permits would depend on our conduct and willingness to keep the area elean. We were mentored by Hawaiians in the past who respected people's choices enough to set up the "City

of Refuge" to help them with their healing and to provide them with a measure of safety. These places would be known as "healing grounds." I am convinced from experience and the mental health roU size, that Hawai'i would profit by a change in attitude toward those of us who know what we need and could go to the oeean or

mountain to restore ourselves. The Mākau Beach populalion is our chaUenge and our lesson, let us have the sensitivity it demands from aU of us. Louise Walker Honolulu