Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 23, Number 8, 1 August 2006 — The lesson of the ʻiewe [ARTICLE]

The lesson of the ʻiewe

Editor's note: This article was submitted by a hui of individuals, including Ka 'Ohana Krug; the parents of Walnnepoaimoku Nahale-a; Annelle Amaral, 'Ahahui Siwila 0 Kapolei; Malia Nobriga, Waikīkī Hawaiian Civic Club ; Marjorie Mau, M.D., U.H. School ofMedicine, Dept. ofNative Hawaiian Health; Kamana'opono Crabbe, Ph.D.; andAndrew Sprenger, Esq., Moses Haia, Esq. and Mahealani Wendt of the Native Hawaiian Legal Corp. The views expressed in this community discussion eolumn are those ofthe author and do not necessarily reflect the views ofthe Office of Hawaiian Affairs.

Many indigenous peoples, including Native Hawaiians, believe in the interconnectedness of all beings. In traditional Hawaiian thought, divinity is everywhere; names associated with divine manifestations may explain the many thousands of god names given every aspect of the living experience. In addition, many cultures believe eonneehon to ancestors who have died continues beyond this earthly reahn. Moreover, with Hawaiians, connection to unborn generations is palpable and real. One physieal manifestation of these connections is the umhilieal cord, one of three pikos, or centers, of spiritual energy. At birth, the umhilieal cord is severed from the birth sac ("afterbirth"), or 'iewe. However, it remains and signifies the unbroken link between generations since birth of the first being on earth.

Accordingly, there are ceremonies that consecrate the 'iewe, whieh ensure the future well-being of a child and children yet to eome. Oftentimes, the 'iewe is buried and a tree seedling is planted at the site. As family members care for their child, they likewise water, fertilize and care for the tree. They bear witness to and are reassured by healthy growth. There are other practices associated with the 'iewe as well. Unfortunately, in these challenging times, it is often difficult for indigenous peoples to make these practices understood, and for members of other cultures to appreciate and respect them. This is especially true of Native Hawaiians, many of whose cultural practices were outlawed and fell into disuse after the overthrow. In the aftennath of the AIDS epidemic, the mostly unchallenged hospital practice of allowing Hawaiians to take possession of

the 'iewe changed. It became necessary to require stricter enforcement of new regulations, ostensibly to safeguard the public's heahh. In an overabundance of eauhon, any blood byproduct became categorized as a biohazard whieh needed to be destroyed. Against such inflexible government regulations, the Legislature and Gov. Lingle are to be commended for enacting a law that safeguards public heahh and welfare while protecting an important aspect of Native Hawaiian tradition and culture. At the Legislature, h was extremely heartening to hear not only the public testimony, but testimony from Filipino and other nonHawaiian legislators who attested to their families' similar cultural practices associated with the 'iewe. Unfortunately, untold Native Hawaiian families suffered inealeulahle harm because their families' 'iewe were either destroyed or stored in refrigerated vaults pending passage of legislation to cure the problem. The injury to family members whose 'iewe were refrigerated was compounded when they suffered the additional indignity of security guard escort through hospital corridors to prevent them from absconding with the 'iewe. The families endured this treatment in the hope that their efforts would pave the way for and benefit future generations. Moreover, there is a lesson here. As Native Hawaiian advocates joined with sup-

porters to protect this important cultural practice, they were met with strong resistance from state bureaucrats and lawyers, many of whom were themselves Native Hawaiian. It seems we agreed on the overall goal, but had difficulty reconciling our views on the best way to achieve that eommon goal. Sound familiar? Out of these differences, however, emerged a law that balances constitutional protections for native cultural practices and public heahh and safety. It was hard work, but at the end of the day, it was a winwin situation. We would like to aeknowledge and thank the many individuals and organizations who played key roles in this effort. E3

KŪKĀKŪKĀ • DISCUSSIDN FDRUM —

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