Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 25, Number 5, 1 April 2008 — Tyranny and iwi exposed [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Tyranny and iwi exposed

By Alika Pae Silva Editor's note: Alika Poe Silva is Kahu Kulaiwi, Koa Mana, kupuka'āina o Wai'anae, wahi pana, O'ahu, Hawaiian Naūonal. The views expressed in this eommunity forum do not necessarily reflect the views of the Office of Hawaiian Ajfairs. Aloha no 'ohana, there is a stone eanoe in Kāne Ana, a cave in Mākua. This is the eanoe that takes the souls of the deceased to the heavens and connects us to our ancestor. This our kūpuna knew, practiced and taught us! Remember, 'ohana, Kāne Ana is also the womb of Papa, and in the back of the cave you ean see her ovaries, haekhone and na'au. Kāne traditions required that when a family member is born and/or given life back again his or her

parents should perform certain ceremonies at Kāne Ana and U-Kāne-Po Heiau. The remaining pieee of the umhilieal cord that dries up and falls off the child several days after the birth is kept by the 'ohana for these ceremonies and put in a special piko stone in Kaulu Valley next to Mākua in 'Ōhikilolo Valley approximately 2 miles mauka. The Kāne religion recognizes the annual stations of the sun, especially the summer solstice. The ridge that runs from Kāne Ana to the mountains at the back of Mākua Valley is Ko'iahi. This name refers to the setting of the summer solstice sun. During the summer solstice season the shadow of Ko 'iahi ridge lengthens until it reaches a point in Kahanahāiki. As the shadow makes its way in through the valley it touches the kohe of Papa, the mother of creation. This ties Kāne Ana,

Mākua and U-Kane-Po Heiau as localized and geometric points within Kānehunamoku/Mākua to Kukaniloko, the piko of Hawai'i Loa. Because Kānehunamoku is in Wai'anae, it makes the whole Wai'anae Moku/wahi pana uniquely sacred to Kāne. Kānehunamoku is where Kāne created the Hawaiian equivalent to the Garden of Eden. Kānehunamoku is also the plaee where the piko stone called A-E-I-O Kāne eame from (see picture in previous eolumn). The U.S. Army and its government have repeatedly desecrated Kāne Ana. In 1937-38 the Army blasted the opening of the cave so that they could put anununition and two airplanes in the cave in preparation for their war. The original entrance was 60 feet up from the base of the cliff. This allows malihini, strangers, to enter the cave when they want to, with many of them unaware of the profound religious and eultural importance of the cave and to the kupuka'āina Kāne people.

Malihini have repeatedly violated the sacredness of the sites. Some strangers have conducted new age ceremonies there, others have perfonned rituals from other religions and some people have even used it as a restroom. This abuse has to stop! We again ask the U.S. Army and its government to respectfully and in good faith protect our sacred sites. We ask that they construct a wall and return the iwi they took from Kāne Ana. From the history of Kanalu "Here is the Eastern Sun rising/ the protection of Kāne/our protection/given life by Kaonohiokala/ the chief lives on/as do the priest/ the prophet lives on/as do the observers of the stars/granted life by you/Makali'i/when granted life by Nehe/above, Nehe, helow/ granted life by the hidden rain/ by the drenching rain/granted life by the crackling of thunder/by crackling sound/the very long life/ the life of the gods/it is ours/the knowledge of the gods/it is ours/ granted life by the chiefs/and with the people/we give life/as does the priest who observes the stars/now is the time/freed, freed is the kapu/ lifted, lifted is the kapu." From time eternal, Wai'anae Moku has been the home of the Kāne religion and its practitioners. We are their lineal descendants. The sites in Mākua are our traditional Kāne religion sites, and we, the lineal descendants eonhnue our beliefs and practices regarding our Kāne religion. The U.S. government, the state government and groups like Hui Mālama ignore and deny our religion and our responsibility as lineal descendants to protect, preserve and perpetuate our Kāne culture, its sites

and traditions. The Army refuses to eonsult with state-recognized lineal descendants regarding the Army setting up new religious symbols and religion (Ahu-o-Lono) that is alien to Kānehunamoku-Mākua Valley. The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution guarantees the right to the free practice of religion. The Army is using unethieal tactics to divide and conquer our Hawaiian Kingdom State. The U.S. anny and govermnent have illegally occupied our Hawaiian State since 1893. Section 106 of the U.S. Historic Preservation Law, s tate Historic Preservation Law and the state Department of Land and Natural Resource's Administrative Rules all require consultation with documented lineal descendants. We are those docmnented lineal descendants, but we have not been meaningfully consulted regarding protections and proper and traditional use of Kāne religion sites. The U.S. Army allowed Hui Mālama to enter Mākua and construct ahu o Lono and to put ho'okupu to Lono on Kāne sites. This is a violation of our rights and religion and a desecration of our Kāne sites. The love for our God, Kāne-nui-ākea, wahi pana, plaee of origin and traditions of our kupuka'āina, lineal descendants in Wai'anae Moku need to be protected for our generations to eome. 'Ohana, please kōkua and eall upon OHA to assist and send your aloha and prayers for our kūpuna who are always with us and wao our amazing Hawaiian Kingdom State. Kūpuna worked hard for us! 'Ike maka 'ohana, www. HawaiianKingdom.org. Mahalo no, Akua lako 'ohana, ua mau ke ea o ka 'āina i ka pono. □

KUKAKUKA • CDMMUNITY FDRUM

Kōne Ana, ū cave in Mūkuo, holds profound religious ond cultural importance for the kupuka'ōina kōne people. - Pholo: Courtesy ofAlika Silva