Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 27, Number 3, 1 March 2010 — ho ʻoulu lāhui aloha [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

ho ʻoulu lāhui aloha

By Mahealani Cypher Clifford Loo and his extended 'ohana, the Ko'olaupoko Hawaiian Civic Club, were deeply moved by the opportunity - offered recently - to eome and elean the crypt of Ke Ali'i Lunalilo and his father, Kana'ina, located on the grounds of Kawaiaha'o Church. Joining themon that brisk January moming were members of the Ko'olauloa Hawaiian Civic Club, sent by their president, 'Ululani Beirne. It was truly a labor of love, as the members of the two clubs quietly entered the sanctity of the wahi kapu to offer their caring hands in service. For Loo, this was a dream and an honor long awaited. He and his wife, Teri Loo, have coordinated the volunteer cleaning of Mauna'ala's ehapel and crypt for more than five years, taking on the task at the request of the previous coordinator, Unele Clarence Kelley, also a member of the Ko'olaupoko civic club. Loo had first thought about cleaning the crypt almost nine years ago when, after attending Ali'i Sunday services for

Lunalilo at Kawaiaha'o, the crypt was opened for viewing. "When I went in there, the plaee was filled with leaves, dirt and bird droppings," Loo says. "From that time on, I wanted to go in and elean." He asked around and was unahle to find an answer as to how to go about volunteering for the task. So, he left it alone, feeling that perhaps it was not meant for him to mālama this site. This past summer, Lunalilo Home administrator Dr. Kuhio Asam eame to the Ko'olaupoko Hawaiian Civic Club to offer a presentation on the history of the Lunalilo Tmst and plans for the future of Lunalilo Home. Loo took the opportunity to offer help to elean the Lunalilo crypt and, after plans were announced to celebrate Lunalilo on Ali'i Sunday in January, Dr. Asam contacted him and invited the club to kōkua with the cleaning of the site. Leialoha "Rocky" Kaluhiwa was among those of the Jones 'ohana, descendants of Lunalilo, who participated in the Ali'i Sunday ceremonies on Jan. 31. "I felt it was an honor," she says. "I had ehieken skin going in there. I always knew I had a connection to this man."

She said she was most impressed with the history of King Lunalilo and with the fact that he chose not to be buried with the high chiefs and ali'i at Mauna'ala, but instead wanted to be buried at Kawaiaha'o, in Honolulu. "He was the people's king...," she says. "All of our people should realize the connection they have with the king. He was the one who practiced equality." Her hours of helping to elean the crypt passed quickly for her. "Clifford took his own tools, his own polish to polish the marble tombs in there," she says, adding that the volunteers used "plenty rags" during the cleaning. "I was proud to be polishing the doors, as far as I could reach," she adds, laughing. Loo didn't know Kaluhiwa was family to Lunalilo until the day they were eleaning. He says he was flabbergasted when the Jones 'ohana invitedhimtojoin them and carry a kāhili in the ceremonies. "I didn't want to, because I'mnot part of the family," Loo says. "I'mjust a friend." But the family insisted that he was hānai to them, his long love for the Hawaiian people more than compensating for his laek of the koko. "I couldn't say no to Aunty Carol (Bright)." Loo comes from a family that was fortunate to have learned mueh about Hawaiian crafts and culture from native Hawaiian neighbors who lived around them in Waihe'e, on the Windward side of O 'ahu. His mother, Violet, onee very active in the Kualoa-He'eia Hawaiian Civic Club, has been considered one of the most skilled in Hawaiian arts. Loo himself is very knowledgeable in nā mea Hawai'i. Loo says he hopes the civic club will be allowed to continue the service work at the crypt periodically in the future, and intends to offer his kōkua wherever needed to assure the work is done. ■ Mahealani Cypher is president ofthe Ko 'olaupoko Hawaiian Civic Club.

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Kumu Miehelle "Malie" Taylor, first row second from right, leads Hala.u Ka Hui Hula 0 Ka 'Āina Punahele, at the annual North Coast Hula Workshop in Ohio. - Photo: Courtesyof LenJury