Unuhi ʻia e Noʻeau Peralto

Ma ka hopenapule o ka Lā Kau Pua i kēlā mahina aku nei, holo aku ʻo Hui Iwi Kuamoʻo a me Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement (CNHA) i ka huakaʻi hoʻihoʻi iwi kūpuna i Aotearoa e kiʻi aku ai i nā iwi he ʻekolu i waiho ʻia ma ka Hale Hōʻikeʻike ʻo Canterbury i Christchurch.

Ua mālama ʻia kēia huakaʻi ma hope o ka hoʻihoʻi ʻia ʻana mai o nā iwi kūpuna he 62 a me nā mea kapu he ʻelima mai Kelemānia, ʻAukekulia, ʻEnelani, a pēlā pū me ʻIlelani ʻĀkau.

Wahi a ka Luna Hoʻokō o CNHA, ʻo Kūhiō Lewis hoʻi, “I ka mālama ʻana i ko kākou lāhui, ua pono kākou e mālama i nā kānaka e ola nei, nā hānauna e hiki mai ana, a pēlā pū me nā kūpuna i hala aku i ka pō. Ke kū nei mākou ʻo CNHA me ka haʻahaʻa i ke kōkua ʻana aku iā Hui Iwi Kuamoʻo i ko lākou hoʻihoʻi ʻana mai i ko kākou poʻe kūpuna i Hawaiʻi nei.”

ʻImi akula ʻo Hui Iwi Kuamoʻo a loaʻa ke kālā no ka huina uku pau loa e hoʻolako ai ka Hui no kēia huakaʻi. I loko nō o ka puʻu kālā i loaʻa i ka Hui, ua hāʻawi maila ʻo CNHA i nā kālā he $25,000. He lau ka puʻu, he mano ka ihona i ke ala ʻololī o ka hoʻihoʻi iwi kūpuna. I kēia wā o ka maʻi ahulau, ʻoi aku nō ka paʻakikī o ka hele ʻana i ia ala. Eia naʻe, ua kūpono nō ko mākou hele ʻana aku i ka hoʻihoʻi iwi kūpuna. Inā ua alia mākou, inā ua loli paha ka manaʻo o ka hale hōʻikeʻike a i ʻole ke aupuni no lākou ke kuleana o ka ʻae ʻana i ka hoʻihoʻi iwi kūpuna. No laila, ua kū ka lāhui i ka hoe uli, ua kau ka peʻa a holo ka waʻa. Pēlā nō i holomua aku ai kēia huakaʻi hoʻihoʻi iwi kūpuna.

He hua kēia huakaʻi hoʻihoʻi iwi kūpuna no ka hana nui i mālama ʻia no nā makahiki he nui i hala aku nei. Ua noiʻi aku au me ke kākoʻo o nā hoa hoʻihoʻi iwi kūpuna a puni ka honua, a ua loaʻa maila ia mau iwi kūpuna ʻekolu iaʻu, ʻoiai ua ʻōlelo pinepine maila ka Hale Hōʻikeʻike ʻo Canterbury iā mākou, ʻaʻole i loaʻa iā lākou nā iwi kūpuna. ʻO Kamakana Ferreira (no OHA) kekahi o nā kānaka nāna i alakaʻi i ka hoʻihoʻi ʻana mai i nā kūpuna mai Christchurch, ʻoiai ua pāpā ʻia ke kipa ʻana mai a ka malihini i Aotearoa no nā makahiki he ʻelua ma muli o ka maʻi ahulau. Ua koi akula ʻo OHA i ka hoʻihoʻi ʻana mai i nā iwi me ke kākoʻo o Hui Iwi Kuamoʻo a me ke Kiaʻāina o ka Mokuʻāina o Hawaiʻi, ʻo David Ige hoʻi.

Ua komo akula ʻo Mehanaokalā Hind, ke kuhikuhina o nā papahana kaiāulu no CNHA, a me Makoa Caceres lāua ʻo Kaipo Torco i loko o ka ʻaha pōwhiri a me ka ʻaha hoʻihoʻi ma ka Hale Hōʻikeʻike ʻo Te Papa Tongarewa i Aotearoa ma Welinatona.

Eia ka heluna o nā kūpuna ʻekolu i hoʻihoʻi ʻia: he kāne, 20-30 ona makahiki; he wahine, 20-30 ona makahiki; a he wahine, 40 ona makahiki. Ua ʻaihue ʻia ko lākou mau iwi ma ke ahupuaʻa ʻo Waikīkī i ka mokupuni ʻo Oʻahu i ka makahiki 1860, a lilo akula. Ua waiho ʻia lākou i ka Hale Hōʻikeʻike ʻo Canterbury no nā makahiki he 150 ma mua o ka ʻaha hoʻihoʻi i mālama ʻia ma ka lā 29 o Mei, M.H. 2022.

“He kuleana nui ka hoʻihoʻi ʻana mai i ko kākou poʻe kūpuna mai nā hale hōʻikeʻike a me nā hale hoʻohana ʻimi noiʻi a puni ka honua,” wahi a Hind. “I ka hoʻonaʻauao ʻia ʻana o nā hale hōʻikeʻike a ʻike nō hoʻi lākou i ke kuamoʻo pono i waiho ʻia i mua o lākou, e hoʻolōkahi ʻia nā kānaka i ka hoʻihoʻi ʻana mai i nā kūpuna i ko lākou kulāiwi ponoʻī. ʻO ka mea nui ka noke mau ʻana a ka poʻe Kānaka ʻŌiwi i ke ala pono a loaʻa ka lei o ka lanakila.”

The post ʻEkolu Iwi Kūpuna i Hoʻihoʻi ʻia mai Aotearoa mai appeared first on Ka Wai Ola.

Over the Memorial Day weekend in May, Hui Iwi Kuamoʻo partnered with the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement (CNHA) to bring home three iwi kūpuna formally housed at the Canterbury Museum in Christchurch, New Zealand (Aotearoa).

This effort follows months of successful repatriations in Germany, Austria, England, and Northern Ireland by Hui Iwi Kuamoʻo and the Office of Hawaiian Affairs resulting in the return of 62 iwi kūpuna and five mea kapu.

CNHA Chief Executive Officer Kūhiō Lewis said, “Caring for our lāhui means supporting not only our people today and the generations yet to come, but also our ancestors who came long before us. CNHA is humbled to kōkua Hui Iwi Kuamoʻo in its efforts to finally bring our kūpuna home.”

Hui Iwi Kuamoʻo raised the funding on its own which included $25,000 committed by CNHA to support the significant travel costs abroad for all of these efforts. While traveling is arduous, doing so during the pandemic placed members at risk. However, it was necessary in order to expedite the repatriation. In addition, there is a short window of time for action or we risk the institution housing the ancestors – or the national government responsible for export – potentially changing their minds. Hence, it was critical that the community stepped up and undertook these significant risks, employed its considerable expertise, and funded these repatriations without unnecessary delay.

This latest repatriation is the result of years of work. I was able to utilize my international repatriation networks to research and identify these three ancestors even after the Canterbury Museum had repeatedly indicated it did not house any iwi kūpuna. This effort also featured extensive efforts by Kamakana Ferreira of OHA to help navigate challenges and expedite the return from this museum in Christchurch while New Zealand was on lockdown for two years. OHA filed a formal claim for repatriation of these remains with support from Hui Iwi Kuamoʻo and Hawaiʻi Gov. David Ige.

Mehanaokalā Hind, senior director of Community Programs at CNHA, along with Makoa Caceres and Kaipo Torco, took part in a traditional pōwhiri ceremony at Te Papa Tongarewa Museum of New Zealand in Wellington followed by a formal handover ceremony.

The three ancestors, one male age 20-30, one female age 20-30, and one female in her 40s were taken in 1860 from the ʻahupuaʻa of Waikīkī on the island of Oʻahu. They were in the Canterbury Museum for 150 years before the historic ceremony on May 29, 2022.

“There is an immense need to bring our kūpuna home as more of our iwi kūpuna are identified in museums and research institutions across the globe,” said Hind. “As institutions become enlightened and their humanity opens the once-locked doors, the opportunity to reunite iwi kūpuna and their homeland is promising. None of this can be done without the continued vigilance of Native Hawaiian descendants.”

The post Three Iwi Kūpuna Repatriated from Aotearoa appeared first on Ka Wai Ola.

Following successful repatriation efforts in Germany and Austria earlier this year, Hui Iwi Kuamoʻo and the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) conducted additional efforts in the United Kingdom in May to return more iwi kūpuna and several mea makamae pili aliʻi (treasures associated with aliʻi) from three museums.

Significantly, OHA authorized Lead Compliance Specialist Kamakana Ferreira to participate in the effort and gain valuable training in international repatriation. Hui Iwi Kuamoʻo was represented by myself along with Mana Caceres, Kalehua Caceres, Starr Kalāhiki, and Dane Uluwehi Maxwell. This trip also served as a training for delegation members to gain valuable, first-hand experience in planning for these complex processes.

The first repatriation involved an iwi poʻo held by the Natural History Museum in London, England, which was repatriated to Hui Iwi Kuamoʻo.

In August 2013, when I was the executive director of Hui Mālama i Nā Kūpuna o Hawaiʻi Nei, a team comprised of our members repatriated 144 iwi kūpuna from this same museum. That effort took 23 years and required passage of an Act of Parliament called the Human Tissues Act. However, at that time, the museum nonetheless withheld eight iwi kūpuna based on erroneous craniometric studies test results despite the existence of collection information indicating the places of origins of the iwi and without providing any explanation as to why the historical documentation was discounted.

I continued to pursue the return of the eight withheld iwi kūpuna, during which time an additional skull was identified. I kept OHA apprised of the status of these consultations and the progress made to get all nine iwi released. At a meeting with Natural History Museum officials during last month’s trip, we reached an agreement for Hui Iwi Kuamoʻo to pursue repatriation of the remaining skulls later this summer.

The second repatriation involved the Surgeons Hall Museum of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (RCSE) in Scotland.

In 2000, Hui Mālama repatriated 49 iwi poʻo from the nearby University of Edinburgh. An iwi poʻo missing from the university’s collection was thought to be held by the RCSE. However, after a visit and meeting, it was not located among the RCSE’s collections. Years later, the Surgeons Hall Museum was able to locate the missing skull once it was clarified that the Hawaiian Islands was also known as the Sandwich Isles. Following advocacy for its permanent release led by Kamakana Ferreira of OHA, this skull was repatriated by Hui Iwi Kuamoʻo on behalf of OHA.

The third repatriation involved the Ulster Museum located in Belfast, Northern Ireland. This case involved the return of two iwi kūpuna and five mea makamae pili aliʻi including two lei niho palaoa, one peʻahi (fan), one ipu kuha (spittoon), and one kūpeʻe (bracelet).

This case is the first example of the return of sacred objects from an international institution and was based upon a request to respect Hawaiian humanity.

Again, Ferreira was the lead advocate on this case while I provided him with strategy advice. The Hui Iwi Kuamoʻo team, led by Mana Caceres and featuring mele by Starr Kalāhiki and the wisdom of Dane “Diggy” Maxwell, carried out the repatriation protocols at the Handover Ceremony and safely brought the iwi and mea makamae pili aliʻi home.

The post A Journey to Repatriate Iwi Kūpuna and Mea Makamae Pili Aliʻi from the United Kingdom appeared first on Ka Wai Ola.

Unuhi ʻia e Noʻeau Peralto

Ma hope o ka hoʻokō ʻia ʻana o nā hoʻihoʻi iwi kupuna mai Kelemānia a me ʻAukekulia mai i ka mahele mua o nēia makahiki, ua hoʻomau akula ʻo Hui Iwi Kuamoʻo i ke ala o ka hoʻihoʻi iwi kūpuna a hiki aku i ke Aupuni Mōʻī Hui Pū ʻia (ʻo ka UK hoʻi). Ma laila nō mākou i kūkākūkā aku ai me nā hale hōʻikeʻike he ʻekolu no ka hoʻihoʻi ʻana mai i nā iwi kūpuna a me nā mea makamae pili aliʻi.

ʻO kekahi mea nui o ia huakaʻi, ua kākoʻo maila a ʻae aku hoʻi ke Keʻena Kuleana Hawaiʻi (OHA) i ko lākou Laekahi Hoʻolono Kānāwai, iā Kamakana Ferreira, e holo pū me mākou no ke aʻo ʻana i ka hoʻihoʻi iwi kupuna mai nā aupuni ʻē a puni ka honua. Eia nā lālā o ka Hui Iwi Kuamoʻo na mākou i holo aku i ka ʻāina UK: ʻo au, ʻo Mana Caceres, ʻo Kalehua Caceres, ʻo Starr Kalāhiki, a ʻo Dane Uluwehi Maxwell. He huakaʻi hoʻoikaika ia no nā lālā o ka Hui e hoʻomākaukau iā mākou iho e ʻauamo i nā kuleana o ka ʻoihana hoʻihoʻi iwi kupuna mai kēia mua aku. Ma ka hana ka ʻike.

ʻO ka mua o nā iwi kupuna i hoʻihoʻi ʻia e Hui Iwi Kuamoʻo ma ia huakaʻi, he iwi poʻo ma ka Hale Hōʻikeʻike o ka Moʻolelo Kūlohelohe ma Ladana i ʻEnelani.

I ka mahina ʻo ʻAukake, M.H. 2013, iaʻu e mālama ʻana i ke kuleana ʻo au ke Poʻo Kuhikuhi o Hui Mālama i Nā Kūpuna o Hawaiʻi Nei, ua hoʻihoʻi maila ko mākou Hui i nā iwi kūpuna he 144 mai ua Hale Hōʻikeʻike nei. Mai ka wā o ko mākou koi mua a hiki i ka hoʻihoʻi ʻia ʻana mai o ia mau iwi, he 23 makahiki, a ua pono ka hoʻoholo ʻia ʻana o kekahi kānāwai hou, ʻo ia hoʻi ka Human Tissues Act, e ka ʻAhaʻōlelo ma ʻEnelani. ʻOiai, ua ʻae ʻia ka hoʻihoʻi ʻana mai i ka hapanui o nā iwi kūpuna, ua kāohi akula ua hale hōʻikeʻike nei i nā iwi he ʻewalu, no ka mea, i ko lākou manaʻo, ʻaʻole maopopo leʻa ʻia ke kulāiwi ponoʻī o ia mau kūpuna.

Eia naʻe, ʻaʻole nō au i hāʻawipio. Noke akula au i ke ala e hoʻihoʻi ai au i ia mau iwi kūpuna ʻewalu i kāohi ʻia, a ua loaʻa kekahi iwi poʻo hou i ka hale hōʻikeʻike. Iaʻu e kūkākūkā ʻana me ka hale hōʻikeʻike no ka hoʻihoʻi ʻana mai i nā iwi he ʻeiwa, ua hoʻomaopopo aku au iā OHA i ka holomua ʻana o kaʻu hana. A laila, ma kekahi hālāwai me nā luna o ka Hale Hōʻikeʻike o ka Moʻolelo Kūlohelohe i kēlā mahina aku nei, ua ʻaelike mākou e hoʻihoʻi ʻia nā iwi poʻo i koe e Hui Iwi Kuamoʻo i kēia kauwela e hiki mai nei.

ʻO ka lua o nā iwi kupuna i hoʻihoʻi ʻia e Hui Iwi Kuamoʻo ma ia huakaʻi, he iwi poʻo ma ka Hale Hōʻikeʻike ʻo Surgeons Hall ma ke Kulanui Aliʻi o nā Kauka Kaha ma Edinaboro (RCSE) i Sekotia.

I ka makahiki 2000, ua hoʻihoʻi maila ʻo Hui Mālama i nā iwi poʻo he 49 mai ke Kulanui o Edinaboro. Ua koe aku kekahi iwi poʻo, a ua manaʻo ʻia aia paha ua iwi poʻo lā i ke kulanui ʻo RCSE. Eia naʻe, i ka huli ʻana aku, ʻaʻole i loaʻa ia iwi poʻo i ko RCSE hale waihona. Ua hala kekahi mau makahiki, a ua loaʻa ia iwi poʻo i ka Hale Hōʻikeʻike ʻo Surgeons Hall ma muli o ka maopopo ʻana iā lākou, ua kapa ʻia ʻo Hawaiʻi ka “Sandwich Isles” i ia wā i lilo ai ka iwi i ka hale hōʻikeʻike. Ua koi aku ʻo Kamakana Ferreira, ma lalo o ke kuleana o OHA, e hoʻihoʻi ʻia mai ka iwi poʻo, a laila, na makou ʻo Hui Iwi Kuamoʻo i hoʻihoʻi mai i ia iwi poʻo no OHA a hiki i Hawaiʻi.

ʻO ke kolu o nā hihia i hoʻoponopono ʻia ma ka huakaʻi nei, he hoʻihoʻi iwi kupuna a he hoʻihoʻi mea kapu ia ma ka Hale Hōʻikeʻike ʻo Ulster ma Pelepake i Irelani ʻĀkau. Ma kēia mahele o ka huakaʻi, ua hoʻihoʻi ʻia nā iwi kūpuna he ʻelua a me nā mea makamae pili aliʻi he ʻelima, ʻo nā lei niho palaoa ʻoe, ʻo ka peʻahi ʻoe, ʻo ka ipu kuha ʻoe, a ʻo ke kūpeʻe ʻoe.

ʻO kēia ka mua o nā hoʻihoʻi mea kapu mai kekahi hale hōʻikeʻike i ka ʻāina ʻē ma waho o ʻAmelika. ʻO ke kahua o nēia koi no ka hoʻihoʻi, he aloha no ke Kānaka.

Eia kekahi, ʻo Kamakana Ferreira ke alakaʻi nāna i koi aku i ka hoʻihoʻi ʻana mai me kaʻu kākoʻo. Na nā lālā o ka Hui Iwi Kuamoʻo, ʻo Mana Caceres, ʻo Starr Kalāhiki, lākou ʻo Dane “Diggy” Maxwell, na lākou i kaʻi aku i ka ʻaha no ka hoʻihoʻi ʻia ʻana mai o nā iwi a me nā mea makamae pili aliʻi i ko kākou kulāiwi aloha ʻo Hawaiʻi nei.

The post He Huakaʻi Hoʻihoʻi Iwi Kupuna a me nā Mea Makamae Pili Aliʻi i ke Aupuni Mōʻī Hui Pū ʻia appeared first on Ka Wai Ola.

Unuhi ʻia e Noʻeau Peralto

ʻO ka Papahana Iwi Kuamoʻo, he papahana ia e holo ana no nā makahiki he ʻekolu i hoʻokumu ʻia e ka ʻAha Kāne a kākoʻo ʻia hoʻi e ka Papa Luna Hoʻokele no ka Poʻe ʻŌiwi o ʻAmelika (ANA). He ʻahahui no nā kāne ʻōiwi Hawaiʻi ka ʻAha Kāne e hoʻomaʻamau ai i ke kuanaʻike a me nā kuamoʻo ʻōiwi Hawaiʻi i ko Hawaiʻi Pae ʻĀina.

ʻO ka pahuhopu o ka Papahana Iwi Kuamoʻo, ʻo ia ka hoʻoulu ʻana i ka ʻoihana mālama iwi kūpuna i loko o ka Lāhui Hawaiʻi. Me ia manaʻo, ke kaʻa aku nei ia papahana i ke aʻo aku ʻana i ka poʻe ʻŌiwi o Hawaiʻi nei i ka ʻike pili i ka ʻoihana mālama iwi kūpuna: ʻo ka loina Hawaiʻi ʻoe, ʻo ka hoʻomākaukau ʻana i nā pono kanu iwi kūpuna ʻoe, ʻo ka uhau humu pōhaku ʻoe, ʻo ka hoʻihoʻi iwi kūpuna ʻoe, a pēlā pū me ka mālama ʻana i nā ilina a me nā lua kupapaʻu.

Ua aʻo ʻia maila mākou i ka ʻoihana mālama iwi kūpuna e kā mākou mau kumu, ʻo Edward Lavon Huihui Kanahele lāua ʻo Pualani Kanakaʻole Kanahele. Na lāua i aʻo, na mākou i lawe aku i ke aʻo a mālama hoʻi i ua ʻike nei i ko mākou noke mau ʻana i ke kuamoʻo o ka mālama iwi kūpuna no nā makahiki he 30.

Mamuli o ka ka huʻe hewa ʻia ʻana o nā iwi kūpuna ma Honokahua i Maui, ua hoʻokumu ʻia maila ka ʻahahui ʻōiwi Hawaiʻi ʻo Hui Mālama i nā Kūpuna o Hawaiʻi Nei e Edward lāua ʻo Pualani Kanahele i ka makahiki 1988. Na lāua i aʻo aku i nā lālā o ka Hui i kekahi mau ʻoihana i pili i ka mālama ʻana i nā iwi kūpuna a me nā moepū. Na nā lālā o ka Hui i lawe aku i ke aʻo a mālama i ka hoʻihoʻi ʻana mai a me ke kanu hou ʻana iho i nā iwi kūpuna. Eia kekahi, ua noi ʻia akula ʻo Billy Fields i kona aʻo ʻana mai i ka ʻoihana uhau humu pōhaku i nā lālā o ka Hui, i mea e hoʻoikaika ai i ke kūkulu ʻana i nā pā a me nā paepae pōhaku no ke kanu hou ʻana i nā iwi kūpuna.

I ka makahiki mua o nēia Papahana, e mālama ʻia ana nā hālāwai hoʻonaʻauao a ka Papahana Iwi Kuamoʻo i nā mokupuni ʻo Oʻahu lāua ʻo Kauaʻi. I ka makahiki ʻelua, i Maui a me Hawaiʻi ana nā hālāwai hoʻonaʻauao, a i ka makahiki ʻekolu hoʻi, i Molokaʻi a me Lānaʻi ana nā hālāwai.

Aia i loko o nā papa ʻoihana mālama iwi kūpuna ke aʻo ʻana i nā mele a me nā pule a kā mākou mau kumu i aʻo mai iā mākou. He mau pule ia e kalokalo aku ai i nā kūpuna a me nā ʻaumākua e hō mai i ka ʻike e pono ai ka mālama ʻana i nā iwi kūpuna.

No ka hoʻomākaukau ʻana i nā pono kanu iwi kūpuna, aʻo ʻia maila ke kuku kapa a me ka ulana hīnaʻi lau hala, mai ka mālama ʻana i nā meakanu a i ka hoʻomākaukau ʻana i ke kapa a me ka hīnaʻi.

No ka hoʻihoʻi iwi kūpuna, aʻo ʻia maila nā kānāwai kūloko (ʻo NAGPRA hoʻi a me NMAIA) a me nā kulekele ʻāina ʻē (ʻo ka UN DRIP hoʻi) e kākoʻo ana i ka hoʻihoʻi iwi kūpuna. Eia kekahi, aʻo ʻia maila nā moʻolelo o nā hoʻihoʻi iwi kūpuna i Hawaiʻi no nā makahiki he 30 i hala aku nei. I loko o nēia mahele o ka papahana, aʻo ʻia maila nā kānāwai o ke aupuni mokuʻāina ʻo Hawaiʻi i pili i ka mālama ʻana i nā iwi kūpuna, ʻo ia hoʻi nā kānāwai HRS Mokuna 6E a me HAR Mokuna 13-300.

Eia ka hope, i loko o ka Papahana nei, mālama ʻia kekahi mahele no ke aʻo ʻana i nā Kānaka Hawaiʻi e alakaʻi ana i ka mālama iwi kūpuna i Hawaiʻi nei. Koho ʻia nā alakaʻi no kēia mahele o ka papahana no ko lākou ʻeleu, ko lākou ʻiʻini e aʻo mai, a me ko lākou kūlia ʻana i ka nuʻu i ka mālama pono ʻana i nā iwi o ka poʻe kūpuna.

Inā ke ulu mai nei ka hoi i loko ou e komo i loko o nēia Papahana Iwi Kuamoʻo, e leka uila mai iā Desiree Cruz ma project.iwikuamoo@gmail.com.

The post No ka Papahana Iwi Kuamoʻo: Ka Hoʻoulu ʻana i ka ʻOihana Mālama Iwi Kūpuna appeared first on Ka Wai Ola.

Project Iwi Kuamoʻo is a three-year project developed by ʻAha Kāne and supported by a grant from the Administration for Native Americans. ʻAha Kāne is an organization of Native Hawaiian men whose purpose is to normalize Native Hawaiian worldviews and cultural practices.

Thus, the purpose of Project Iwi Kuamoʻo is to build capacity within our lāhui to provide care and protection of ancestral bones and burial sites. The project focuses on training and developing competency in traditional and contemporary repatriation and reburial practices in the following areas: cultural protocols, producing reburial materials, building reburial platforms, repatriation advocacy, and burial sites management.

The expertise required for teaching these practices was acquired over the past 30 years, originating with Kumu Edward Lavon Huihui Kanahele and his wife Pualani Kanahele Kanakaʻole.

Following the events at Honokahua, Maui, the Kanaheles established Hui Mālama I Nā Kūpuna O Hawaiʻi Nei and trained its members in cultural protocols related to the handling of iwi kūpuna, teaching them to prepare ancestral bones for reburial and how to create reburial materials. Members practiced what they were taught and cared for the ancestral bones through repatriation and reburial. In addition, the expertise of traditional mason Billy Fields was sought to build reburial platforms and seal burial caves.

In year one, the trainings offered by Project Iwi Kuamoʻo are being held on Oʻahu and Kauaʻi. In year two they will be offered on Maui and Hawaiʻi, and in year three on Molokaʻi and Lānaʻi, plus additional trainings on Oʻahu.

The Iwi Kūpuna protocol training includes learning the traditional chants and prayers originally taught by the Kanaheles. These oli and pule help reconnect the living to their own ancestors in order to request all the tools necessary to be successful in wrapping the ancestral bones and conducting reburial ceremonies.

Reburial materials training involves making kapa cloth, from cleaning and stripping the bark of the wauke (paper mulberry tree) and meticulously beating it into soft cloth. The training also includes weaving of hīnaʻi (baskets) from lau hala.

Repatriation advocacy training covers national repatriation laws (Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act and the National Museum of the American Indian Act) and international policies (United Nations Declaration on Rights of Indigenous Peoples) and the 30-year history of Native Hawaiian repatriation efforts – including the strategies successfully used to return the bones for reburial. Burial site management training involves teaching state burial laws including HRS Chapter 6E and Hawaiʻi Administrative Rules Chapter 13-300.

Finally, alakaʻi training is also offered for Native Hawaiians who already have experience in the care of ancestral bones or who possess exceptional leadership qualities and desire to learn advanced practices and strategies to elevate their care of the iwi.

ʻŌiwi interested in learning more may contact Desiree Cruz at project.iwikuamoo@gmail.com for information about upcoming trainings.

The post Project Iwi Kuamoʻo: Building Capacity to Care for Iwi Kūpuna appeared first on Ka Wai Ola.

Unuhi ʻia e Noʻeau Peralto

No nā makahiki he 32 i hala aku nei, ua ʻiʻimi aku mākou i nā iwi kūpuna a me nā moepū i ʻaihue ʻia akula mai ko lākou mau kulāiwi ponoʻī aku. I loko o ia mau makahiki i ka huli ʻana, ʻaʻole nō i ʻike ʻia ka ʻae ʻana aku o ka ʻohana i ka lawe wale ʻia ʻana aku o nā iwi o ko lākou poʻe kūpuna. ʻAʻole loa.

ʻO ke kumu o ia ʻiʻimi ʻana i nā iwi kūpuna, ʻo ia ka ʻike ʻana aku ua nui ʻino nā iwi kūpuna i lawe wale ʻia akula a lilo i nā hale hōʻikeʻike me ka manaʻo he pono akeakamai ia no nā kānaka a puni ka honua. ʻAʻole pēlā. He hana ʻino ia ʻaihue ʻana e hoʻokaumaha ai iā kākou, i nā Hawaiʻi ponoʻī.

Hoʻomaka ʻia ka ʻoihana hoʻihoʻi iwi kupuna e Hui Mālama I Nā Kūpuna o Hawaiʻi Nei i ka makahiki 1989 i ko mākou kākau ʻana i mau leka noi i kekahi mau hale hōʻikeʻike, mai kahi pae a kahi pae o ka honua nei. Eia kekahi, ua heluhelu au i mau puke pai kumuhana no ka noiʻi hulikoehana, ka noiʻi hulikanaka, a me ka noiʻi lapaʻau i mea e ʻike ai ʻo wai nā hale hōʻikeʻike na lākou e kāohi nei i nā iwi kūpuna Hawaiʻi. Me ka holomua ʻana o ka ʻenehana i pili i ka lolouila, ua holomua pū kā mākou hana noiʻi. I ko mākou holomua ʻana i ke ala ʻololī o ka hoʻihoʻi iwi kupuna, ua hoʻonui ʻia ko mākou ʻike ma o ke kaʻi ʻana i nā ʻaha hoʻomanamana Hawaiʻi.

Mai ka pō mai ka ʻoiaʻiʻo a he ʻoiaʻiʻo ko ka moe. I loko o ka moe, hōʻike maila nā kūpuna i kahi o ko lākou mau iwi a ʻo wai lā hoʻi lākou. I ko mākou ʻike ʻana i nā kūpuna, ua maopopo hoʻi iā mākou i ke kuleana ma waena o kākou. Hilinaʻi mākou, kālele i nā kūpuna; hilinaʻi nā kūpuna, kālele iā mākou, nā moʻo. Pēlā nō ka nohona ʻohana.

I kekahi manawa, ua hoʻopā ʻia koʻu naʻau i ka leo kupuna e hea mai ana iaʻu e hoʻi hou i kahi hale hōʻikeʻike e hōʻoia aku ai i ka ʻiʻo o ko lākou ʻōlelo, ʻaʻohe iwi kūpuna o loko o ko lākou hale. Pēlā mākou i ʻike ai i nā hale hōʻikeʻike e hoʻopunipuni mai ana iā mākou. I koʻu mau pō moe pono ʻole, ua hō maila ka ʻike pāpālua mai nā kūpuna mai. Wahi a kaʻu mau kumu, hōʻike mai nā kūpuna i ko lākou manaʻolana iā mākou i ka pō, ʻo ia hoʻi ka hōʻike a ka pō.

Kau ka haliʻa iaʻu i koʻu pō nui hoʻolakolako mua. Iā mākou e koi ana aku i ka Hale Hōʻikeʻike o ke Kūlohelohe ʻo Smithsonian i ko lākou hoʻihoʻi ʻana mai i nā iwi kūpuna i loko o ko lākou hale, haʻi maila nā limahana o ka hale hōʻikeʻike iā mākou, ua pilikia ko lākou helu ʻana i nā iwi. ʻAʻole ʻike leʻa ʻia ʻehia iwi kūpuna o ka hale hōʻikeʻike a no hea mai lākou. No laila, ua pilikia ko mākou ala e hoʻihoʻi mai ai i nā kūpuna i ko lākou kulāiwi ponoʻī. Wahi a ka poʻe limahana o ka hale hōʻikeʻike, e lōʻihi ana ka manawa o ko lākou hoʻomaopopo ʻana i ka ʻōnaehana helu iwi kupuna.

ʻAʻole i liʻuliʻu, a ua hōʻike maila ka pō iaʻu i koʻu moe ʻana i ua ʻōnaehana helu iwi kupuna lā a ka hale hōʻikeʻike. ʻO koʻu ala akula nō ia, a ua kākau ihola au i ka hōʻike a ka pō. Hoʻouna akula au i kaʻu memo i kākau iho ai i ka poʻe limahana o ka hale hōʻikeʻike, a laila, pane maila lākou iaʻu, ua pololei kaʻu ʻike a ua ʻae maila lākou i ko mākou koi e hoʻihoʻi mai i nā iwi kūpuna i Hawaiʻi nei. ʻO ia ka manawa mua o koʻu ʻike pāpālua ʻana i ka hōʻike a ka pō.

Mamuli o ia hōʻike, ua maopopo iaʻu, ʻo ka hilinaʻi a me ke koa nā mea e waele aku ai i ke ala o ke kanaka a loaʻa ka ʻike pāpālua. Eia kekahi, ua ʻike au, he ʻike hoʻomaopopo ko ka poʻe kūpuna i hala i ka pō, a he ʻiʻini ko lākou e noho mau me kā lākou ʻohana. ʻO kēia ʻike ke kahua e hiki ai iā mākou ke kū i luna a e hoʻihoʻi mai i nā iwi kūpuna a me nā moepū he 6000 a ʻoi aku i ko Hawaiʻi Pae ʻĀina no ke kanu hou ʻana i ke kulāiwi aloha nei. Pēlā mākou i hoʻokō ai i nā hihia hoʻihoʻi iwi kūpuna he 128. Ola nā iwi!

The post Ka ʻIʻimi a Loaʻa nā Kūpuna i Lilo aku: He ʻIke Kūhohonu appeared first on Ka Wai Ola.

For the past 32 years we have searched for the iwi kūpuna (ancestral bones) and their moepū (funerary possessions) that were stolen from their final resting places. Never once has there been any evidence that the family of the deceased consented to their removal.

These search efforts were in response to the harsh realization that thousands of ancestral Hawaiian remains were collected in the name of science, furthering the colonial violence perpetrated upon the humanity of the Hawaiian people.

Beginning in 1989, these efforts took the form of letters of inquiry to institutions throughout the world from our organization, Hui Mālama I Nā Kūpuna O Hawaiʻi Nei. In addition, I read archaeology, anthropology and medical journals for articles referencing Native Hawaiian skeletal remains or funerary possessions to identify institutions that may be holding iwi kūpuna. With improved technology came faster searching abilities.

Similarly, with repatriation and reburial experiences came the ability to elevate search efforts through Hawaiian ceremonial practices and skillsets.

Dreams were the principal practice, whereby the kūpuna would provide hints to their whereabouts. In addition, prayers were invoked to reveal the ancestors taken from Hawaiʻi. This led to a higher understanding and appreciation for the requirement to establish a relationship of trust with the kūpuna in our abilities to provide them with care and protection.

Sometimes, my naʻau told me to go back to an institution that already said they did not possess iwi. In a few instances, we learned those museums, in fact, housed iwi kūpuna. Waking up in the night unable to fall asleep was often a clue and an opportunity for insight, as I was taught the darkness was the natural time when the kūpuna were most active.

My first experience was powerful. The Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institute, had iwi kūpuna but it was unclear, based upon their identification system, whether they could accurately account for the exact number of iwi kūpuna and their provenance, thus the museum could not complete the inventory. As a result, our effort to bring them home stalled and museum staff opined it would take them months to decipher the identification system.

Shortly thereafter, I had a dream in which the numbering system was revealed to me. I woke up and started writing it all down. I typed up my revelation and faxed a memo to the museum. I received a response that confirmed the interpretation and authorized repatriation. It was my first experience of ʻike pāpālua (spiritual discernment).

I came to understand that it takes courage and trust for spiritual communication to occur. I also learned that our ancestors still have a consciousness and wish to remain a part of their family’s lives. These understandings have helped empower us to complete 128 repatriation cases and return over 6,000 iwi kūpuna and moepū to Hawaiʻi for reburial. Ola nā iwi, the bones live!

The post Searching, Tracking and Finding Stolen Ancestors: An Insight appeared first on Ka Wai Ola.

He mau manaʻo i haʻiʻōlelo ʻia no ka ʻaha hoʻihoʻi iwi kupuna ma ka Hale Hōʻikeʻike o ka Moʻolelo Kūlohelohe o Wiena ma ʻAukekulia, ma ka lā 14 o Pepeluali, M.H. 2022

Unuhi ʻia e Noeʻau Peralto

He kuleana ka hoʻihoʻi ʻana mai i nā iwi kūpuna a me nā moepū no ka poʻe ʻŌiwi o Hawaiʻi nei, no ka mea, he kuamoʻo kahiko mai ka pō mai ka mālama ʻana i ka poʻe kūpuna a me ko lākou mau iwi. Ma ke kuanaʻike o ka Hawaiʻi, he kuleana koʻikoʻi ka mālama ʻana i ka ʻohana. E kolo ana nō ke ēwe i ke ēwe. E mālama ana nō ka iwi koko i ka iwi koko ʻole. Pēlā e ola ai nā iwi.

ʻAʻole i pau ke kuleana o ka mālama ʻana i ka ʻohana ma hope o ka make ʻana o ke kanaka. Ke hoʻi nā ʻōiwi i hala i ka pō, e lilo lākou i poʻe ʻaumākua no ka ʻohana. Na nā iwi koko o ka ʻohana e mālama i nā iwi kūpuna a me kahi a lākou i kanu ʻia ihola. Na nā kūpuna iwi koko ʻole e mālama i kā lākou poʻe moʻopuna e ola nei. Ake aʻe ka poʻe kūpuna e hoʻi i ka nohona ʻohana. No laila, ke kāhea aku mākou iā lākou i ka pō e alakaʻi mai iā mākou i ke ao, e hele mai nō lākou. I ko mākou kalokalo ʻana aku i ka poʻe kūpuna i kēlā a me kēia lā e hele pū me mākou i ke ala kāpekepeke o ka nohona Hawaiʻi, ola nā kūpuna.

No nā makahiki he 32 i hala aku nei, ua noke mau ka poʻe Kanaka Hawaiʻi i ke ala ʻololī o ka hoʻihoʻi iwi kupuna mai nā hale hōʻikeʻike ma nā ʻāina ʻē mai a puni ka honua, i mea e hoʻihoʻi mai ai i ka mana i ka iwikuamoʻo o ka lāhui ʻŌiwi, a i mea hoʻi e kākoʻo aku ai i ke kūkulu ʻana i kahua hālau hou no ka Hawaiʻi, na ka Hawaiʻi. Ma kēia kuamoʻo kākou e hoʻihoʻi mai ai i ke ea o ka ʻāina a e kūʻokoʻa hou ai ko Hawaiʻi Pae ʻĀina.

Ua nani maoli ia mea he ʻoiaʻiʻo, ʻaʻole hiki ke hōʻole ʻia. ʻO kekahi mea ʻoiaʻiʻo, ʻo ia ke aloha o ka ʻohana. ʻAʻohe mea nāna e hōʻole ai ke aloha o ka ʻohana i ko ka ʻohana mālama ʻana i nā iwi o kūpuna. E like me ke ʻaʻaliʻi e kū mai nei i ka makani, ʻaʻohe mea nāna nō e kulaʻi i ke aloha o ka ʻohana. Kū mau nō ke aloha i ka pono. Ma laila nō ke kumu o ko mākou kuleana e hoʻihoʻi mai ai i nā iwi o ko mākou poʻe kūpuna. ʻO ke aloha kupuna, ke aloha ʻohana. ʻO ia ke kumu. Hōʻike ʻia maila kēia ʻano o ke aloha i kekahi moʻolelo ʻohana i haʻi ʻia maila e Kauka Kamana Beamer. Wahi āna:

“Ua haʻi ʻia ka moʻolelo o ke Kaua ma Kuamoʻo (M.H. 1819) i kēlā a me kēia hānaunau o ko mākou ʻohana. I ko koʻu kupunahine haʻi ʻana mai i ka moʻolelo, hōʻike maila ʻo ia i ke koa a me ka wiwo ʻole o ko mākou poʻe kūpuna i ko lākou paio ʻana no ka pono o ka ʻaikapu i ia wā hulihia. He moʻolelo ia no ke kaua weliweli ʻana o ko mākou poʻe kūpuna a hiki i ko lākou hanu pau loa. A he moʻolelo ia e hōʻike aku ai i ka pono a me ka manaʻolana o Manono i kona ʻī ʻana aku, “Mālama kō aloha!” ma hope o ka pepehi ʻia ʻana a make kāna kāne ʻo Kekuaokalani. He kauoha kona mau ʻōlelo no nā ʻaoʻao ʻelua o ke kaua; i loko o nā pilikia e kupu mai ana, e aloha kekahi i kekahi. He haʻawina koʻikoʻi kona mau ʻōlelo no nā hānauna i hope ona.”

He pālulu ke aloha e pale aku i nā mea ʻino e hoʻopilikia nei iā mākou ma muli o ka huaʻi hewa ʻia ʻana o nā iwi o ko mākou poʻe kūpuna. He ihe ke aloha e lilo i mea kaua no ka paio naʻauao ʻana me nā hale hōʻikeʻike i ko lākou kāohi ʻana i nā iwi kūpuna me he mea lā ua ʻona ʻia nā iwi e ka hale hōʻikeʻike. He puʻuhonua ke aloha no kākou, nā kūpuna a me nā mamo hoʻi, i kahi anuanu i ke aloha ʻole.

ʻAʻohe palena pau o ke aloha. He kānāwai paʻa mau ia no nā kānaka a puni ka honua. ʻO ke aloha ke kumu o ko Hui Iwi Kuamoʻo kuleana i ko mākou hele ʻana mai i Wiena ma ʻAukekulia nei, e kiʻi aku i ko mākou poʻe iwi kūpuna a e hoʻihoʻi mai lākou i ko mākou ʻāina kulāiwi o Hawaiʻi. Penei mākou e noke mau aku ai i ke ala ʻololī o ka hoʻihoʻi iwi kūpuna mai kēia mua aku.

No laila, e ʻoliʻoli pū kākou i ke aloha ma waena o kākou, ka poʻe Hawaiʻi a me ka poʻe ʻAukekulia hoʻi. E aloha kekahi i kekahi. E mālama kō kākou aloha.

The post Ola nā Iwi, Ola nā ʻŌiwi appeared first on Ka Wai Ola.

Mana ʻo shared at the Handover Ceremony, Natural History Museum Vienna, Austria, on Feb. 14, 2022

The international repatriation of iwi kūpuna and moepū is a dutiful expression of Hawaiian cultural traditions that place high value on all that is ancestral – especially the sanctity of human remains, funerary possessions and places of burial. The traditions of family, care, responsibility, and protection are paramount to an inter-dependent relationship where the living and deceased look after one another.

One’s role in the family does not end with death, it elevates to that of ancestral guardian. It is the role of the living to protect the dead, their places of internment and the dignity of the afterlife. It is the role of the deceased to provide for living descendants. Our ancestors yearn for continued function within our families and when we call upon them for guidance and help, they will come. By engaging the ancestors on a daily basis to help us navigate the challenges of being Hawaiian, they live on.

For the past 32 years, efforts by Native Hawaiians to return iwi kūpuna and moepū from domestic and foreign institutions were undertaken to continue restoration of our ancestral foundation, to return mana to our homeland and to living descendants, and to support the rebuilding and empowerment of all that is Hawaiian, beginning with our dignity – ancestral and living – that will no doubt culminate with the re-establishment of our Hawaiian Kingdom.

There are certain self-truths that are so fundamental, so pure and beautiful, that they cannot be denied. Reuniting families through restitution and reburial out of the solemn respect for the sanctity of the grave is one such self-truth. It does not require justification because it is justification. It is the essence of aloha that is the source of our authority to repatriate – love for those who came before us, which is best explained by the following family moʻolelo shared by Dr. Kamana Beamer:

“The story of the 1819 Battle of Kuamoʻo has been in our family for generations. My grandmother shared the courage of our ancestors to support traditional religious laws in the midst of tremendous social change. This story is filled with tragedy as our ancestors, severely outgunned, perished at the hands of opposing forces. It is also a story of hope expressed in the words of Manono, ʻmālama kō alohaʻ ʻkeep your love!’ after her husband [Kekuaokalani] had been killed. Her words were a plea to both sides that no matter what obstacles come, keep your love for one another – powerful guidance for future generations.”

Aloha is a shield to protect us from the harm caused by the repeated knowledge of the desecration and theft of our ancestor’s bones. Aloha can be a spear to be asserted when museum officials refer to the ancestors as “osteological material” or their “property.” Aloha is that ultimate place of refuge and safety when our ancestors are objectified and dehumanized – which objectifies and dehumanizes us.

There is no statute of limitations or legal prohibition on the assertion of aloha in any part of the world, and it is the authority by which Hui Iwi Kuamo ʻo comes here today to Vienna, Austria, to retrieve these ancestors and escort them home, and the authority by which we will continue to do so.

Today, let us celebrate our respective humanity – the Hawaiian and the Austrian people – and let us do so together by mālama kō kākou aloha, by keeping our love for one another.

The post Hawaiian Humanity Empowered by Repatriation appeared first on Ka Wai Ola.