Aloha mai kākou,
I recently completed the Project Iwi Kuamoʻo Cultural Protocol Training held at Kuilima, led by Kumu Halealoha Ayau, Mana Caceres, and Kalehua Caceres, loea of Hui Iwi Kuamoʻo who have dedicated their lives to the sacred responsibility of caring for and returning our iwi kūpuna to their rightful place in Hawaiʻi.
This hana is more than kuleana; it is a sacred covenant with our kūpuna, one grounded in pule, strict protocol, practice and the deepest level of mālama. It is a kuleana carried with kaumaha and ʻeha, but also with profound love for our kūpuna and our lāhui.
The training consisted of eight pule and oli, many composed by ʻAnakē Pua and ʻAnakala Eddie Kanakaʻole, sharing of repatriation and reinterment processes, and iwi wrapping. We were provided a look into the deep spiritual realm, one where the veil between our physical world and the ancestral realm is thin, and where every action carries spiritual weight.
“Mai kaulaʻi i nā iwi i ka lā,” do not expose the bones to the sun. More than a caution; it is a command to ensure that iwi kūpuna, once disturbed, must, and with urgency, be restored to the darkness and peace of Pō where they were meant to rest for eternity.
The training also emphasized the expertise of Hui Iwi Kuamoʻo. Their knowledge and experience in repatriation and reburial are unmatched, and they serve as guides to ensure that every action is carried out respectfully, mindfully, and with strict adherence to cultural protocols.
The work of Ayau and the Caceres ʻohana is relentless and 24/7. Whether negotiating for years with foreign museums to repatriate iwi kūpuna, responding to coastal erosion that exposes burials, or addressing desecration caused by development, these loea carry a burden few can comprehend.
I have come to understand deeply the post-mortem human trafficking that occurred in which our iwi kūpuna were stolen, sold, displayed, or cast aside as if they were objects rather than beloved ʻohana members.
The recent State of Hawaiʻi cesspool conversion law has created another crisis. By 2050, all cesspools must be converted to septic or sewer systems. This has already triggered extensive ʻāina excavation. Without proper cultural protocol and expert guidance, iwi kūpuna are continuously at risk of being disturbed and desecrated.
It was important for me to complete this training to understand the immense kuleana and resources required to support our loea. Working with our Strategy and Implementation and Compliance teams, along with OHA’s Beneficiary Advocacy and Empowerment leaders, Chair Brickwood Galuteria, and Vice Chair Kalei Akaka, we will develop a resource plan that sustains and expands the work of mālama iwi kūpuna.
The greatest measure of our aloha for our kūpuna is our actions. We must never forget our humanity – iwi kūpuna are someone’s child, father, grandmother, loved one. It is our collective kuleana to ensure that they are brought home, reinterred with dignity, and that the protocols and pule of mālama iwi kūpuna endure for generations to come.
Me ka haʻahaʻa,
Stacy Kealohalani Ferreira
Ka Pouhana | Chief Executive Officer
