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Pele and Hi’iakaikapoliopele Visit La’au

Monday, February 11th, 2008

By Walter Ritte

Hi'iakaikapoliopele is the famous sister of Pele, who is the fire goddess of our volcanoes.

My mother, who has since died, was given this sacred name, Hi'iakaikapoliopele. We called her Hi'iaka. No one in the family thus far has shown to have the mana to pass on this sacred name on to the next generation.

Because of our mother, when this new book "The Epic Tales of Hi'iakaikapoliopele" came out, we read it, and it is a great book.

What really got our attention were the travels of Pele and Hi'iaka to La'au Molokai. The stories give us new information and insight about La'au, our history, islands, and people.

I knew I had to share this information, when last month on one of our weekly visits to La'au, we found a beautiful and large bloom of the rare plant Pa'uohi'iaka (the skirt of Hi'iaka) near our protest hale.

In the book, Hi'iaka wore a skirt of pala'a fern, and the name of the skirt was Pa'uohi'iaka, the same name of the plant now growing in our camp site at La'au. The skirt had great mana or power, and played a major role in the success of Hi'iaka in her journeys through out the Islands.

This is the backdrop in which we would like to present the stories of Pele and Hi'iaka and their journeys to La'au Molokai. We will present the stories in the next edition of the Molokai Dispatch.

Molokai Soldier in Afghanistan: Part I

Monday, February 11th, 2008

Jesse English, 1990 Molokai grad, tells his story.

Molokai grad, Jesse English served five tours in Afghanistan.

By Jesse English

My mom sent me an e-mail article about your veterans day parade there. I know that was awhile ago, but life here is in a vacuum.

I have been very busy since leaving Moloka'i many years ago. I was recruited into Special Ops and have done 5 tours in Afghanistan. I am currently in the Army on active duty and am a Platoon Sergeant with the 82nd Airborne Division. I am finishing up a 15-month deployment securing villages near the Pakistan border.

I stayed on Molokai for several years after graduation, working construction off and on, but never really saving any money or going anywhere. You have to understand about me that I was out of place for most of my high school years. I never really felt like i belonged, and I did not like school all that much. I just kind of liked to be left alone, and was definitely not what you would call very motivated.

Things got better after graduation, but I knew I was not ready for college and that it would probably be a huge waste of time and money if I tried to go right away. I took a few local college courses as I pondered my future and I came to a conclusion. Most people try to pick one thing they want to do or be, but I could not pick just one thing--so I decided to go out and do as many different things as possible, and try to see some of this planet beyond the islands.

I also decided that whatever I did--I would try to be the best at it. I joined the Army Guard and served as an Infantryman with the Scout Platoon there for 6 years. I then moved to Alaska where I switched from the Army Guard to the Air Guard and became a Combat Cameraman--which I did for 3 years.

At the same time I was a criminal justice major, worked full time at the U of A-Fairbanks Police Dept. as a Community Service Officer , and was the first ever Army ROTC Cadet who was in the Air Force. After my first year I was selected to attend airborne school and got my wings in the summer of 1998.

After three years I cross-trained into Security Forces and was the Honor Grad for my class. I was then approached by some people in Air Force Special Tactics and I left Alaska and moved to Michigan where I joined a very small and distinguished group of Special Ops Paratroopers called Special Tactics Weathermen. It is a very hard and demanding job and there are only about 100 or so at any one time on Active Duty. I attended technical school for almost a full year and became a certified Air Force meteorologist.

Some background on this is necessary. Since the split in 1947, the Army gets all it's weather support from the Air Force. If there is an Army airfield, there is an Air Force man or woman in the tower. If there are conventional soldiers--there is usually an Air Force man or woman in the field with them. In Special Tactics we strictly work with Air Force, Army and Navy Special Forces, so we go where they go and do what they do--all the while observing and forecasting the weather.

Most people do not realize the significance of this, but what this does is puts certified meteorologists directly on the battlefield and provides commanders with critical real-time weather intelligence. This affects everything from missions to aircraft and everything in-between.

In order to be assigned to such a unit--you have to attend much of the same special and tactical training. Thus I attended SERE (survival, evasion, resistance, escape) school, advanced SERE, water survival, Jumpmaster and Pathfinder schools. I also had to train on all kinds of weapons, radios, vehicles etc. I attended a course to learn how to control planes and attack helicopters, as well as numerous special operations and terrorism courses.

I trained for over a year and a half non-stop and was in Argentina on a mission with Special Forces when 9-11 happened. I was immediately presidentially activated and even though I was technically in an Air Guard unit, I was now on active duty and have remained so for the last 6 years. I volunteered to go to war, trained off and on, and deployed to Afghanistan four times. Each of those deployments lasted about 5 months or so.

More in Part II of this three part series…

Past Joins the Present

Sunday, February 10th, 2008

Revival of Makahiki season closing a historic moment for Molokai.

By Léo Azambuja

Molokai is an island ahead of its time in that it often plans for its future by honoring its past. The Molokai community this past weekend made history by reviving a tradition unpracticed for almost 200 years – the closing of the Makahiki season at La`au Point.

The kapu system was a set of laws based on religious beliefs, which were intrinsically connected with cultural practices. With the fall of the kapu in 1819, the Makahiki traditions faded away until almost disappearing. However, a Hawaiian cultural renaissance, which began over 30 years ago, has since inspired native Hawaiians to bring back many ancient traditions.

“In the 1970s I worried about our traditions, I worried about whether they were going to survive with all these changes happening in Hawaii,” cultural specialist Lawrence Aki said.

Aki, together with his uncle Pilipo Solatario, headed the Makahiki closing ceremonies held at the sacred grounds of La`au Point, the westernmost point of Molokai.

At least 50 people showed up at Dixie Maru early in the morning to make the long hike to La`au Point. The sun had barely come up, and a light but steady rain sprinkled those who came to celebrate the end of the season ruled by the god of peace and fertility, Lono.

It was a special occasion for everyone – this hadn’t been done for almost 200 years, according to surfboard shaper Steve Morgan.

“This represents the rebirth of the Hawaiian culture,” Morgan said, noting that so much of the culture has been lost.

“La`au to me is like the Hokule`a, it rallies the community, it galvanizes the society,” resident Jais/Iruka said, comparing the historic moment with another landmark of the Hawaiian renaissance, the launching of voyaging canoe Hokule`a.

The tall and skinny Iruka walked his talk. He shouldered two huge bags over the entire distance to La`au Point, a walk that normally takes about two hours to complete. The bags were filled with several fruits and an ergonomic blender – an ingenious appliance powered by a manual crank-shaft. Iruka’s smoothies quenched the thirst of many of those who hiked to La`au.

Once at La`au Point, the official ceremony took place. Hawaiian protocol and the blowing of conch opened the celebration. Aki and Solatario received ho`okupu (gifts) from the community, and placed them on the Ho`okupu Wai, a miniature outrigger canoe built to carry offerings into the sea. Chants and hula dancers honored Lono.

After all of the procedures were finalized, Solatario led a group of seven men to the ocean’s edge. The men swam the gift-laden canoe far into the ocean, until letting it sail itself into the distance.

Back on land, a ho`olaule`a took place with enough food and water for everyone.

Aki was radiant. “I never thought I’d see this happening,” he said. “Boy, it’s such a great feeling.”

Morgan said the closing of the Makahiki represents the na`au (gut feelings) of all of the ahupu`a together. “This represents the whole island, not just one place,” he said.

Heidi Jenkins, 3^rd grade teacher at Kaunakakai School, said the celebration was a way of bringing awareness to all of Hawaii, to make sure that history won’t be lost.

Visiting La`au for the first time, Jenkins had a special reason to be there. All of the elementary schools on the island become involved with the Makahiki season since its beginning. The children learn about cultural practices and history, and also participate in the Makahiki games. “For me, to share with them the closing of the Makahiki is kind of cool,” Jenkins said, explaining that she would bring pictures and stories to her students next week.

The revival of the closing of the Makahiki season in La`au Point comes at a crucial time, when landowner Molokai Properties Limited is fighting a legal battle to turn those lands into a multi-millionaire development.

Some opponents of the development claim the lands represent sacred grounds, while others say that native species of endangered fauna and flora thrive in La`au.

Aki’s cultural expertise comes from a lifetime of listening to kupuna and kumu, such as Solatario, Vanda Hanakahi, Louise Miguel and Mikiala Pescaia. “They all speak the same language, this place cannot be developed,” he said.

At the end of the day it felt like the the Makahiki closing had never stopped being practiced. Aki said he was honored to be part of it, and that he hoped to come back every year from now on.

“As long as I can walk the trail I’ll be back,” Aki said with a large grin on his Hawaiian face, revealing the satisfaction of making sure his culture is on the right path to perpetuation. If it depends on him and the majority of the Molokai community, the life of La`au Point will be perpetuated in righteousness, just as the Hawaii state motto says; “Ua mau ke ea o ka aina ika pono.”

Mo’omomi Management Addresses Concerns

Sunday, February 10th, 2008

Mo`omomi Beach 

To the Moloka’i People,

I am finally writing on behalf of the many people who have encouraged us to respond to the petition and claims being made against the Hui Malama ‘o Mo’omomi as managers of Mo’omomi Beach.

Let me first say, it is our policy to follow the path of “pono”, and that includes remembering to conduct ourselves with grace in situations in which we are morally challenged. We will not initiate harmful and negative statements meant to damage the reputation or credibility of a particular named individual. We will not be making unsubstantiated claims, or saying ‘any old wala’au’ that has never been be proven. We will not forget that while we each may have different mana’o, that we live on the same island and should treat each other with respect. I must admit that has been hard to do with all of the accusations and attacks we have heard. But above all, we will not and must not forget that our mission is to restore and sustain the health of the Mo’omomi coastline for all of the Moloka’i islanders, their ‘ohana, and future generations to enjoy.

If you are one who has signed the petition protesting Hui Malama’s management, please consider: Has the petition offered one piece of evidence backing its claim? Or did the petitioner just “talk story”? Many untrue and disparaging things have been said to the unsuspecting people of this island. Many folks who signed the petition contacted us after discovering reasonable doubt, wanting their names removed.

The DHHL, landholders of the Mo’omomi beach area, can and will attest to the fact that since conception of the Hui in 1993, there has been not a single complaint regarding it’s management of Mo’omomi except by the petitioner. Hui Malama’s open and fair policies for pavilion reservations have been, and can still be proven by the calendar which provides a who’s-who record of usage that is very obviously non-preferential. There has been no record of anyone ever being asked to leave the beach premises or denied fishing and gathering privileges, and I will challenge anyone to produce the name of such a person. No “haoles” are coming with grants to close down Mo’omomi (that’s a more recent claim of the petitioner), and our kupuna have not been turned away from the beach (another newer, more catchy claim for those of us who feel outrage at the thought of disrespecting our elders).

Our record shows many, many kupuna who enjoy Mo’omomi Beach. In fact, the Hui Malama ‘o Mo’omomi By-laws specifically state that fishing in the front bay area is reserved exclusively for children, disabled and elderly, because they need more ease of access. And the beach areas are open to everyone to use on a daily basis, period. Check out the signage in front of Mo’omomi Bay. There are no unreasonable rules.

It is our sincere hope that eventually our detractors will understand the Hawaiian value of “Malama ‘Aina” and the necessary effort we must all become a part of in order to keep what we have. Understanding malama ‘aina, then, means understanding that rules become necessary when there is a large constituency that needs to be served. For best practices in terms of serving every constituent equally, Hui Malama has recognized that we share the “ice box”, so we have asked our members to respect each other with the volume of take, to respect the laws of the land, and to respect the rights of their neighbors to visit this well loved beach. We manage the pavilion usage, but more importantly, we manage the resources of the area. We, along with many other Hui members, saw our coastline heading in the same direction as the rest of Hawai’i’s beaches, and we wanted to begin to protect our ‘aina and kai. From a dusty, dirty, erosion-damaged area with proven declining ocean resources (fish, ‘opihi, etc.) Mo’omomi is now a pristine and healthy area, with comfortable facilities and infrastructure for the enjoyment of its constituents, identified as anybody who wishes to visit the beach; and for pavilion reservations, any homesteader and his/her guests.

These are the highlights of the many years of work and contribution by the Hui Malama ‘o Mo’omomi members, leaders, and supporters as the managers of a successful community stewardship program. With the help of community members the Hui Malama ‘o Mo’omomi:

• built pavilions one and two for the use of homesteaders and their guests
• maintains pavilions, recent painting of both
• has a fish tagging and monitoring program for tracking and information
• hosts educational groups from Moloka’i and off-island
• has cleared and cleaned the beaches of the contaminated debris left by the dead whale (months)
• has periodic beach cleaning of flotsam, driftwood and nets that clutter coastal areas
• regularly removes trash bags left by campers and beachgoers and hauls to the dump
• maintains the endangered species and indigenous/ endemic Mo’omomi coastal plant garden
• hosts UH and state scientists and officials studying environmental biota
• has negotiated for the return of Mo’omomi’s historic Kalaina Wawae stone, which was held for the better part of a century in the Bishop Museum basement
• set new roads for better access to fishing areas
• built berms and planted low growing plants to control erosion run-off
• has worked effectively with the neighboring Ranch and Nature Conservancy as needed to meet needs of membership
• built a boat ramp to ease access for fishermen to launch and remove boats
• provided trenching and pipe-laying for potable water to the camping/ beach areas
• maintained and landscaped camping areas
• consistently seeks legislation and stays current with issues that benefit Hawaiian subsistence fishing
• brings awareness to the public about malama ‘aina issues

All of this has taken work, and organization and planning. While we appreciate that people have different mana’o, we would ask those who use petitions as a means to convince others of their argument, to do so with some level of honesty and conclusive evidence. The Hui Malama ‘o Mo’omomi has proven its intention by the work it has done for the people. The next time a petition comes your way, be sure to ask questions and give it some thought before you accept what may not be accurate or verifiable information.

Na ke Akua e nana mai nei ia kakou a pau. E huli i ke ala kupono.

Karen Kamalu Poepoe

Hui Malama ‘o Mo’omomi

Molokai Catholic Community Making Memories

Sunday, February 10th, 2008

Church members gather for photos last weekend.

Photos by Richard Rader