2003-05-27 TBLASMAN (2) - Laserfiche WebLink

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D. ROY:Far from it. Our people were accustomed to following the wherever they went and however they chose; and there were no questions about that. However, as to abolishing their former beliefs, just because of the breaking of a kapu it did not mean that his people did not retain their beliefs, and went underground as a result. Many of them did throughout the ages, up until the Second World War. My experiences have been that there seemed to have been a groping among many of them. Many Hawaiians that I was stationed with during the service were subject to those feelings. And they would often relate to me their beliefs about the Òamakuas and the ancient gods, but they did not necessarily sanctify it or any, or believe in any of the human sacrifices that went on. They were glad to get rid of them. However, their ancient beliefs still remain in their hearts. And even today whenever I ask the question, do you deny your Òamakuas, and none of them would agree. Do you deny the presence of mana? None of them would agree. And, so, I feel that the presence is still within our Hawaiian people. And, unfortunately, they were not given the choice of a religion and, therefore, what they originally had remains in their hearts. The feeling of mana is today acknowledged by our scientists who acknowledge that, also, the most powerful source in the world is found in every single bit of matter in the world, namely, the atom. So how can you deny the Hawaiian feeling of m exists, even to that of a stone? There is everything, thereÓs life in everything around them. And I believe that that was a very true belief; and my feelings go accordingly because none of our religions today allow for mana. M. ROY:Thank you. Dad, at PuÒuhonua, would you say the land ret memory of its sacredness? D. ROY:Not at all. M. ROY:At PuÒuhonua O Hnaunau? D. ROY:Not at all. It has, PuÒuhonua is representative of what was there when Keawe kui kekai was alive and when John IÒi wrote about it. It is after many centuries of use and it is even something that relates to things that donÓt exist any longer. Those puÒuhonua that did exist were, an example of that would have been at Kaumalumalu where the former Planning Director refused to acknowledge the fact that it was a puÒuhonua that was allowed for development; and, unfortunately, she had, had to wait, authority and it became a development to the detriment of hihi, because that was all one part at one time. M. ROY:Can you show on the map where youÓre meaning, at Kaumalumalu? D. ROY:This was a puÒuhonua here and this is a flat that related to this part, it was part of this area. And this is now a development by Alohi Kai Subdivision and it has obliterated all signs of what used to be. This was the area where, traditionally, spears would be thrown at the arriving chief as a demonstration. And, in fact, as tradition goes, 24