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M. ROY:Aloha Kakahiaka. Aunty Pua, please tell us of your involvement
<br />with the State regarding the area being spoken of, Keolonhihi-Keakealaniwahine
<br />Complex at this morningÓs meeting.
<br />KANAHELE:I was asked to do a cultural impact, a cultural study o
<br />Keakealaniwahine, the section thatÓs makai of the Alii Drive; and I did the cultural study
<br />for that particular area, but that also involves the area mauka of Alii Drive. The cultural
<br />impact, not the cultural impact, I keep saying that, the cultural study of Keolonhihi
<br />involved the whole cycle of life, from the beginning of the life, and even before the life,
<br />to death; and, so, it involves the whole cycle of life. It begins with putting together a
<br />union of two people, male and female, to produce a child of a very high rank. And the
<br />thought behind that was to maintain that bloodline which was very important to them
<br />going back for many, many, many generations. It was a duty for them to do that. And
<br />Keolonhihi was one of those places that maintained that particular practice of keeping
<br />that duty. And, I guess, the alii that weÓre all familiar with is Kamehameha; and
<br />Kamehameha was very conscious of his duty to maintain that particular bloodline. And
<br />so his involvement with Keopualani was one of those unions that he would be able to do
<br />his duty, as far as he was concerned, as far as his duty to the bloodline was concerned to
<br />produce the child that was very close to or kept that bloodline pure. So itÓs keeping the
<br />bloodline pure. But it also involved generations of priestesses to keep track of who were
<br />being born, and who the mothers and fathers were, what the unions were and how they
<br />could track them back to the very beginning of their genealogy. And, you know, if you
<br />do look at the kumulipo, the whole kumulipo, is about that, keeping track of births.
<br />Okay. And, so, when we think about, you know, that kind of prac
<br />practice of keeping something pure and something very, very basic stable, you have very
<br />few places throughout the island that maintains that kind of practice, or even come close
<br />to that kind of practice. And Keolonhihi was not the only place that did that, they had
<br />other areas within all of the islands that did that. And whoever was the ruling chief, he
<br />would set up a place, the place where the females could do that; and this is strictly female
<br />work and to keep track of the bloodline. And so, but Keolonhihi is one of the few places
<br />thatÓs left, that we have left that have, that traces back to pureness of the Hawaiian blood.
<br />And, so, thatÓs basically my study. But it goes back to Keakealawahine, who when she
<br />was the ruling chief did not only have that particular kuleana as the ruling chief of
<br />HawaiÒi but also had the kuleana of maintaining the bloodline and maintaining that
<br />practice for the priestesses to maintain the record of the bloodline. And, so, she had, and
<br />KeakealawahineÓs genealogy goes back to Umialiloa, goes back three generations to
<br />Umialiloa, to actually three of his children, three of UmialiloaÓs children. And, so, when
<br />we have that or the indication of that, youÓre looking at somebody who is, who represents
<br />the pureness of that particular bloodline or the pureness of who we are.
<br />And, so, thatÓs what Keakealawahine Hale represents to us, as well as the Keolonhihi
<br />represents, the pureness of who we are. And, you know, if you want to talk about
<br />anything thatÓs sacred for the human, thatÓs perhaps the most sacred that we can come to,
<br />the pureness about who we are.
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