John Kaimikaua. Islands in Captivity I stay in the mood for type so I going share from the Islands in Captivity book the testimony of John Kaimikaua , Molokai. Mililani and I spent time with John on Molokai, we went for class get together, but at one point we got off the bus of classmates and climbed in Johns old cadillac with his wife being the chauffeur, John sat on one side and I on the other so the car balance. John about 500 and me 400 pounds walking through the forest to look at special things, talking story. Visiting Halawa valley. Then going to the top of the hula mound and he telling me about how it was so green before over there but the kahuna when close the spring waters so no can develop over there for it is so sacred. And my sharing how my tutuman had the knowledge of the secret springs from Kau to Parker Ranch. An experience of a lifetime with a special Kumu hula. I miss him so much, I gained much manao from him. Some times I hear his whispers. ************************************ John Kaimikauas Testimony: My name is John Kaimikaua and I have been privileged in my life to have met a 92 year old woman by the name of Kawahinekapuhelekaokane, who taught me the ancient dances and chants and tradition of the Hawaiian people and especially of the Island of Molokai. Id like to take this opportunity to testify of our people anciently. This is information that I think is important for our people to hear. Our people have lived on these islands for almost 2,000 years. And for the first 1,000 years that our people have lived upon these islands there was no Alii system. The Alii system and that order and even the worship of Gods Kane, Ku, Lono within the temples, all of that was heightened with the arrival of Paao about the eleventh century. When the high priest Paao came to Hawaii, with him came the bloodlines if the Alii, which were imposed upon the people that lived on these lands. With him, he brought the lines of Alii and the building of temples, and also the introduction of human sacrifice within our religion. Before, the time of the Alii, our people, their was only the Makaainana . And the Makaainana lived upon the land , the Makaainana worked the land. In our movement towards sovereignty, it is important to reflect the original attitudes of our people from even before the time of the Alii , when our people set up councils of spiritual leaders and practioners. Those who were fisher people, those who were bird hunters, those who were craftspeople, those who were kahuna, the healers, these were the people that were appointed by the general population and these were the people that were appointed by the general population, and these were the people that counseled and ruled over our people. That was the original government of our people before the comings of the Alii and that manao. At this time of change, at this time of revival, you know, it is important for our people to realize that and look toward that end in our struggle towards sovereignty. Who knows better of the land than those that plant taro on the land? Who knows better what is for the land except those that plant on the land? Who knows better what is good for fishing except those who fish? Who knows better what is for the Hawaiian manao, the mental problems of the Hawaiians, the breaking of families except those that practice hooponopono? Who would make better leaders and counselors for our people than a group of all these people? If you have that, that is the right manao. It is Pono. And everything will hua, everything will come together. But until we as a people have that right manao, the original manao of our people before the coming of the Alii, then we will be a Pono people, then we will be one. Then, whatever is done to the land will be right because it is those people who work upon the land and in the ocean and everything that will know what is right. Thats all I have to say, of that which I feel is important. Mahalo. John was asked about Christianity affects on our people: I think, this is from my own experience, there is first a lot of bad that was done, but that bad was the people who ran it. It was not the value of it. People made it bad . The Kapu system was the national religion, the religion of the chiefs , the religion in the temples. That religion was abolished , but the aumakua and the religion of the Makaainana , the family religion, the religion of the ancestors still prevailed. As times changed with the introduction of Weaterners and everything, what Christianity did for our people was replace their old gods. Christianity filled in for our people, a spirituality that helped them to maintain themselves in this time of turmoil.
Posted on: Sun, 25 May 2014 19:58:34 +0000
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