While we have been concerned with Tagging, Graffiti, Trash and Dog Crap bags scattered across the Aina...I would like to touch on one more subject that I continue to see GROWING at an ALARMING RATE and one that has been seriously pissing me off... ROCK PILING. Considering we are on Tour 5 days out of the week across the aina we continue to remove them and yet see them back up a week or two later, all of this ISNT the work of just Tourists... Now I DOUBT any of you do this...assuming you love the aina. Living here on Hawaii Nei I will also assume you have done your research about Hawaii, its History, its culture and its people, the Kanaka Maoli...or perhaps you havent, so I would like to take this time to explain something to those who have been naive up till today... ROCK PILING IN HAWAII....What is it good for? ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! Know the Culture...Know the History...Know the People...The Kanaka Maoli. Stacking Volcanic Rock is NOT a part of Hawaiian Culture or History...However the Piling of Volcanic Rocks for Temples (HEIAUS) are....And this is WHERE the confusion lies. There is a HUGE DIFFERENCE between the two...LEARN THEM and RESPECT and UNDERSTAND the past so that mistakes dont continue to happen in the future. Its about the Desecration of the Hawaiian people and sacrilege toward Pele herself. Rock Piling in Hawaii is a misguided practice, akin to sacrilege as many of the places we see such piles are sacred to Native Hawaiians...The Desecration takes place when you move and displace Peles Volcanic Rocks in UNNATURAL WAYS across the Landscape...If Pele herself would not create such piles in Nature it is not Pono for you to do so either. This is Kapu, this is Taboo, this is Sacrilege. Altering the natural setting of the Hawaiian Landscape is a violation of federal law and the golden rule that visitors, ignorant Locals, Kamaaina, even Hawaiians who dont know thier own past, should take only pictures and leave only footprints. Those Stacking rocks in places like the Volcanoes National Park could be charged with a misdemeanor punishable by up to six months in jail and a $5,000 fine. This is our Creed as HIKERS to leave only FOOTPRINTS...Lets NOT be HYPOCRITES, but instead be TEACHERS. To create such unnatural forms is the NEW GRAFFITI and TAGGING of our Hawaiian islands. Dont we have enough Graffiti and Tagging on our Aina already? We dont need to leave our MARK behind to say or show others that we have been there...How big are our egos? This is why anyone who respects the aina, the history and the Native Hawaiian people only take pictures. Lets spread the word and lets not be arrogant, ignorant or disrespectful of Native Cultures not only in Hawaii, but across our Earth. If you see such sacrilege...Please take a moment to remove them and teach others to do the same. We can make change here in Hawaii...this is our kuleana...if we the Hiking community dont Malama Na Aina...who will? Lets start showing others who are old and new here how to live Pono...it is contagious. Mahalo~
Posted on: Wed, 05 Mar 2014 01:15:15 +0000
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