Mea Ho'okipa

Our values teach us Ho'okipa, which translates to hospitality.

It is the action of giving to any and all with aloha.

The beauty of ho'okipa is when it comes back full circle.

We wish we could tell you the same thing about Ho'okipa Beach Park.

It is being desecrated daily by a small group of those who oppose the kingdom and everything that makes Hawai'i Nei what it is today.

So for all that Ho'okipa has provided for countless people, it is in great danger from those who harbor hatred for Hawai'i.

While that is an alert requiring immediate attention, we want to extend a special mahalo to Anakala Riki Torres-Pestana and Anakala Lambert Kong for their tireless contributions to the well-being of Ho'okipa and their presence of protection for what is sacred to us.

As we unfold the story of Ho'okipa, we are finding out that the heiau had a different name and once lied where Hana Highway resides today.  The high point of Ho'okipa was where royals of the Kingdom of Maui once stood to see who was coming in at sea.  Stories of old are surfacing, but we cannot cite any of this as proven truth until we find a written or reliable account of the sacred location - 

one source that is widely accepted across the lahui.

In the meantime, both uncles are doing everything within their power to uplift and protect the sacred site.  We would like to encourage gatherings to take place after work through dusk, to politely prevent the trouble crowds from misconduct.  We feel as though a heavy presence on the top side of Ho'okipa would definitely defer the desecration without any confrontations.  Most people would back off if they saw a form of heavy protection in the general area.

If they don't subside, then we are already there together to discuss another possible way to handle the situation, but at least we are there in lokahi - unity.

Kanaka who practice ho'okipa values tend to be highly empathetic & detailed enough to see the needs of others. We call them 

Mea Ho'okipa
which translates to be like host of hospitality.

It is one of the highest compliments a person of Aloha can give or receive from one another.
________________________________________________

Mahalo Piha

Anakala Riki Torres-Pestana 
& Anakala Lambert Kong

Mea Ho'okipa O Maui

Mahalo for reading our blog and following its content.

Regardless of our differences, we live on these islands together.

We already know what a little bit of unity can do.

~Aloha Kekahi i Kekahi~
______________________________________________

 Photos below are of Riki Torres-Pestana & Shawn Perry

removing and properly burying a dead shark

left behind by a fisherman at Ho'okipa Point.

Tourists were climbing down to it

to take photos of themselves with the

dead shark by the ocean.

           

 

Photos below are of the old salt farm 

at Ho'okipa Point

                                                      

Rest in Love

UXO at Giggle Hill

Giggle Hill is the notorious nickname of a park in Ha'iku, Maui.

With a freshly revived playground for children to play on, and plenty small pavilions with picnic tables, it's history is seemingly unknown to most in the current day community.

During WWII, a military base occupied this area and plenty of war games ensued of course in the name of training.  Buried deep beneath the hill lies a plethora of unexploded ordinance, trucks, and old barracks.  It has been said by local kupuna that there are tracks, tanks and artillery under the ground there as well. 

After WWII, Alexander and Baldwin were extorting Maui County for the land there and after having been exposed by local residents, the county was able to acquire the land for $1.00 to build the memorial park that exists there today.  It had been deemed not profitable enough to remove the UXO and ship it off island.

The homes across the street from the park were forced to sign a 'hold harmless agreement' from Alexander & Baldwin because there were tunnels in the gulch on the side of the embankment that once stored armaments.  There is so much more to this story and we have encouraged those who know about it to sit together and write the book, so that future generations are aware of the history of their surroundings. 

I wonder what this is going to mean if we ever had an earthquake?

How will this affect local residents in the Ha'iku area?

How far do the dangers extend?

Has anyone tried to project or asses how much damage that could potentially be a hazard to?

Why haven't we heard about these projections?

How often are inspections held to assure the safety of residents in that area? 



Much of the information in this post had come from talk story with those who know from undefined sources as anecdotal conversation in the close community and shared by Travis Rice & a few others, and recorded by a member of our team.


EIS for the park that sits upon Giggle Hill

Establishment of the ICC

Establishment of the ICC

The intergovernmental agency known as the International Criminal Court has been established in the Netherlands and was first proposed in 1919 during the Paris Peace Conference by the Commission of Responsibilities.  It was addressed again with the League of Nations in Geneva in 1937, whose conclusion established a permanent international criminal court with the jurisdiction to prosecute individuals for the international crimes of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. 

Specific conditions must be met prior to taking matters into the hands of the ICC forum, such as when national courts fail to provide justice or when the UN refers a case to the court.  The International Criminal Court has officially opened its doors in 2002 as a permanent functioning entity and its chief operating guidelines include the Rome Statutes, which is a multilateral treaty with 124 states involved.  To date, 39 people have been indicted in the ICC.

There are four principle organs of the ICC:

     - Presidency 

     - Judicial Divisions

     - Office of the Prosecutor

     - Registry

Article 1: The Court

Article 1 establishes the ICC as described above, which provides the baseline of which the ICC shall operate to address the most serious crimes of international concern.  The court itself is governed by provisions of the Rome Statutes.

Article 2: Relationship of the ICC with the UN

Through an agreement, the International Criminal Court has been brought into relationship with the United Nations and approved by the Assembly of States Parties and concluded by the President of the ICC itself.

Article 3:  Seat of the Court

The seat of the ICC was established in the host state of the Hague, Netherlands.  There exists an agreement known as the Headquarters Agreement with the host state of the Hague, approved by the Assembly of the States Parties and concluded by the President of the ICC.  The Rome Statues provides a section that allows the ICC to sit elsewhere if deemed desirable.

Article 4:  Legal Status & Powers of the ICC

In order to operate functionally, it is necessary to give the court an international legal personality and the legal capacity to exercise its necessary functions and the fulfillment of its purposes, as provided by the Rome Statutes.

Update on Dental Advocacy

In recent months, we  have talked extensively to our communities about the disparities in dental care and all the related concerns surrounding the topic today.  We asked what did people know about yester-generations and what they did to maintain their teeth.

From the collective efforts of teams on every island except Lanai (whose concerns are still being advocated, despite the fact that we were unable to go there), vital information has been collected to help us discern what kind of help is needed in each zip code.  Next step is to exchange information and begin to phase into the solution based aspect of this journey - targeting solutions that will:
 - initiate the process of increasing services to achieve a bright smile, not a grim "I haven't had teeth in awhile"

 - locate current resources and build with existing resources to create a solid program that will help us sustain a set of chompers.  Ahem! ...to save our "beautiful smiles!" 

We will update you as we move further along.  Thank you for being with us on this journey.  The better we feel about ourselves in health, comfort and vanity (if I may call it that),  the better we will do.

For more information on this project, please go to the original program page:  Bright Smiles Hawaii

Ho'okipa, Kingdom of Maui

Is Ho'okipa the location of a sacred heiau?

Controversies are sparking around Maui and inquiring minds would like to know.

We all know that the word Ho'okipa means hospitality.  The place actually had a salt farm below and from some stories, a heiau above.  We know it was a place the royals often visited, and if you go to the highest point, you can see every direction of the kingdom on a clear day.  

There is a plethora of history between then and now.  However the question remains of whether or not it was the sacred site of a heiau and how are we going to protect Ho'okipa from the vandalism that is occurring there daily now. 

Because of its great surf conditions, Ho'okipa continues to host quite a number of competitions and the landscape needs protectors.  Tourism is bringing people down by the busloads, rental cars clog the parking lot, an old man throws glitter into the ocean while a woman watches her child approach a turtle below as if they were in a petting zoo.  On July 4, 2017 vendors reportedly complained about the evil haoles that come up Ho'okipa at dusk and vandalize the upper area, attempting to set fire to the entire park. We have a few loyal protectors who care for the area, but that's about it.  Is Ho'okipa worthy of protection from desecration? 

Softly Understanding

As you read this post, listen to the soft whispers that permeate your inner being, the voice of your heart's truth.

Learning from experience and realization is completely different than learning from intellect.

Our minds have an unlimited thought capacity and multitudes of capabilities that we will never realize if we are stuck in a programmed thought system brought forth by an education system that instructs us on how to feel, what our values are, foreign interpretations to show us how to serve the foreign world, and a belief system of which is not native to our souls.

The coined phrase: Actions Speak Louder Than Words

actually has some depth in itself.

Emotions don't really have words and a perfect example is the difference between telling someone that you love them and feeling that emotion.  If one truly feels it, there aren't quite any words to describe it, but the person's actions will show what they feel by being consistently linear to the emotion it represents.

Emotions can only truly be understood by experience on the receiving end of the actions or behavior displayed.

As listeners, when we're not talking over one another, we are putting so much focus on the words itself, that we only receive our interpretation of those words, and not the true value of what the person meant.  Ever notice that much of the pilikia between people had to do with communication or lack thereof?

When we focus on the word itself, we miss the true meaning behind it.  This is where it is handy to remember that we have two ears and only one mouth.  There is a natural reason for that.

Being able to listen to the words while experiencing the true value of the sentiment behind it will provide a deep understanding of what is being conveyed.

When you listen gently to the experience being conveyed, you are able to gain true insight which brings true understanding and often a peace of mind.  We have to remember to leave the programming at the programmed place and when we are on our own clocks, to feel with everything we have.

"Everything has a natural flow.  Listen to yours"

Voice of the People

Back about ten years ago, there seemed to be hope regarding our gathering to take our nation back.  People were mass educating, programs were opening and the conversations were lively about it.

Fast forward ten years and everybody seems to be in a rut. It seems like people have lost hope, have lost faith and have lost interest.  There's been a lot of chopping one another down and of course, the race to a thousand different office positions, none of which truly serve our people, but plenty of which do a decent job in serving the community at large.

Having sat back and thought about it for some time today, I decided to start writing.  I can't possibly be the only one asking questions.  I can't possibly be the only one looking for that communication at large.  I sure do spend countless hours reading bits of the voice of the people on a dozens of different sites, social networks and blogs, as well as live conversations.  

However in doing so, I have discovered certain constants that continue to repeat themselves, therefore I would actually go as far as to say that this is the general voice of the people and that we should take these things seriously.

1. Despite what it looks like, people do still want our kingdom back, however in full security. People have lost a bit of hope because of all the inter-maoli battles that constantly plague our sense of moving forward.
2. This is largely because we are still feeling almost a direct effect of a fairly recent tragedy.  However, we must keep in mind that we choose to be upset and not to say for everyone to 'get over it' but to say that at this point, we can actually use those emotions for empowerment.  We can use that very energy to push until we create our ways.
3. The general Voice of the People is tired of seeing our leadership nag each other down and wants to see each one unite so that we can strengthen our cause.  All these allegiance to dozens of small populations in each quorum, is really hurting us more than it is helping us as a people and its about time for every leader to put bygones aside and move forward as one.  We CAN do it and we know we can.  Are our leaders afraid of success?

Our potential is there. Let's keep our energies balanced in a sense that we don't go to one extreme or another with each other, that we focus more on the 'being the bigger person' mentality, and please stop trying to compare struggles! Each of our journeys has been hand destined specifically for us.  There is a very deep reason we have the kuleana that we do and it is extremely important to remember that.

Each island has all kinds of classes & activities that we can participate in, or we can choose to do something small on the side, like cleaning the opala in our areas when we go to the park or beach.  It seems like tourism just keeps getting heavier and the amount of people flocking to live and do corporate business here is ever increasing.  On one hand we could complain about it and on the other hand, we can just continue to do what we do, ever setting an example for the world and the world does see.  

I hope that this post isn't offensive to anybody and shows what is out there. If you feel the need to verify, you can spend a few hours on youtube watching interviews and meetings, to catch a lot of what was said here.  All I did was think, remember and write.  

Cause Can

"I am only one person, what can I

really do to make that much of a change?"

"Nothing I do will make a difference."

"We lost already so we might as well

give up the fight."

"There's no use."

These are low vibrations.

They are like cockroaches on your mind.

They make you believe

nothing works.

That's not true.

Conceive the idea of 'better'

Believe in your ability

Achieve your goals

Because you can.

The Way of our Ancestors

Some say we don't have much longer to achieve our sovereignty 

and some say that we have a long way to go.  

Some don't even think about it or want it at all.  

While some kanaka love drizzling their gardens with

harsh chemicals to keep the critters at bay,

others are following the paths of our ancestors

who have survives thousands of years without modern technology.  Sadly, our children and grandchildren wouldn't know what to do

for the most part... 

that is, unless we train them in the ways.

The ways of our ancestors.

If you hold true to our original relation with Ke Akua 'Io,

you are very aware of our kuleana with the land, the sea, clean air and water, clear aquifers and so on.

If you were raised a Catholic or Christian, 

your family may have let those parts of the story go, 

to believe in what the Bible tells us.

Its okay.  Both are one in the same.

Just stand back, if you try to tell that to your pastor,

who can't have you running around telling stories 

that conflict with the man's version of a Holy Book 

that has been translated a thousand times of,

by those who wish to remain in power.

This does not mean the Bible isn't the Word of God.

It means that from era to era, man has made little changes

to assure absolute power, 

which enabled the Bible and its teachings to last

for the last 1800 years.  

Yes, the version we learn from

is no where near the same age as even Jesus.

It is only 66 excerpts with countless others

that are hidden in the Vatican, 

written in language of the old, most likely Aramaic - 

which is the language Jesus Himself spoke.

Open your Bibles to the Book of Isaiah.

I don't have my Bible nearby,

but I believe in the neighborhood of Isaiah 61

talks about following the covenant that our Kupuna'iwi made

with God, to care for the land,

as sovereign land tenants.

Sound familiar?

So now that we're all on the same page

let's act accordingly and honor that covenant.

We have to find the way of our ancestors.

If you are trying to fight the reference to the 

Book of Isaiah with the New Testament,

please be advised that those books have been written 

for upto 300 years after Christ died.

Life spans had already been cut to 120 years.

There is absolutely no evidence that He said

that we no longer have to uphold the covenants.

All He said was that sin was forgiven.

Those looking for a new way to remain in power

said that we no longer have to honor the covenant.

Study deeper.  

Don't depend on somebody to tell you what they think.

Why did our ancestors depend on the medicine of the earth,

the very medicine that God created?

Why do you depend on science?  Something man created?

Who's perfect?  Who created man that creates?

Why is it only now, that we depend on science

that everything on earth is suddenly dying?

This isn't the way.

It's obvious, don't you think?

We have to find the way of our ancestors.

That way sustained mankind and life on earth

For hundreds of thousands of years.

The way of our ancestors.