March, 27, 2012
An open letter to the Kawaiaha’o Congregation and all who
are concerned:
There is absolutely
no excuse for actions done which take precedence over respect, values, morals
and dignity. The Kawaiaha’o Church leaders have chosen to remove ancestral
graves at the expense of na Kupuna Iwi. The church knowingly is evicting hundreds
from what was suppose to be their final resting place. In the grounds once
dedicated and consecrated by the church itself. Sacred, hallowed, consecrated
lands! Maybe they need to look up the meanings of these words, and while doing
so, look up the word sacrilegious. There is no sense beating around the bush, let’s
get to the facts. These words hold truth to the matter. Has the church not
learned from the past? In 1971, Judge Allen R. Hawkins found that “under the
principles of common law, when an area of land is once dedicated as a cemetery,
it is perpetually devoted,” to that purpose. Perpetually means, “Forever”. The
church got sued over what they are doing again, removing burials.
The sad thing is they are doing it with no
conscience, yet
this wouldn’t be the first time. Hundreds of burials removed from their
final
resting place, only to have the church rob them of not only their
personal
possessions, but also their final rights. The church is removing them
from the
ground from their coffins and discarding what ever they feel is not
necessary.
Finally they will probably all be cremated together and shoved into one
burial
vault similar to the Bell memorial with just names on a plaque. The
difference
is they will only have a limited amount of names put on the plaque with
hundreds unknown. How shameful! Does the congregation really know the
truth
behind the Bell memorial and Likeke Halll? There is a plot map to that
site
with the names and locations of numerous burials. The same site where
this new multipurpose building will take place. Except they are digging a
lot deeper
because this project calls for multiple stories. Another reason we
should all
be concerned about “depth.” The church has now hit into a level of mass
burials. The question posed is should the Department of Health be
monitoring or
testing? Is the church digging up bodies that were infected and died
from pox
or plagues? Are they the church and Department of Health putting the
public at risk?
Do they even know or have they even thought about how long an epidemic
can be dormant?
Small Pox, Diphtheria, Cholera, Plagues etc., have all ravished and torn
through our families with devastating effects. At one point these
effects almost
put the Hawaiian Race into extinction. Have they any clue?
With all due respect, our protests are not selfish or
intended to be for individual gains. We are not just making noise and accusations.
There are documented facts to back our allegations. . It is now up to you the
congregation and public to stop this heinous act of horrific destruction and
desecration. Please help to start the healing process. Please put yourself in
na kupuna iwi place. How would you feel? I don’t know about you, but my father
never wanted to be burned. I will with all my heart stay true to his final
rights. What ever it takes. Please help make the difference. I know you
wouldn’t want a stranger to take away your grand children or loved ones special
notes and gifts left with you in your final resting place and then discarded.
Send letters make some phone calls to Kahu Kekuna, Kawaiaha’o Church, Dept. of
Health, your representative, council member, senator, mayor, governor whom ever
you feel could help make a difference and give dignity back to those who were
disrespected and evicted from their final resting place.
Let the healing begin.
Me Ke Aloha Pumehana, Kimberly Kalama