Military sites now venue for Makahiki

By William Cole
Advertiser Military Writer

For the first time in years — maybe since 1778 and the erosion of ancient Hawaiian ways — ships of a different sort last month pulled up to Ford Island.

Nearly 80 people gathered at Ford Island last month for a Makahiki. Participants in traditional Hawaiian dress were transported to the island by six outriggers and a double-hulled canoe. Petty Officer Sunday Williams • U.S. Navy

That 70 to 80 people took part in this Makahiki celebration was unusual enough.

That the Navy allowed the cultural observance at an active base under heightened post-Sept. 11 "force protection" rules made it exceedingly so.

"They don't even let the recreational (boaters) go in and out of (the Ford Island area)," said William Aila Jr., a Wai'anae resident who has been involved with Makahiki festivals at the Army's Makua Military Reservation.

With the settlement of a lawsuit with community group Malama Makua, Makahiki have been held for two years in the 4,190-acre valley whose name means "parent," and which many Hawaiians feel is sacred.

But Makahiki — which were times of post-harvest peace, games and payment of taxes during four months of winter when Lono presided — also were held recently at the Marine Corps Base at Kane'ohe Bay and on Kaho'olawe.

Hickam Air Force Base, meanwhile, is looking into hosting a Makahiki that could be held at the close of the season in March.

"It's two things," Aila said. "It's enlightenment by the military establishment, and it's also a rebirth of Hawaiian culture. So you have these two forces occurring at the same time."

DeSoto Brown, Bishop Museum's archives collection manager, said Makahiki hadn't been practiced for 200 years.

Capt. James Cook's arrival in 1778 and the eventual abolishment of the kapu system in 1819 led to an overthrow of the Hawaiian beliefs.

Cook's arrival during the Makahiki season, and the resemblance of his ships' masts to staffs topped by the image of Lono, led Hawaiians to believe the deity was returning to the Islands.

Two centuries later, Brown said there has been a "resurgence of Hawaiians saying, 'We don't live by these Western rules.'"

"The military has now become a lot more sensitive to Hawaiian desires and interests, and Hawaiians, in turn, are asserting themselves a lot more," Brown said.

Shad Kane, who organized the Nov. 23 Makahiki at Ford Island, said thought initially was given to paddling from Hickam to Ford Island.

Hickam would have been one of the sites where Lono landed on round-the-island celebrations of the Makahiki in ancient times, said Kane, chairman of the Committee of Preservation of Historic Sites and Cultural Properties, part of the O'ahu Council of Hawaiian Civic Clubs.

But for security reasons, Kane said the Navy preferred to have the launch and observance on Navy-controlled property, so Iroquois Point was picked for the starting point.

Kane said Ford Island, or Moku'ume'ume, is significant because the 13 traditional land divisions of the Moku 'O 'Ewa District can be seen from the island.

"It's a special place, and very appropriate to have a Makahiki there," Kane said.

The several-hour event saw participants arrive in traditional Hawaiian dress, chanting and offerings.

Kane said as the Navy moves forward with development plans for Ford Island, including a Military Aviation Museum of the Pacific, it's important to remember the Hawaiian culture that preceded it.

"A lot of people, when you mention Pearl Harbor, all they think about is Dec. 7, 1941," Kane said. "A lot of people don't realize there's a long history there — a thousand years of history."

Kane said he was surprised to learn that other Makahiki were being held.

"Were we influenced by the Makahiki or events taking place at Makua? I don't know; I would have to say maybe," Kane said. "But I never really thought about it when we were doing it."

Navy Region Hawai'i spokeswoman Lt. Cmdr. Jane Campbell said the decision to allow a Makahiki on Ford Island was not a new outreach to the Hawaiian community, but rather an ongoing example of Navy sensitivity to cultural concerns.

"This was something where an appropriate plan was put in place," Campbell said.

The Navy knew in advance who was going to be there, and most of the participants arrived on a bus for security purposes.

Second Lt. Amy Mueller, a spokeswoman for Marine Corps Base Hawai'i, said the base has always gone to "great lengths" to accommodate requests for access to Mokapu Peninsula. More than 500 requests for access are received annually, she said.

"We care about cultural issues," Mueller said. "We want to provide access to the base. The only thing that we ask is that you give us 60 days' notification so that we're able to check with our operations schedule."

At Makua, about 50 individuals took part in an overnight Makahiki observance Nov. 22 and 23. At least 10 different types of offerings were prepared and presented at each of three valleys.

Under the settlement agreement, and as part of an effort to provide greater community access, the Army last month conducted a controlled burn to uncover and eventually remove unexploded ordnance. The Army found 44 pieces, ranging from an illumination flare to a 100-pound bomb.

A list of priorities for greater access to the valley was submitted to the Army, and community members are awaiting a response, Aila said.

Aila, who has relatives who are buried at Makua, said there are two areas toward the back of the valley that are of particular interest — a spot where springs are located, and an area closer in, part of which appears to include a heiau, or shrine.

At a meeting Dec. 10, Gayland Enriques, a 25th Infantry Division (Light) fire protection specialist, said the "decision to burn the areas in the back of the valley (for unexploded ordnance removal) will be based primarily on the Army's ability to effectively control the planned fires, safety considerations, risk assessment and subject to any limitations imposed by the Fish and Wildlife Service."

Kane said he wants to work with other Hawaiian groups to hold the Makahiki the traditional way — in a succession of important locations around the island.

Reach William Cole at wcole@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-5459.