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the Ancestral Spirit Tradition of Hawaii
Inner Traditions 2001, 2004 ISBN #0892811447 The traditions of indigenous cultures have historically been passed down orally - through venues such as story, myth, chants, dance, and music. Indigenous Hawaiians, as a people, and as a culture, follow this oral tradition. As with many other indigenous peoples, their culture, their way of living, their very being is undergoing a tremendous uprooting and change. Within our lifetime, we are seeing the end of a way of life. Some of the traditions will survive, perhaps in an altered form, but for many, the way of life is gone. The bonds for indigenous cultures are between the land and the people. The voices of the Elders are the voices that carry the myths and stories from one generation to the next. They act as intermediaries for the ancient voices of the people. The spirits of the ancestors act as a liaison between the people and the sacred land they inhabit. Moke Kupihea is a direct descendant of Hiapo, kanohi ki nui, chiefly priest or high lord under Kalani pouu. This is the story of his people, the Hawaiian people, as seen through his eyes, and experienced in his life. This is the story of the soul of a people, and the specific soul of one man. Kupihea's story is one of a spiritual awakening during a time of immense change - of the destruction of land, and of a way of life, by foreign investors and developers. What Kupihea grew up with no longer exists - in one lifetime, it is gone. Those of his generation walk between two worlds - the world of their ancestors, and the reality of the world around them. The aumakua is the ancestral spirit of the Hawaiians. Kupihea defines the seven dawns of the aumakua as: "... a structured revival in the ancient art of spiritual reflection through recollection of the soul's relationship to it's people and land of origin." The first dawn (The Aumakua Descends) speaks of the author's ancestral lineage. The second dawn (The Eye of the Aumakua) recounts the stories the author heard as a child, and the visions and people who appeared to him. The third dawn (The Sound of the Aumakua) speaks of the sounds of the author's dead ancestors, and of the time that he spent with an important mentor, William Kahapu kani o kono Goodwin. The fourth dawn (The Voice of the Aumakua) speaks of the stories told around his mother's table, stories relating to the spirits and the traditions of the past. The fifth dawn (The Touch of the Aumakua) tells the tale of a specific incident in the authors childhood where he experienced the protection of his aumakua. The sixth dawn (The People of the Aumakua) tells of the author's experiences with what he calls the "men of the mountains"- those who lived from the land, and in harmony with the land. The seventh dawn (The Breath of the Aumakua) speaks of Kupihea's early manhood, and his growing reconnection with God. The words that make up this book are like a song - they flow freely, moment to moment, speaking honestly of a changing world. They reflect the childhoods of many of us from diverse cultures - childhoods spent listening, as adults sat around the kitchen table and told stories about themselves, people they knew, family members, and "community" experiences. Using these stories to form an idea of who we were, where we came from, what our personal history was. As Kupihea speaks of his mentors, we all have had our mentors. Through his eyes, we see the importance of the people and traditions in his life. We can then take this way of thinking and look back over our own lives to see who influenced us, and how. Having lived (as an adult) in Hawaii, I saw some of the things that Kupihea talks about. The changing land, the intrusive politics, people trying to walk in two worlds - a traditional world that is passing, and a new world that is totally at odds with the passing world. The spiritual life and traditions of the Hawaiian people is changing. From one perspective, it is lost - it will never be the same again. From another perspective, it will change, but it will continue to support its people through the voices of the Elders. The physical landmarks may be gone, but the spiritual energy remains. There are many things that Kupihea speaks of that people who follow a spiritual path will understand. Amongst them are the importance of the voices of the ancient ones, the belief that there are certain places on this earth that carry high spiritual vibrations, and that visions are very real. We need to know that we will be shown what we need to see, when we need to see it. And that these experiences will, many times, come to us only once. This is one of the best reference books on Hawaiian culture and traditions that I have ever seen. In my opinion, it very accurately reflects the spirituality of this most beautiful culture.
Bonnie Cehovet
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