ʻIke Hawaiʻi...

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"From what Mary Kawena has written, and what my mom and grandfather said, the iwi is the essence of a person. That's why we revere and honor sites such as this at Mauna 'Ala, and other heiau in Hawai'i, because it holds that total Mana and essence of our Ali'i, contained in the iwi...the iwi are incorruptible. It is so much like the Christian way of looking at it. The flesh is weak, but the iwi remain in its wholeness and sacredness.  There is Mana attached to the iwi of our ancestors. I believe that these iwi continue to sustain us as a people." Kaihe'ekai Maioho. Kahu Iwi. Hale o Ho'olulu. Mauna 'Ala. 2004

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