Call to Drum for Sacred Cultural Sites

MESSAGE FROM ANN MARIE KIRK

Drum for our Sacred Cultural Sites throughout Hawai’i Nei

Saturday, November 7th, 2009 at 6pm

Aloha,

The kahea, the call, from Hawea Heiau complex to drum for the proper protection, respect and care for all our sacred cultural sites in Hawai’i nei and the call to drum to honor our kupuna and their presence at all these sites has been heard throughout Hawai’i and worldwide.

The kahea has brought a ripple effect reaching supporters from many places in the world. It is a simple kahea with no expectations. All those who choose to participate are given the freedom to choose their special place and to focus on creating a positive environment to ask the ancestors for guidance.

Those who support our effort will use the pahu, their ipu, ohe pu or whatever instrument they need to join us and this can be as simple as tapping gently over their heart, but most importantly they come with the beat of their hearts, the beat that unites us all as Hawaiians and non-Hawaiians.

We also unite together and drum to let the State Historic Preservation Department hear that throughout our islands we have lost faith in their ability to properly protect and respect our precious and priceless cultural areas. A change must come.

In less than a week we have received responses from many that the beat of the drum on Saturday, Nov. 7th will be taking place in sites around the world including:

Bora Bora, Tahiti

Aotearoa (New Zealand)

Australia

Guatemala

Mexico

At Union Square New York City, New York

San Francisco, California

Ojai, California

New Mexico

Colorado

Oregon

Native American Tribes drumming with us include:

Shumash

Anisnebe

At 6pm on Saturday, as the drumming begins, wherever you are, and even if you are by yourself at your sacred site, please know you are not alone but united with someone else in Hawai’i nei, or around the the world. As Auntie Nani and Auntie Louise sound the pahu for our kupuna iwi ‘o Naue on Kaua’i, the sound of drums will reverberate through Union Square in New York City and the sound will unite us with our friends in Mexico who will be drumming with us.

We will all be connected at all our sacred sites.

In Guatemala, when they heard about the kahea, they emailed us to let us know they will drum too, “ . . . in Guatemala many of our sacred sites are also in danger. Together we can have a strong voice.”

And to quote Auntie Louise from Kaua’i, “The drums will beat to unite us all in our belief and cause. We will be drumming to make sure they receive proper protection, care and respect.”

Please feel free to contact us after the drumming takes place on November 7th to share your thoughts and feelings about what this has meant to your cultural and sacred site.

Our kupuna are with us always, in the sky, the land, the sea and in our hearts and we will fight to make sure they know we are with them and we have not forgotten how important they are to all of us – Hawaiian and non-Hawaiian.

Aloha,

Ann Marie Kirk, Liveable Hawai’i Kai Hui

Chris Cramer, Liveable Hawai’i Kai Hui, East O’ahu Historian

Kaleo Paik, Cultural Keeper

haweaheiau@gmail.com

Drum for our Sacred Cultural Sites throughout Hawai’i Nei

Saturday, November 7th, 2009 at 6pm

Hawea
The drums of Hawea were silenced,
Years of neglect caused its demise.
A once prominent wahipana,
Reduced to rubble and ruin,
Scarred pohaku caused by ignorance,
Left in a pile of disgrace.
A pohaku canvas paints
The history of those long gone.
Sacred `aina used, as was pono,
To build a kauhale, heiau,s
Sacred enclosures for our people,
To come and pay respect.
The essence of the spirit within Hawea
Calls out to be heard.
The vibration echoing the pulse
Of those who have made a stand.
For the sanctity of the Pahu,
The drum to unite us all.

By: Linda Kaleo-o-kalani Paik August, 2009

Please forward to others. Mahalo.

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