Defining the Sacred

Recently I visited a navigational heiau on the Kohala Coast. I am fascinated by the skills of the ancient navigators and wished to see this place. The Maka O Hule Navigation Heiau is an enigmatic collection of standing stones atop a small bluff about a half mile north of Mahukona. A fascinating link to the world of the Polynesian navigators who sailed the vast roads of the Pacific.

Across the islands there are bits and pieces of a technology that was almost lost. With a little searching a persistent explorer can find experiences that give a glimpse into that lost world. A jaunt on a recreated sailing canoe, viewing artifacts in a museum, or visiting an ancient heiau atop a bluff overlooking the ocean.

Looking out from the heiau one can completely understand why this site was chosen. The view encompasses over 180 degrees of open ocean. From the site, about two hundred feet above the sea, you may look out along the ancient Polynesian routes to destinations far beyond the horizon.

I was quite impressed by the feeling of history here. Looking past the standing stones that point to distant destinations I could only feel awe and respect for those who challenged the wide expanses of the Pacific in open canoes. I could ask myself what it would be like to set sail from the shore below bound for Tahiti or even further.

As I came down the steep trail a Hawaiian woman waited for me. She scolded me for violating a sacred place, telling me it was off limits. She had clearly gone out of her way to deliver her message.

In some ways I can understand this point of view, so much has been lost or destroyed. Much of Hawaiian culture has been sold, built over or turned into entertainment for tourists. Even now there are those who would vandalize the site, tip over the upright stones. But this site is in a conservation easement, supposedly open to public access. There were no signs or markers around the heiau to declare a kapu. This was a place I followed the old adage... "Take only photographs, leave only footprints"

What about those, like myself, who would visit a site with respect, to see a little of the legacy left by the ancient Hawaiians? When is a place off limits? When is it too sacred? What differentiates who can and can not go to such a place?

These ancient sites are part of the heritage of not only Hawaiians, but all who would learn about and respect the achievements of our predecessors. We are all human, ancient sites like this are the heritage of all who would see and experience human history. To me it is not Hawaiian blood that make the difference, but respect for those who came before. A navigational heiau was built for one purpose, to teach those who would learn.