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Desecration of Lele on Mauna Kea

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  • Desecration of Lele on Mauna Kea

    Talk about lack of respect! The Royal Order of Kamehameha erected a lele (Hawaiian altar) atop Mauna Kea in 1997, which is one of the most sacred places in the 'aina. Up until recently, the lele had been left untouched.
    Not only was the altar used for religious purposes by the kanaka maoli, but it contained mementoes of 2 Hawaii born soldiers who were killed in Iraq, one of whom was Nainoa Hoe, the decorated Iraq vet who died last year.

    "...The Royal Order built a "lele," a wooden skeleton of an altar 6 feet high with posts in four corners, Pisciotta said. To anchor it, rocks were placed at the base, beginning an "ahu," or stone altar. More stones were added by visitors over time.

    The lele stands barely a yard from a U.S. Geological Survey marker showing the true summit of the mountain, which is a few hundred feet from the closest observatories.

    The day after it was built, 115-mph winds raked the summit, but the lele was undamaged, Pisciotta said.

    On Tuesday a patrolling Mauna Kea ranger saw the lele still standing in the morning but knocked down in the afternoon, said Bill Stormont, director of the Office of Mauna Kea Management of the University of Hawaii at Hilo...."

    "...Some members feel that a lele is traditionally built to serve for a specific purpose and time and then should be removed, he said. After more than eight years, some felt that the time to remove it had come, he said. But there is no information on who knocked it down.

    Hoe said the nature of the structure has changed with time from a temporary lele to a permanent ahu. It "absolutely" has a right to remain, he said.

    "A lot of other Hawaiians have adopted that as a kind of special place for tributes to their ancestors," he said. "It is the highest point of our cultural being."



    Why would anyone want to desecrate a sacred altar? What was the intention of the person who wielded the machete that brought the altar down when 115 mph winds would not? I believe in karma, and I pity the person who committed the desecration. I think he will eventually get his reward, in ways he is not going to be expecting.

    Miulang
    "Americans believe in three freedoms. Freedom of speech; freedom of religion; and the freedom to deny the other two to folks they don`t like.” --Mark Twain

  • #2
    Re: Desecration of Lele on Mauna Kea

    Originally posted by Miulang

    Why would anyone want to desecrate a sacred altar? What was the intention of the person who wielded the machete that brought the altar down when 115 mph winds would not? I believe in karma, and I pity the person who committed the desecration. I think he will eventually get his reward, in ways he is not going to be expecting.
    I just received this photo via email, showing how the desecrated altar looks now, from the father of one of the Hawaiian soldiers killed in Iraq for whom the altar had been dedicated:

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    • #3
      Re: Desecration of Lele on Mauna Kea

      I used to work on Mauna Kea.

      One time there was a big pile of rocks, slowly built by people who walked to the summit, and added them one at a time. The pile got to about 6 feet tall.

      Then Hawaiians took all the stones down, claiming it was desecration of the summit.

      Now there is a new pile of rocks, built by Hawaiians, and this time is NOT desecration of the summit.

      But for double standards, there would be no standards at all.

      The summit is sacred to many different people for many different reasons. Hawaiians, Astronomers, Hikers, Meteorologists, Tourists, etc etc

      The mountain is big enough for everybody to share.
      FutureNewsNetwork.com
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      • #4
        Re: Desecration of Lele on Mauna Kea

        Only bad will come to those who touch anything that is SACRED. Whether you believe in it or not...you just don't disrespect a culture, a religion, especially a GOD!

        Auntie Lynn
        Be AKAMAI ~ KOKUA Hawai`i!
        Philippians 4:13 --- I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

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        • #5
          Re: Desecration of Lele on Mauna Kea

          Originally posted by timkona
          I used to work on Mauna Kea.

          One time there was a big pile of rocks, slowly built by people who walked to the summit, and added them one at a time. The pile got to about 6 feet tall.

          Then Hawaiians took all the stones down, claiming it was desecration of the summit.

          Now there is a new pile of rocks, built by Hawaiians, and this time is NOT desecration of the summit.

          But for double standards, there would be no standards at all.

          The summit is sacred to many different people for many different reasons. Hawaiians, Astronomers, Hikers, Meteorologists, Tourists, etc etc

          The mountain is big enough for everybody to share.

          I don't think the first " Pile of Rocks" was significant of anyone's religous or social beliefs. However, the second structure was built by Hawaiians as a symbolic marker of long standing ancient tradition. It then became truly sacred when it was used to house the personal effects of 2 soldiers from Hawaii who lost their lives in service to the United States. So I don't think the double standard comment applies

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