Iolani Palace ahu desecrated

[Miulang]

Why would anyone want to disrespect a shrine built by kanaka maoli to honor their ancestors? First it was the lele on Mauna Kea last week, and now it's this ahu on the Iolani Palace grounds.

As Ikaika Hussey said in the Star Bulletin story, this desecration is akin to the cross burnings in the South by the KKK and should not be tolerated by the people of Hawai'i. I don't think these desecrations were done out of ignorance but out of hatred. This is most definitely not the way to show Aloha.

Miulang

[Leo Lakio]

Re: Iolani Palace ahu desecrated

I just saw that story as well, and all I could think was "W-T-F- !?!?!"

[kimo55]

Re: Iolani Palace ahu desecrated

I don't think these desecrations were done out of ignorance but out of hatred.

Ignorance, hatred, reasons of mental insanity... had a bad day, too much to drink, not gettin any lately...

Miu, it does not matter one iota the reason or reasons it was desecrated.
The desecration should not be accepted nor tolerated, no matter the mental goings-on of the perps.

[sin]

Re: Iolani Palace ahu desecrated

you know, usually you'd be able to write stuff off like this as an act of random vandalism. you know the type, drunks from a bar stumbling along and decide to destroy and piss on everything along the way.

BUT...this was not along the way anywhere. The nearest bar is at restaurant row...actually no, there's some places to drink along Queen street but why shortcut through the palace grounds? The only thing I can think of is some HPD students were drinking and walking back to their place at Kukui Tower from either the Row or Queen street and took a shortcut through the palace, which is smack dab in the middle.

otherwise you have to assume that someone WENT OUT OF THEIR WAY to scale the fence or walk around to the entrance and do their dirty work. and if that's the case what's their motivation? political statement? anger at native Hawaiians issues? bitter hatred?

for me i'm hoping it's drunk kids who need to be slapped around. still unacceptable behavior but less malicious.

[sin]

Re: Iolani Palace ahu desecrated

oops, meant to say HPU students, not HPD students. (No, there is no Honolulu Police Department downtown training academy in Kukui Plaza)

And even by that i don't mean to say that HPU students are bad or destructive, it's just that many of them live in that area and in Kukui Plaza in general. They're just a convenient example.

[anapuni808]

Re: Iolani Palace ahu desecrated

otherwise you have to assume that someone WENT OUT OF THEIR WAY to scale the fence or walk around to the entrance and do their dirty work. and if that's the case what's their motivation? political statement? anger at native Hawaiians issues? bitter hatred?

Yes, to all of the above.

Fran

[kimo55]

Re: Iolani Palace ahu desecrated

you know, usually you'd be able to write stuff off like this

Naaah. i would not write off anything like this desecration.

[sin]

Re: Iolani Palace ahu desecrated

Naaah. i would not write off anything like this desecration.

You know what I mean...the desecration itself is terrible but the motivation behind it is what i was talking about.

A stupid group of college kids who got drunk and decided to throw a pile of rocks around (and I only refer to the altar as a 'pile of rocks' because i'm trying to illustrate what it might have seemed like to a person who might have been unaware of their significance) and not knowing what it was they had stumbled across, is one thing.

An angry person (or persons) with an agenda who meant to defile a place a certain culture holds as sacred is quite another.

[kimo55]

Re: Iolani Palace ahu desecrated

A stupid group of college kids not knowing what it was they had stumbled across, is one thing.

An angry person (or persons) with an agenda who meant to defile a place a certain culture holds as sacred is quite another.

Weeeellll... i dunno. cuz, this measurement being made public, could mean some angry agenda holding person with intent to defile what they know as sacred, would then claim, "hey dude, I am just a stupid college kid who dunno whutdahell i am doin"
to which they'd expect to hear;
Well, ooooohKAAAYY arrriteeethen, chucko... go forth and drink a case for me, have fun!

haveta say...
No difference in my book. the result, the level of desecration the same. They both should meet their intended end at da luakini heiau.

[Miulang]

Re: Iolani Palace ahu desecrated

Sad, sad, sad. Here's a link to pictures of the Iolani ahu after it was desecrated and while members of a halau restored the pohaku to their rightful place. I think it's rather poignant to have the rock with "aloha 'aina" inscribed on it placed atop the ahu.

Miulang

[zztype]

Re: Iolani Palace ahu desecrated

Here are a couple of photos of the ahu taken before it was desecrated, last year, April. And there is a third photo of the burial mound taken that day, as well.

Blaine