Truth is so highly prized by ‘Ōiwi (people of the bones and the first people of Hawai’i) that the greatest temples of worship in the islands at the time of Kamehameha the Great were those dedicated to Kū, the god of truth in righteousness.

Ahu’ena Heiau was such a temple prior to being re-dedicated to Lono by Kamehameha-the-Great. Ahu’ena Heiau, Kamehameha’s personal temple was restored in 1975 by a team of Kanaka Maoli (Hawai’i firstborn) led by Kahu David Kahelemauna Roy, Jr. It is the first restoration of the breath of life of a religious temple in the Hawaiian Islands of the modern era. Every repair since that great event is a pahonohono māpele or refurbishing of the Heiau dedicated to Lono.

Heiau, spiritual temples in Hawai’i, represent the connection of ‘Ōiwi to our Source. They are the revered manifestation of the kumulipo (source of life). The heart of a Heiau restoration is the “collective” heart of the people. In 1975, Kanaka Maoli involved with Ahu’ena Heiau represented their connection to the ancestors back to the very Creator of heaven and earth. The loving intent in the hearts of these men as they worked represented all ‘Ōiwi everywhere. In France’s famed cathedral of Notre Dame, words are inscribed into the stained glass windows of that sacred edifice by its artisans.

The words are “the work of their hands is their prayer.”

A Kahu holds a kūlana, (station) with a kuleana (responsibility) to Ka ‘Ī (Divine Creator). In brief, a Kahu holds a kuleana for the spiritual and physical well being of, in this case, Ahu’ena Heiau and Kamakahonu. It is a kuleana to the past, present and the future. Where there is more than one individual involved, they will be of one heart and mind and of one direction.

The Spirit of the Ancestors of ‘Ōiwi descending from Divine Creator remains and guides at Kamakahonu. The Kingdom of Hawai’i unified by Kamehameha the Great abides at Kamakahonu. Here, over the years by our actions and by our words, we have told of the generational love given by ‘Ōiwi for Akua, for their ancestors, for their rulers, for the love for their beginnings in heritage and hope for their country. We’ve shared the stories of inspirational acts in history and the customs of ‘Ōiwi to inspire future leaders among ‘Ōiwi.

Kamakahonu’s light is the beacon for the world that its always been. We move into times of great hope for the planet and all life upon the planet. Residents of Hawai’i are all seated in the cradle of transformation — a fireplace in the Home of Ka-‘Ī-lā-lā-‘ole (Supreme One Without Branches). Ancestors of ‘Ōiwi paved the way for those of us who follow, to help & heal all life on the planet by fostering aloha kekahi i kekahi (love one for another). So let us pay attention at Kamakahonu. Ancestral wisdom shares that giving your essence here, where you feel you can, aids the abiding cumulative light of healing for the world.