Synopsis: Modern lifestyles have dramatically altered funerary customs.

I ke au ‘ana o nā makahiki ho’okahi haneli i hala akula, ua nui ka loli o ka mālama ho’olewa ‘ana ma Hawai’i nei. I kēia wā, a make kekahi mea o ka ‘ohana, ‘o ka mea ma’amau, mālama ‘ia ka ho’olewa ho’okahi a ‘elua paha pule ma hope o ka make ‘ana. Ma muli nō paha ia o ka nui o ka hana ho’olālā a i mea e hiki ai i nā ‘ohana mai ‘ō a ‘ō ke lele mai ma kahi ho’okahi no ka ho’olewa. Waiho ‘ia ke kino wailua ma ka hale ho’olewa i loko o kekahi pahu ‘ume hao pūanuanu a hāmau loa a kaka’ikahi ke kipa ‘ia e ka ‘ohana a hiki i ka ho’olewa.

Hō’ike mai kekahi hale ho’olewa, he kanakolu a ‘oi paha mau makahiki aku nei, ‘o ka mea i ma’amau ma Hawai‘i nei, ‘o ia ka lawe ‘ia o ke kino wailua i ka hale ho’olewa no ka i’aloa ‘ana, a pau, a ho’iho’i ‘ia i ka hale kahi e ho’okipa ‘ia ai nā ‘ohana a me nā hoaloha no ho’okahi a ‘elua paha lā, a laila, mālama ‘ia ka ho’olewa ma ka hale pule, a laila, kanu ‘ia. Mālama ‘ia nō ho’i he pā’ina waimaka ma ka hale o ka ‘ohana he mau lā ka lō’ihi ma hope aku.

Ma Tahiti me Aotearoa i kēia wā, ‘oia mau nō kēia mau hana. A pau ka i’aloa ‘ana, ho’iho’i ‘ia ke kino i ka hale kahi e hiamoe pū ai ka ‘ohana me ka mea i aloha ‘ia ma ka lumi ho’okipa. A laila, ho’omau ‘ia ka ho’okipa ‘ohana me nā hoaloha, a ‘elua paha lā ma hope mai, mālama ‘ia ka ho’olewa, a laila, he pā’ina waimaka nui. Ma Aotearoa, ha’alele koke nā ‘ohana me nā hoaloha i kā lākou mau hana no ka hele i ka māka’ika’i kino wailua me ka ‘ū pū me ka ‘ohana. Mana’o ‘ia he hewa ko’iko’i loa inā waiho mehameha ‘ia ke kino wailua. Mana’o ‘ia he ‘ano ‘ē loa a he aloha ‘ole ia hana.

‘O kēia nā hana i ‘ae ‘ia ma lalo o nā kānāwai o ke aupuni kipi o kēia manawa:

» ‘Ae ‘ia ka ‘ohana nāna e lawe aku i ke kino wailua mai ka hale a ka hale ho’olewa a i ‘ole ka pā kūpapa’u.

» ‘Ae ‘ia ka māka’ika’i kino wailua ma ka hale.

» He pono ka i’aloa ‘ana inā wale nō e mālama ‘ia he māka’ika’i kino wailua. Inā ‘a’ohe māka’ika’i kino ‘ana, ‘a’ole pono.

» ‘Ae ‘ia ka mālama ‘ia o ka lehu, inā puhi ‘ia ke kino ā lehu, e like me ka makemake o ka ‘ohana.

» ‘Ae ‘ia ke kanu ‘ia o ke kino wailua ma ka pā hale inā ‘ona ‘ia ia ‘āina e ka ‘ohana. Pono nō e loa’a ka palapala ‘ae no ia hana.

‘O kēia nā hana ma’amau ma Hawai’i nei he mau makahiki aku nei ‘a’ole he lō’ihi loa a ha’alele ‘ia i kēia manawa. He kāki kekahi mau hale ho’olewa no ka waiho ‘ia o ke kino wailua a no ka māka’ika’i nō ho’i i ke kino wailua ma mua o ka ho’olewa.

No laila, i mea kēia hō’ike e ho’omaopopo ai i ka lehulehu i nā mea e hiki ai ke hana e ho’ēmi ai i ka lilo nui o ke kālā i ka mālama ho’olewa ‘ana a i mea ho’i e ho’i ai kākou i ka no’ono’o nui i ka mālama pono ‘ana i ka mea i aloha ‘ia mai kona pau ‘ana a hiki i ke kanu ‘ana. Ua loli nā hana ma’amau i ke au ‘ana o ka wā i hala a he hiki ke loli hou a komo kēia mau mana’o ma luna nei i kēia mua aku.

E ho’ouna ‘ia mai nā leka iā māua, ‘o ia ho’i ‘o Laiana Wong a me Kekeha Solis ma ka pahu leka uila ma lalo nei:
» kwong@hawaii.edu
» rsolis@hawaii.edu
a i ‘ole ia, ma ke kelepona:
» 956-2627 (Laiana)
» 956-2624 (Kekeha)
This column is coordinated by the Hawaiian Language Department at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa, supported by the Initiative for Achieving Native Hawaiian Academic Excellence.