MANA — Pacific Missile Range Facility personnel, including base commander Capt. Brett Stevenson, joined with lineal descendants of West Kaua‘i to honor and pay tribute at the Lua Kupapa‘u O Nohili crypt on June 20, the first day of summer.
Lisa Ferdinando, of the PMRF Public Affairs Office, said Kumu Hula Troy Allen Hinano Lazaro and members of Halau Ka Pa Hula O Hinano led the traditional protocols to pay tribute and honor the ancestors who had inhabited these lands on the Mana Plain.
“In this rural, remote Navy installation, iwi kupuna, or ancestral remains, buried generations ago reveal themselves through a changing natural landscape, whether from shifting sands along the 7 miles of coastline, climate change, erosion, or other means,” Ferdinando said.
“When these remains are discovered, cultural resource experts take meticulous care to ensure they are processed in accordance with Native Hawaiian traditions and customs, and in consultation with the lineal descendants.”
During Ka Mauiki‘iki‘i o ke Kauwela that started at noon on the summer solstice, Stevenson highlighted the importance of the care and protection of these ancient remains.
“Honoring the ancestral Hawaiians is a sacred duty here,” Stevenson said. “We have our military mission to protect the homeland, and protect our island home. Side by side, we have a collective kuleana, or responsibility, to this place, and to make sure that it endures forever. That is what this is all about. That is what the meaning is here.”
The ceremony enveloped traditional protocol and tribute of oli, hula, pule, ho‘okupu and mele.
“I want you to think about your ancestors, or your family, your kupuna, friends, brothers and sisters,” said Tara del Fiero, the PMRF archaeologist and cultural resources manager. “Just think about them just for a moment, cherish this memory. By sharing this time together, and to be present here now, you have become one of our ‘ohana here. Let us all be ‘ohana and join in honoring our iwi kupuna.”
In meditative quiet, the procession to the crypt started as guests presented ho‘okupu of lei and native plants.
“Answering the call of Nohili. That’s why we’re here. That’s my most sacred kuleana to make sure that this place endures and thrives,” Stevenson said.
“Days like today are a reminder to all of us of how important our purpose is, and so, as we continue to take steps on this journey that we are all on, you’re all part of that.”
The crypt was built in 2019 to preserve and protect the iwi kupuna, and permanently sealed following the interment of remains on the eve of last year’s summer solstice, Fernandino said.
In partnership with Hawaiian practitioners, an additional crypt area is currently being designed.
Stevenson remembered visiting the crypt after taking command of PMRF, the world’s largest instrumented multi-domain training and testing range, in June 2022. That moment with cultural expert and Deputy Public Works Director Thomas Nizo has left a lasting impression, he said.
