About a year and a half ago we took a trip to Molokai, Hawaii. The small island is now facing some difficulty over the management of the land on it’s Southwestern tip called La’au Point. I wrote about this controversy after our return in a post called, Saving La’au.

Endangered Monk Seals are right at home on La’au Point.

Molokai is special to me. I truly love this island and its Spirit. People don’t come for nightlife, chain stores or shows. People come to Molokai to connect with the locals, the land and to unwind.

Island time, truly exists here…stay awhile, and you’ll get lost in the timelessness of the place. The sacred also exists here, you see it in the faces around you, in the long ocean beaches, the red soil that stains your socks, the sheer cliffs of the northern shore and the fact that there is not a single traffic light on the entire island!

I understand why the people of Molokai protect it and why they are careful about the kinds of development they endorse. The land is a member of their family and so as we speak in this moment they are sacrificing their own comfort for the health of that family member, having opposed Molokai Ranch’s Master Plan for developing their holdings at La’au (an entity that owns roughly a third of Molokai). As a result the Ranch announced they are closing all of their operations on the island, taking 120 jobs away from the population of 8,000 who live there.

If living courageously is the key to co-creating life…then the people of Molokai are no strangers to courage.

I can’t help but wonder when this same dynamic will be a force of circumstance for those of us who reside here in the wide, open spaces, where the necessity of an act like this is harder to see…where we are less mindful of our connectedness than is an island…or can we, will we learn now where to draw the line on progress, from their example before it comes to that?

I don’t know the answer to that question…so instead, I’d like to share with you some of what I encountered while visiting the island, so that you can see what it is that the residents there are trying to protect.

Memories from Molokai

Image Credit

The first trip I took to Molokai was very active. My husband had been coming to the island since he was a child, so we hiked as far out as our feet would take us nearly every day, rarely encountering another soul.

Toward the end of this first trip we hiked down into Kaluapapa on a trail consisting of 26 switchbacks stretching out over three miles, taking us down over 1600 feet to the sea level peninsula that was both home and prison to those struck with Hanson’s Disease in 1866. We learned about Father Damian, the priest that came seven years later to help by building houses, a hospital and a church for the inhabitants.

We were toured through the old structures and told the history of its residents; from the times when they were cast off into the ocean to fight their way to shore in the 1860’s, through to the drugs that cured the disease in the 1940’s up to Kaluapapa’s current modern day residents…survivors, whom remain by choice.

Image Credit

Awe inspiring beauty and the horror of its history co-exist in this place…serving as an opportunity to break open the hearts of all who visit for under the surface, a living, almost palpable strength of spirit that is unifying beyond the challenges that one encounters in the world can be found here. It speaks to the beauty that exists…in and through all forms of life.

When the tour ended however, there were some four-legged forms in particular that we wanted to get ahead of, so we hustled back up the switchback path attempting to beat the caravan of mules that had served to bring many of our tour fellows in. Slowly hiking up a path covered in fresh mule dung on a hot afternoon just didn’t seem appealing…so it was our plan to get through first

On the way up, sweating, panting and striping off as much clothing as we considered decent, we were passed by a friendly and very fit Hawaiian who was not at all out of breath. He smiled at us and said, “You guys are doing really well!” as he continued up the path, as if on a leisurely stroll.

We looked at each other, barely able to inhale in the unaccustomed humidity and watched him continue on, not missing a beat. With our heads down and our hands grasping our knees…we started laughing as soon as we could catch a breath. It was amusing to us because in that moment our perception of health and of being in shape shifted to a new possibility.

My husband and I have always been people that work at health and at that time in our lives we were especially disciplined. This man however, was in a league of his own. It would not have surprised us if he walked this grueling hike everyday for fun!

Thinking of him, made the climb easier and to a large degree we stopped taking ourselves so seriously the rest of the way up…just in time too, cause our next stop was the infamous Phallic Rock

Image Credit

The Phallic Rock is an ancient fertility site dedicated to the male fertility God Nanahoa. As the God himself was thought to be encased in the stone, barren women throughout the ages would bring offerings and spend the night at the rock’s base in hopes of conceiving a child. Women still come here to bring their offerings and pray for fertility.

I’ve been to the rock twice, once on our honeymoon and once while 36 weeks pregnant. The stone has amazing energy that most people find irresistible.

If you hang out there for long enough you will see people laughing while they sit on it, straddle it, or stand next to it. Most can’t help but allow their hands to follow over the contours of the stone for a time as well, seemingly reluctant to leave. Apparently, Nanahoa’s power is still there working in full bloom as we’ve heard and experienced quite a few tales of conception surrounding visits to the Phallic Rock!

What’s Next for Molokai?

Well, this is not an easy question…but I think the answer lies in connectivity. From what I understand the Molokai Community Service Council is working toward raising enough money to buy the land at La’au Point from Molokai Ranch. The Ranch is saying that the development of this land was necessary for them to continue their Molokai operations. It is uncertain if the jobs will come back once they have divided up and sold the land at La’au.

Part of the struggle that the people of this island seem to have faced over recent years stems from outside interests. The investors that own land do not live on the island and so, if something changes in the financial climate they simply leave (this is what happened to the plantations some years ago). I would like to see what would happen if the jobs that sustained the people on the island belonged to the community, rather than individuals

What Can I Do to Help?

Many believe that what happens to one of us, in actuality is happening to all of us. There is a fabulous rain forest myth about a man who kills the song bird of the forest, and with the bird, he kills the song and with the song…he kills himself.

So this question of how to help has been on my mind the most. My first response is to pray for them, which I have been doing because I believe there is power in that. My next idea was to create some kind of symbolism (like the song bird was in the above mentioned myth) for the spirit of the people, something that illustrates their aliveness while emphasizing connectivity.

In my mind the symbolism that came out of this line of thinking was a Hawaiian version of Friendship Bread. For those of you who are unfamiliar, this bread requires a starter (like in sour dough). Making this bread is a ten day process of intent and sharing.

Once it is started, it spreads and the starter then has to be fed and passed onto others, who will likewise do the same. The care and concern required to make this bread is symbolic of the community spirit that is necessary to get through a situation like the one currently facing the residents of Molokai. If you are interested in participating in the bread chain, please e-mail me at pk@paulakawal.com.

Lastly, there is the option of financial support. If you want to donate (this is not a pressure thing, I think prayer is just as powerful), then please click here. You will be taken to the Molokai Community Service Council’s donation page to buy Molokai Ranch.

And as always…much love to you…or as they say in Hawaiian:
Me Ke Aloha Pumehana!