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Page: Profile: Wren's Nest News Local
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Article: 17721
[Environmental]
Date Posted:
4/22/2007
8:14:57 am EDT
Wvox Stats
Views: 9,347
RSS: 21,046
Comments: 15
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Hawaii Aims To Deter Volcano Offerings
Author: The Associated Press Source: Bradenton Herald (FL)
Title: HAWAII AIMS TO DETER VOLCANO OFFERINGS
Rangers at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park are launching a program to stop people from leaving religious offerings at the summit of Mount Kilauea - including food they say attracts rats and cockroaches.
Visitors leave 45 pounds of offerings from Halemaumau Crater each week, including flowers, bottles, money, incense, candles and crystals, park rangers say.
But food offerings are the most problematic, they say.
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Community Thoughts: There are 15 comments posted | Reverse Sort |
| Madam Pele | Apr 25th. at 3:47:29 am EDT
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Aramara (Kailua-Kona, Hawaii) - Email Me
will not neccessarily be upset by the offerings "not being allowed". The amount of stuff that is left at Halemaumau really is astonishing. I think most people leave offerings less as a true tribute to Pele and more of a "let's just do it and take a picture for our (s) crapbook" especailly when you consider the fake leis, coins, etc. that ends up all over the place. As for the food, people need to understand that yes, there are rats there, even if they think it is "the top of a volcano" (Halemaumau is really more on the side of Mauna Loa) and rats come out around dusk. When do you think the most tourists are there? Yep, about that time of day since most want to view the lava flow at that time (which is nowhere near where all this stuff is being left, thus it will not be "incinerated by Pele") . Rats = dirtiness= perception that Hawai'i is a "dirty" place. I personally do not like to hear my home called a dirty place even if it is said by an ignorant but well meaning tourist. And, the geese are attracted to the food as well and since they are not the brightest birds in the flock, they do eat it! They also do not need to be around humans, since apperantly we do so much more harm to them than good.
That being said, I personally have left offerings there such as red flowers and a rock from near my own hale wrapped in ti leaf. I was taught that these things along with brandy are the things Madame Pele likes as offerings. I even asked a Park Official if it was accepable to do so and was told that these sort of items are indeed appropriate. I think the really obvious point that people are not getting is that this entire State is here because of Pele, and that means taking care of all of the 'aina (land) not just the relatively small area where She is most abundant and visible. That responsibilty lies with everyone: Native Hawaiians, haoles, kama'aina, tourists, Pagans and Non Pagans alike. Malama 'aina, aloha kai!!
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| If I Roll My Eyes Any Harder I'll Swallow Them | Apr 23rd. at 8:53:56 pm EDT
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Lamyka (Tokyo, Japan) - Email Me - Web
the natural religion of the area?? hello I AM Hawaiian, and if you actually practiced properly we dont condone trashing an area--nor do we use candles OR incence in the modern sense, much less coins or money. plus, as I said in my previous post--most of the people leaving "offerings" arent even Pele worshippers--and anyone who's had Pele walk through their life wouldnt call her "mama" Pele either but hey that's just a personal pet peeve of mine.
before you go into the retoric of "aah western culture hates the poor little pagans" actually read the article or ask people who are from there or at least been to Kilauea. The crap lying around the area are mostly what tourists bring so they can tell all their friends that they did some "hokey sh*t" at the volcano.
as for our Queen endorsing christianity it's not as simple as her wanting to crush her political opponents. when over half your race is dying via imported diseases and you see the ppl importing the diseases committing offenses against the gods but still living--AND THEN they say they can offer you an afterlife, well why not go for it? plus she didnt really have a choice, it was align with the protestants who supported the monarchy or allow the catholics to eventually persuade protestants to join in their anti-monarchy campaign.
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| Ohh Pele | Apr 23rd. at 12:19:18 am EDT
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Bluemax (Nelson, New Zealand) - Email Me
i wrote a poem on the vox yesterday about the spirit plight of pele im hoping you a curios enough to look arohanui shayne from aotearoa,
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| *visitors* Leave "offerings" | Apr 22nd. at 10:29:25 pm EDT
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Lamyka (Tokyo, Japan) - Email Me - Web
The only offerings to Pele I've ever been a part of didnt involve food and as someone said earlier, we dont waste food and let it rot on the altar or even sacred site. Wasting food is *wasting* the gift of sustenance.
Besides if you read the article it says VISITORS to the park are leaving "offerings". offerings for me would be considered a loose term since most times it's a lava rock wrapped in some leaf they found. even if you look at the example of a "offering" shown with the article, what true worshipper of ANY god leaves food in a sterephome container, plastic wrap, or even just in a place or fashion that would cause clutter?
You also might want to search to see if any Hawaiian groups are protesting their decision--most likely, just like me, they're not. Bringing rats, cockroaches, or other scavengers while endangering our actual native animals or plants is never a plus on the agenda. There's different ways to show your devotion/affection/appreciation for Pele (or any god) ; being smart about worship is being real about the situation.
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| They Just Need A Compromise | Apr 22nd. at 7:36:36 pm EDT
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BlueManticore (Tinley Park, Illinois) - Email Me
If they can find a way to allow the offerings but also have someone clean up afterwards then I would think there would be no problem. I'm sure Pele isn't happy with the her offerings possibly harming the wildlife around, so I don't think She would mind if the offerings were cleaned up regularly. It's the thought that counts, in my opinion. The actions, the offerings, just help to focus those thoughts.
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| So Where Are The Priests And Priestesses? | Apr 22nd. at 6:21:41 pm EDT
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Stormsinger (Milwaukee, Wisconsin) - Email Me
In ancient times, this sort of thing wasn't a problem. The priests and priestesses of a holy place handled the acceptance, offering, and distribution of such goods in the way their Deity dictated. Sounds like the Park Service needs to figure out who the modern, non-sectarian alternative would be. Lots better than letting it all rot.
As for the fake money burners, I think they're crossing cultures more than a little. Don't they have temples for that?
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| Mama Pele... | Apr 22nd. at 2:50:12 pm EDT
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morrighan61 (NYC, California) - Email Me
Um, I think Mama Pele just might have something to say about it if the ancient offering customs are forbidden.
That being said it's the "offering" itself that is important, not how long it sits there to rot and I don't see why at the end of the night the offerings can't be collected and used more sensibly.
If they restricted the offerings to a certain place for instance, and set it up so the food would be safer from the vermin it could be used in a productive way.
The flowers could go to seniors and hospitals. The sealed liquor could be used as the beverages for a charity benefit, maybe for one that might benefit the park service and the land, and the food if it's not destroyed by vermin could be given to people who are hungry. I'm sure Hawaii has it's share of people who are homeless for whatever reason.
I think Pele would approve of that, if the disposal was used to help her people and the land they live on.
But just banning tributes outright?
Just might piss Mama Pele RIGHT off, and that's the last thing Hawaii needs, right?
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| Hmm.. | Apr 22nd. at 10:10:21 am EDT
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Amtehuti (Queens, Florida) - Email Me
Torn here. My roommate is a follower of the Hawaiian Gods, and he believes leaving offerings is completely acceptable. It's been done for decades, so why stop now? It isn't just this volcano. Temples sacred to Laka still receive offerings from hula dancers, for example. This is the true religion of Hawaii, so perhaps it's suppressing the native faith to not allow offerings.
On the other hand, the offerings are problematic to the park. Leaving some food is excusable, but an entire roast pig is excessive. Maybe, if the park allowed an area to leave offerings and cleaned them up, both sides would be placated.
But if this park finds a way to stop those offerings, who knows what will happen to that volcano once the Gods feel slighted.
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| One Simple Question... | Apr 22nd. at 9:28:23 am EDT
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Jeff Kincaid (Lynchburg, Virginia) - Email Me
"What Would Pele Do?"
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