ASSOCIATED PRESS
Vandals defaced the historic Naha Stone, left, and Pinao Stone in front of the Hilo Public Library Tuesday night.
Cultural stones’ defacement
leaves Hilo frustratedVolunteers repair the
vandalism to the stones that
are part of Hawaiian legend
HILO >> Paul Neves described as a desecration the vandalizing of two culturally significant Hawaiian stones in front of the Hilo Public Library.
"The Naha Stone was a place to pray for traditional cultural leadership," said Neves, alii aimoku (ruling chief) of the Royal Order of Kamehameha I, a group dedicated to preserving traditional Hawaiian culture. "We understand the resentment and anger in our Hawaiian community, but we are praying for those who would desecrate our sacred objects."
Vandals defaced the 3.5-ton Naha Stone on Tuesday night by painting the phrase "1893-2004." The smaller Pinao Stone, which once stood at the entrance of the nearby Pinao Temple, was marked with a single vertical white line.
"We discovered the damage when we came to work Wednesday morning," said Hilo branch librarian Wilma Matsumura. "My main concern was doing the proper thing so we didn't make the situation worse."
Matsumura called police, who report they have no suspects.
Native Hawaiians were not the only ones upset by the vandalism.
"I was having breakfast at a coffee shop near the library when I learned what happened," said George Lewitzki, a Hilo-based specialty building contractor. "I moved here three months ago from California to get away from that kind of junk."
Lewitzki drove to the library, where custodial staff and three members of the Royal Order of Kamehameha I were preparing to remove the paint with scrub brushes. He offered to help, and after consulting with experts, library officials gave Lewitzki permission to uses his power washer to clean the sacred stones.
The paint was removed, and there does not appear to be any permanent damage. Officials are exploring various options to protect the artifacts, including installing a fence or a plaque highlighting their cultural significance, but no decisions have been made.
"The best protection is for all of us to take care of these things," said Neves. "Maybe we need something to call to mind the specialness of the place."
The Naha Stone, known as the "big stone," plays an important role in Hawaiian history. According to legend, it was brought from Kauai to the Big Island several hundred years ago on a double outrigger canoe. The people installed it at Pinao Temple, which was located in the vicinity of today's Hilo Library.
Another legend holds that, centuries after its arrival, a young man of noble birth was able lift the stone, thereby fulfilling a prophecy to "overthrow a mountain." That young man became known as King Kamehameha I, the ruler who unified the Hawaiian Islands.
During the early part of the 20th century, the two stones lay virtually ignored near the home of J.A. Scott on land now occupied by the current library. In 1916 they were moved several blocks to the old library. The stones were moved to the new facility shortly after it opened in 1951.
Neves announced that the Royal Order of Kamehameha I will conduct a brief ceremony of "prayerful celebration" at noon today in front of the library.
