Rediscovering the Ancient Wisdom of Hawaii

Inette Miller and Iokepa Hanalei \'Îmaikalani are on a mission to bring the teachings of the indigenous people of Hawaii to the world, and to revive respect for other age-old cultures of peace. “For 12,300 years, the indigenous people of our Islands embraced a culture that refused the possibility of war. Return Voyage awakens that ancient wisdom — ritual and practices that dissipate anger, prevent violence, foster harmony — and shares its profound implications for the 21st century. Our ancestors were intrepid voyagers building remarkably sophisticated canoes and travelling throughout the Pacific and to coastal America for thousands of years. On every voyage, then and now, there came a turning point: that moment was Huliau — The Return Voyage. These spiritual gatherings are the celebration of that moment — the dawn of our native claim, our aboriginal voice. These gatherings are our map for the Return Voyage to: • Knowledge of what our ancestors represented (our unadulterated history). • Confidence in who we genuinely are. • Personal freedom from the tyranny of others’ explanation of us. Together we will light the fire of authentic cultural identity and unity. The time is now. We carry in our DNA all that our ancestors lived. We underestimate our own importance. We see how huge the universe is, and we fail to appreciate the part we play. But when we strike the match…” In 1997, at the age of 46, Iokepa \'Îmaikalani gave up his successful life as a contractor in Washington State. He left his family, friends, and hobbies and went to live in his native Hawaii to study and to work for the revival of Hawaiian culture, inspired by the words of his deceased grandmothers: “My Grandmothers said: ‘In every culture on Earth, God gave keys to survival. Hawaiians will return to theirs. It is about reminding every soul what they were given at the beginning of time.’” He returned home to Hawaii with one small duffel, $100 in his pocket, “and the light of my Grandmothers’ love inside me.” Iokepa met his wife, Inette Miller, ten years later. Inette had been a high-powered international journalist and author and was a single mother of teenage sons living in Portland. While on vacation in Hawaii she met Iokepa — and this meeting changed her entire life. She writes: “When I left Portland, I left a trail of friends and family who feared I’d stepped off the deep edge of Middle Earth. I spent the next year fulfilling their worst fears. I went on vacation for a week and I stayed for a lifetime.” She wrote the story of her overwhelming immersion into the authentic kanaka maoli culture in the book: Grandmothers Whisper: Ancient Wisdom — Timeless Wisdom — A Modern Love Story. The book won Book of the Year, Visionary Award 2011. Her new book, The Return Voyage: 95,000 Miles on the Paths of Our Ancestors, continues the journey where the early book left off. You can learn more about them at www.ReturnVoyage.com. The Ethical Culture Society of Essex County is a progressive non-theist religion dedicated to living ethically in a complex world. Founded in l876 and established in Maplewood in l945, over the years the ethical culture movement (known as The American Ethical Union) has been instrumental in launching Planned Parenthood, the NAACP, Visiting Nurses, New York Settlement House, Fieldston School, and National Ethical Service at the UN. The Society began a long-running Ethics for Children program and most recently, Time Essex Exchange (a time bank facilitating the exchange of services) among other initiatives. The Maplewood Society was the first peace site in the country. Its motto is: to act so as to bring out the best in ourselves by bringing out the best in others. Contact information: 973-763-1905; www.essexethical.org. Join us for weekly programs, discussions, and fellowship Sundays at 11 am. All are welcome.