I recently had the honor of escorting Mililani Trask into her swearing-in ceremony as a trustee of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs. It was a deeply moving ceremony as this esteemed warrior for the rights of the Hawaiian peoples and indigenous people everywhere was sworn in by Judge Lisa Ginoza. The oli I chanted as we walked in together invoked the blessings of akua as Trask accepted this appointment, made possible by an unexpected opening and the full confidence of the OHA board.

OHA trustees have worked with this woman of fierce intellect and unstoppable passion previously when she had served as a trustee. They are well aware of the huge contribution she could make in ensuring that the long-delayed righteous and recognized claims of the Hawaiian people are met by the state. As Mililani said in her remarks, she is deeply grateful for the trust that has been placed in her. “I didn’t expect that at this stage in my life, as a kupuna, I would have this opportunity presented to me. But I promise to give it all I’ve got. Contrary to what some believed, the culture and strength of the Hawaiian people will never be erased. This I know, and I promise to work very, very hard with my fellow trustees for the upliftment of our people,” she said.

Her words resonated because it is with the aim of restoring Native Hawaiian cultural traditions protected by law that the Hawaiian company, Aloha Mortuary, has worked hard over two legislative sessions to advance the legalization of alkaline hydrolysis, or water cremation. The beauty of this legislation is that it benefits everyone. It is gentle on the Earth, which we have abused way too much for way too long. As a cultural practitioner it touches my heart and soul that we are within reach of disposing of the bodies of our loved ones while retaining the ability to retrieve clean, sterile bones that can be treated with the respect of time-honored rituals.

I was happy to support Senate Bill 2828 because we have traveled this road for too long without success. The Hawaiian Civic Clubs initiated an effort to facilitate the burials of members of their ohana in a manner that is culturally appropriate in 2012 and in 2015, but the outcome was not what we hoped for.

In traditional times, the bodies of those who had passed, including the aliʻi, were set into an imu. Eventually, all the tissue was steamed from the long bones and secreted to a private place, and the water-based residue was returned to the sea. Hawaiians have not been able to engage in this practice for generations. But now, as SB 2828 moves closer to passage, we may once again be able to return our iwi kupuna to the ʻaina in a culturally appropriate way that is clean, sterile and safe.

Water cremation has many potential benefits for our state and those who are not Hawaiian because it has the ability to thoroughly sterilize bodily remains. Emerging from the horrors of the pandemic, we have to remember that health and safety threats are likely to continue because of global travel. Everyone should take comfort in knowing that all pathogens that might remain in a body after a serious disease are effectively destroyed.

The final products and by-products are sterile and safe for easy disposal. The water used in the chamber that dissolves the body can be used to enrich a memorial garden.

Isn’t that a truly beautiful way to honor our aina?

As Mililani Trask said, we have to do all we can to help our culture thrive. SB 2828 will help do just that. And more.

Hinaleimoana K.K. Wong-Kalu is a kumu hula, Hawaiian practitioner and a former long-serving chairperson for the Oahu Island Burial Council.