2000 Seacology Prize Recipients Announced
Seacology is pleased to announce that Doris Matsuda-Saromines and her brother Edwin "Take" Matsuda of Hana, Maui, Hawaii will receive the 2000 Seacology Prize for their commitment and sacrifice associated with the restoration of the Pi'ilanihale heiau in Hana.
The Seacology Prize is awarded annually to an outstanding indigenous island conservationist. The Matsudas will receive the award at a ceremony to take place at the National Tropical Botanical Garden on December 1, 2000 and will share a $5,000 cash prize.
The Matsuda family is the inherited owner of the land that encompasses Pi'ilanihale, Hawaii's largest heiau (a man-made, elevated platform associated with ritual activity in the Pacific Islands). These large temples were dedicated to Ku, the god who increased the mana (spiritual power) of the Hawaiian people. While the ancient history of Pi'ilanihale remains clouded in mystery, its size, architecture and location make it clear that it was at one time one of Hawaii's most sacred and important cultural sites. Archeological research suggests that construction of the heiau began around 1200 AD, a time of radical social and religious change in Hawaiian culture.
To create the Pi'ilanihale Heaiu, the ancient builders modified a rough lava flow to give the impression of a massive architectural construction. Its overall dimensions are 174 by 89 meters, with walls up to 14.3 meters in height. The heiau is an extraordinary example of ancient Hawaiian drywall masonry and is internationally renowned.
In the 1960s, a local rancher, claiming partial ownership of the property on which the heiau is located, successfully applied to have Pi'ilanihale designated as a National Historic Landmark. Under the leadership of Mileka Kahanu (mother of Doris and Take), the family formed a nonprofit called HoÕolina Kahunu Hui to oversee the changes that were about to take place. The 60-acre site was dedicated as an NHL in 1970, and the heiau was cleared and mapped by an archaeologist. In 1972, the National Tropical Botanical Garden was granted the land for the creation of the Kahanu Garden, to insure that the heiau would be properly cared for in perpetuity.
By granting their nine-acre parcel, the Matsuda family sacrificed large sums of money that would have resulted from the land's sale to developers along this spectacular coastline. In 1992, Doris Matsuda-Saromines returned to Hana after many years working and raising a family in Honolulu. Doris worked diligently to insure that the NTBG fulfill their promise to complete the restoration of the heiau. In April 1999, the NTBG and HoÕolina Kahunu Hui celebrated the completion of the Pi'ilanihale Heiau Restoration Project, the crown jewel of the Kahanu Garden of Maui.
