KAPU sacred hawaiian burials
KAPU: Sacred Hawaiian Burials is a deeply personal memoir by Emmy Award-winning Native Hawaiian filmmaker, author, and cultural advocate Keoni Kealoha Alvarez. The book chronicles Keoni’s journey to understand and protect the sacred burial traditions of his Hawaiian ancestors. Beginning with his childhood connection to an ancient Hawaiian burial cave in Puna on Hawaiʻi Island, Keoni shares how that experience developed into a lifelong kuleana to honor iwi kūpuna, protect ancestral resting places, and learn from Hawaiian elders and cultural practitioners who entrusted him with knowledge about traditional burial customs, beliefs, and responsibilities.
Through decades of research, filmmaking, cultural advocacy, and personal experiences, Keoni reveals the continuing threats Hawaiian burial sites face from development, construction, and desecration. KAPU is more than a memoir—it is a call to respect the ancestors, protect sacred places, and ensure that traditional Hawaiian knowledge is passed to future generations. Keoni’s story demonstrates that caring for iwi kūpuna is not a temporary responsibility, but a lifelong commitment to his ancestors, his culture, and the generations yet to come.
KAPU- hawaiian BURIAL METHODS
In KAPU: Hawaiian Burial Methods, Keoni Kealoha Alvarez explores the traditional burial practices, customs, and spiritual beliefs of Native Hawaiians and the deep respect given to the deceased and their iwi kūpuna (ancestral bones). Drawing from years of research, cultural knowledge, and teachings shared by Hawaiian kūpuna and cultural practitioners, Alvarez examines different methods of preparing, protecting, concealing, and caring for the remains of the deceased. The book highlights the sacred relationship between Hawaiian people, their ancestors, and the ʻāina, while explaining why burial places were traditionally treated with great secrecy, reverence, and respect.
Through historical accounts, cultural teachings, and his own experiences, Alvarez emphasizes that Hawaiian burial traditions are more than practices of the past—they represent an important cultural responsibility that continues today. KAPU: Hawaiian Burial Methods seeks to preserve knowledge that has become increasingly difficult to access while educating future generations about the importance of respecting burial traditions and protecting ancestral resting places from disturbance and desecration. The book carries a central message: to understand Hawaiian burials is to understand the enduring relationship between the living, the ancestors, and the land.
KAPU- COFFEE TABLE BOOK
KAPU: Sacred Hawaiian Burials by Keoni Kealoha Alvarez is a beautifully presented coffee table book featuring colorful illustrations and photographs that offer readers a visual introduction to traditional Hawaiian burial practices, sacred places, and the cultural importance of honoring iwi kūpuna (ancestral remains). Through powerful imagery and educational content, the book shares the deep connection between Native Hawaiians, their ancestors, the ʻāina, and the traditions surrounding the care and protection of Hawaiian burial places.
Designed to inspire learning, reflection, and meaningful conversation, KAPU: Sacred Hawaiian Burials is an ideal addition to a home coffee table, professional office, waiting area, school, cultural center, or library. More than a visual collection, the book encourages readers of all backgrounds to better understand the sacredness of Hawaiian burials and the responsibility to respect and preserve these traditions for future generations.
THE BOY AND HIS
HAWAIIAN CAVE
Alvarez, is a beautifully illustrated children’s book that introduces young readers to the importance of respecting and protecting Native Hawaiian burial places. Through the eyes of a young Hawaiian boy who discovers a sacred burial cave, children learn about iwi kūpuna (ancestral remains), Hawaiian culture, mālama ʻāina (caring for the land), and the responsibility of honoring the ancestors who came before us.
Filled with colorful illustrations and an important cultural message, the story helps children understand that Hawaiian burial caves and ancestral resting places are sacred and should never be disturbed. Written in an engaging and educational way for young readers and families, The Boy and His Hawaiian Burial Cave encourages the next generation to respect Hawaiian traditions, protect sacred places, and carry forward the values of aloha, kuleana, and respect for the kūpuna.
