Kehena Beach
Kehena Beach is a narrow black sand beach located on the east shore of the island of Hawaii, in the Puna district. Spinner dolphins frequent the water; as a result, the beach has also been known as Dolphin Beach.[1]
Formation
The beach was formed in a 1955 lava flow.[2] There is a point of rocks on one end of the beach that marks where the flow ended.
History of the Sunday morning drum circle:
“Kehena” translates to “underworld” in Hawaiian. The beach was named at a time before the arrival of the sand in 1955 when there were far fewer in the area than there are today. It had long been used as a dumping ground since ancient times; until a group of people, largely comprised of people who had recently moved into the area, decided that they were going to take on the task of cleaning it up.
At first, between 30 and 50 people made it their “Kuleana” (responsibility, birthright) to take on this enormous task. Some of them worked on it nearly every day, but an increasing number of them committed themselves to showing up every sunday and hiked up and down the cliff carrying bag after bag to waiting volunteers with trucks to haul it to the dump 20 miles away to keaau. Not an easy task, as there was everything from old appliances and household rubbish to entire vehicles that had been rolled over the cliff into the massive pile of garbage that had accumulated over the years. During storms, water would take debris from the dumping ground into the ocean and it was strewn along the coast to the south. A few of the older people who were unable to endure the task of carrying garbage up and down the hill, but still wanted to help; got together and started to play drums at the top of the cliff for the rest of the group to give them a musical morale boost. It worked. Others brought food and drinks to distribute to the group.
Leaders are born
The movement grew from a handful of people to a genuine movement, ceremonious in nature. They would gather together to share their task earlier and earlier until a non-denominational sunrise prayer circle became the normal routine for the start of the day. Community leaders were identified by their peers. Lifelong connections were established. Romances bloomed. By the time they completely cleared away the debris, there were almost a hundred people who regularly participated in the ritualistic cleansing process. Today the tradition of the sunday drum circle is still alive, yet most of the people who attend it today don’t know how it began. Gabriel Silva, one of the original members of the group that began this tradition, told me (Bryan Arthur) this story. He passed away while swimming at this beach early in the morning in 2022, at 71. There’s a strong current that makes it very dangerous for people who have no experience with swimming in the ocean.
Nudity
Kehena Beach is listed on many websites and guide books as clothing-option.[3] Though nudity at the beach has been documented,[4] nude beaches are not legal in Hawaii[5] and officers have written citations for nudity at Kehena beach.[6]
References
- ^ "Kehena Beach: The Naked Truth". The Daily Flow. Retrieved 2015-10-23.
- ^ "Kehena Beach, Big Island". www.to-hawaii.com. Retrieved 2015-10-23.
- ^ "Hawaii State Legislature". www.capitol.hawaii.gov. Retrieved 2021-04-28.
- ^ "Jason Armstrong: Bongs And Bare Breasts Outnumber Cellphones At This Beach". Honolulu Civil Beat. 2017-10-13. Retrieved 2021-04-28.
- ^ "Chad Blair: Naked And Afraid In Hawaii". Honolulu Civil Beat. 2018-05-09. Retrieved 2021-04-28.
- ^ Brestovansky, Michael (2021-04-27). "Officers crack down at Kehena beach". Hawaii Tribune-Herald. Retrieved 2021-04-28.
19°23′42″N 154°55′45″W / 19.3949°N 154.9293°W
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