Return Voyage

Iokepa and Inette visited KBOO radio on both "Mitakuye Oyasin" and then the following day on the new program "Indian Country."

Some years 12 or 13 years ago, Iokepa, a successful business man in the Seattle area, was told by his grandmothers it was time to go home. He had a multi-million dollar contracting business in Seattle. He gave it all away, including his over 1.6 million in the bank in less that a week, then returned home to Hawaii where he lived on the beach for 10 years listening. Inette, his wife, joined him shortly thereafter (they met after his decision to do this). They have had quite the interesting adventure living on the beach and helping the Hawaiian people especially after hours when the poor and homeless hit the beaches. They have had to work with domestic violence, drug abuse, day to day violence, etc., in helping the people. Read more at the Return Voyage website.

I have seen many guru types and have seen so many of those self-help people who suck money out of yuppies for a few drops of wisdom. Wanna know how much Iokepa and Inette charge for one of their Return Voyage lectures? $0. It won't cost you an affordable $300-$9000 to be saved. There message isn't even designed to save you. It seems just a message that there is another way of life. Something else to strive for other than alleged civilization.

I don't see Iokepa and Inette as gurus. I see them as human beings who are motivated to share a message with the world. They start their journey on faith, take the journey on faith, and return home on faith. They don't have money, yet they are always supplied for.

This will be the third and last journey through the U.S.

Iokepa told two fellas fighting on the beach, "Is this the way your ancestors would want you to live?" I ask myself that question everyday, now. Is this the way my ancestors, my wife, my family, my people, my community and communities want me to live?