Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 5, Number 6, 1 June 1988 — Continuing to Preserve Historic Sites [ARTICLE]

Continuing to Preserve Historic Sites

OHA Board Okays 3 More Memoranda of Agreement

burial at a safe lpeahon inland from Kahuku Point. Also approved by the Board was an MOA with the Grand Hyatt Hotel development at Wailea, Maui. Two platform graves and about 30 previouslyunknown burials were disturbed by construction. As addressed in this MOA, all of the remains are to be reburied on-site in a traditional Hawaiian garden setting — with naupaka, green ti and kukui trees. Located in the mauka corner of the hotel property, the two platforms will be reconstructed with the original stones, and an earth mound will mark the resting plaee of the others. Most encompassing of the new agreements is one concluded with the Haggai Institute for the interpretation and management of 14 historic sites within the permit area of a proposed educational facility at Mauna Lahilahi in Wai'anae. Unlike any other agreement reached by OHA, the terms of the Mauna Lahilahi MOA have been written before Haggai receives the permits necessary for construction. Thus, the agreement is contingent on the City Council approving land use and shoreline management area permits. This approach is different from past agreements whieh were required within the permits themselves. The agreement, then, only takes effect if the project is approved. Among directives included in the Lahilahi agreement are:

By Linda Kawai'ono Delaney Land Officer Continuing the Office of Hawaiian Affairs' drive to assert traditional Native Hawaiian values and the preservation of historic sites, the Board of Trustees last month approved three more "Memoranda of Agreement" (MOA) mandating culturallysensitive treatment of native burials and resources. The Kuilima Expansion Agreement was initiated by the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers in response to the required "Section 106 Process" of the National Historic Preservation law. Since federal money is involved with the Kahuku project, "Section 106" triggers preparation of a formal mitigation plan and consultation with affected parties. Three historic sites are involved with the project. Unfortunately, no trace of these sites ean be seen from the surface of the ground. Thus, these sites are considered "significant for informational value," and a detailed data recovery plan has been designed to leam more about early Hawaiian settlement and use of this area. Also involved are the known sand dune burials at Kahuku Point. Wave and wind erosion are exposing these traditional graves. Without respectful disintemment and reburial, ancestral remains will be desecrated. In response, the MOA calls for the removal of these bones and their re-

(1) The creation of an archaeological and cultural resource management committee with members from OHA, the Wai'anae community, the State Office of Historic Preservation and the Institute. (2) The hiring of a kupuna authority to help advise the committee and to monitor construction activity. (3) The explicit protection of 14 sites ranging from petrogyphs to walled enclosures. (4) Sensitive treatment of any now unknown graves whieh may be discovered during construction. (5) A commitment of $200,000 from the Institute for the implementation of the cultural resources plan. The Board approval of these three new agreements now brings to seven the number of MOA executed by OHA, including the protection of Luluku in Windward O'ahu and Hulopo'e-Manele Bay sites on Lana'i.