Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 7, Number 2, 1 February 1990 — Interim report details plans [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Interim report details plans

Task force continues preservation efforts

By Ann L. Moore The struggle to preserve from desecration and destruction the sites that have value to the Hawaiian people is more than a poliheal battle or a question of jurisdiction. It is thefight to save the Hawaiian people from extinction and to return to them the authorify to define their culture, their history and themselves. Those statements are expressed by members of the Native Hawaiian Historic Preservation Task Force in their interim report presented to the 1990 legislature. The task force's first year was spent becoming familiar with the present laws and the people involved in enforcement and in beginning talks with state and county officials involved in both planning/development and historic preservation. In 1990, according to its report, the task force wants to tackle: • a more complete identification of Hawaiian historic sites, • the drafting of preservation laws in eaeh county, • the establishment of a cadre of kupuna on eaeh island who are knowledgable about Hawaiian tradition and who could be consulted when questions arose about a specific plaee, • the establishment of procedures for the curatorship and management of historic properties, • an expansion of the task force's outreach program to community groups. The task force report says the members hope to

present their final report next year with a record of accomplishments along the lines noted above, and also present a plan of action that will make preser-

vation of native Hawaiian cultural and historic sites an achievable and realistic goal. Continued on page 15

The "sacred glow" of Makalawena's waters are now a part of a national wildlife preserve to protect endangered native birds. This area was traditionally associated with rites of puri-

r . VjU*W»e«l* fication demanded in the training of young chiefs including Kamehameha, who was tutored for greatness at these North Kona, Hawai'i grounds.

Task force from page 1

In 1989 the task force met with the Historic Sites Section of the state Department of Land and Natural Resources, the officials in all the counties, and consulted native Hawaiian kupuna (elders) about how best to preserve the state's unique Hawaiian cultural assets. Accomplishments reported include revisions in the rules developed by the historic sites section following conferences with the Historic Sites Division of the state Department of Land and Natural Resources. The revised rules include consultation with OHA whenever development is proposed on lands whieh might contain archaeological or eultural resources important to Hawaiians. (These resources include, but are not limited to, burial grounds, heiau, makahiki areas, kahuna training grounds, stands of sacred trees and plants, battlegrounds, stones, remnants of habitations, villages or boundary markers.) In its report the task force praises the state DLNR for its willingness to iisten to OHA eoneeming preservation of Hawaiian assets and OHA's recommendations before DLNR makes historic preservation decisions. The state DLNR drafted rules recognizing OHA as an interested party whenever plans are devel-

oped whieh might affect significant Hawaiian sites. Further, they paid attention to the task force when it pointed out there are intangible cultural assets at stake. (i.e. the kukui grove at Pu'u Anoano on Moloka'i.) In its report the task force says that until OHA obtains the legal right to always be a party in the review process, the responsibility to protect Hawaiian history, culture and tradition will rest with an agency that is foreign (non-Hawaiian.) The way was paved for establishment of the Native Hawaiian Historic Preservation Task Force when the state legislature recognized its obligation to prdtect Hawaiian historic sites and passed HCR 136 last year. The resolution also recognized the past work done by the Office of Hawaiian Affairs and charged OHA with setting up the task force and providing it with staff support through its land and natural resources division. The task force members are: Lydia Namahana Mai'oho, chair, the Rev. Leon Sterling, vice-chair, Clarence F.T. Ching, June Cleghorn, Ben Finney, Mahealani Ing, Pualani Kananele, Moses K. Keale Sr., Lani Ma'a, Susan Miller, Rudy Mitchell, Eleanor Williamson, Elisa Yadao and Tom Yagi.