Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 21, Number 4, 1 April 2004 — Museum president disrespectful of sacred burials [ARTICLE]

Museum president disrespectful of sacred burials

My son asked us recently, "Mommy, where do we go when we are dead? His father replied, "We end up at the Bishop Museum." This sentiment is reflective of the deep eoneem we have as Hawaiians that people in charge in the museum industry will never respect the burials of our people. The President and CEO of the Bishop Museum, Dr. Bill Brown, has consistently failed to be a responsible caretaker and has instead chosen to act inappropriately as a representative of the Bishop Museum. He has REFUSED to follow Federal NAGPRA law that was created as a small recognition of the sacredness of native peoples' burials. The most recent case involved the retum of funerary remains to Moloka'i that he

was ordered to return to their proper resting plaee. Dr. Brown is also trying to remove funerary remains that have been safely, rightfully, and respectfully buried for four years now and have them returned to a box, on a shelf, in a closet at the Bishop Museum. Enough is enough! The Board of Directors of the Bishop Museum should be held accountable for the unprofessional actions of their employee, who will surely disgrace their reputations also. Mehanaokalā Flind Pālolo

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