Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 23, Number 1, 1 January 2006 — 0HA's role in the Forbes caves dispute [ARTICLE]

0HA's role in the Forbes caves dispute

Although OHA is one of the four original elaimants in the Forbes caves dispute, the full OHA Board of Trustees has never taken an official position on the issue, said OHA Administrator Clyde Nāmu'o. OHA has been involved with the dispute since 1994, when it first requested the repatriation of the human remains and artifacts to the Kawaihae caves. In 1999, OHA's then culture officer supported the transfer of the objects from Bishop Museum to the Kanahele family, whieh founded Hui Mālama. In March 2000, however, after hearing beneficiary eoncerns regarding the museum's loan and Hui Mālama's subsequent reburial of the items in the Kawaihae caves, OHA wrote to the director of the Nahonal Park Service, requesting an investigation into possible violations of federal burial law steimning from the repatriation. In June 2000, OHA's now defunct board Land Connnittee voted to support the recall of the loan, based on the recommendation of the agency's Hawaiian historic preservation advisory eouneil. However, when the full Board of Trustees considered the issue, it failed to adopt a position, with four trustees voting to support the recall and four voting against it. One trustee was absent. Nāmu'o said it was unclear whether the Land Connnittee's vote alone could detennine the agency's position. "At this point I think that our connnent is that whatever the court decides is the appropriate action, then all of the parties need to eomply with whatever directive the court issues," he said. Nāmu'o added that for now the board members will continue to monitor the developments in the dispute and consider taking an action on the issue when they feel it's appropriate. □