Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 23, Number 2, 1 February 2006 — Page 18 Advertisements Column 1 [ADVERTISEMENT]

DECLARATION CALLING FOR THE PROTECTION 0F THE IWI KUPUNA (ANCESTRAL REMAINS) AND MOEPŪ (FUNERARY OBJECTS) OF THE HONOKOA, KAWAIHAE BURIAL CAVES WE BELIEVE IN MAINTAINING THE SANCTITY OF THE KAWAIHAE BURIAL CAVES. The ceremonial burial of iwi kupuna (ancestral Native Hawaiian remains) and moepū (funerary objects) involves great secrecy in order to protect the burial site and ensure the peaee and sanctity of ancestors who have passed away, as well as the spiritual, physieal, and psychological well-being of their descendants. The desecration of burials (such as the exposure or destruction of bones, robbing funerary objects, or otherwise disturbing the site) results in great cultural and religious harm to both the ancestors and to the descendants, as well as spiritual exile in the afterlife for people implicated in the re-desecration. WE SUPPORT EFFORTS TO REPATRIATE ANCESTRAL REMAINS AND FUNERARY OBJECTS TO THEIR RIGHTFUL RESTING PLACE THROUGH THE NAGPRA PROCESS. The 1990 Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) sought to repair hann done to Native Americans, Alaskan Natives, and Native Hawaiians whose gravesites were desecrated by the United States. The NAGPRA process has resulted in the repatriation (return to Native soil) of over 3,500 iwi kūpuna and moepū from numerous federally funded institutions such as the Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum (BPBM). WE AFFIRM THAT THE KAWAIHAE BURIAL CAVES REPATRIATION IS COMPLETE. In February 2000, Hui Mālama reburied numerous sets of iwi kūpuna and 83 moepū in the Kawaihae caves they eame from, an action that was in line with the official positions taken by the three other claimants at the time (Hawai'i Island Burial Council, Office of Hawaiian Affairs, and Department of Hawaiian Home Lands). After reburial occurred, nine additional claimants (not including Nā Lei Ali'i o Kawānanakoa) stepped forward, and in 2001 the NAGPRA process was completed with all 13 claimant organizations agreeing to disagree in a "Document of Truth and Agreemenf ' (signed by L. Suganuma). WE CALL FOR JUDGE DAVID EZRA TO: 1) HALT ALL EFFORTS TO RETRIEVE THE MOEPŪ THUS UNDOING THE NAGPRA PROCESS AND 2) VACATE ALL ORDERS OF IMPRISONMENT, INCLUDING CONFINEMENT, OF EDWARD HALEALOHA AYAU. December 27, 2005, Iudge David Ezra held Hui Mālama s executive director (Edward Halealoha Ayau), Kumu (Pua Kanahele) and board members (Charles Maxwell, William Aila, and Antoinette Freitas) in contempt of court for refusing to reveal the exact loeahon of the moepū from Kawaihae, an act that would force Hui Mālama to violate its cultural and religious beliefs and go against the request of the majority of claimants in the Kawaihae case to leave the iwi kupuna and moepū undisturbed. Judge Ezra's action is a result of a larger effort by L. Suganuma (Royal Hawaiian Academy of Traditional Arts), A. Kawānanakoa (Nā Lei Ali'i o Kawānanakoa), and W. Brown (BPBM) to re-enter the burial caves, retrieve the moepū, and re-start the NAGPRA process that has already been declared complete. If this course of action sees through, all past, present, and future efforts to repatriate and rebury iwi kupuna and moepū through the NAGPRA process will be in jeopardy. The imprisonment of Edward Halealoha Ayau also represents a new threat to all Hawaiians who wish to uphold their religious and cultural beliefs without persecution. These precedents will impact Native Americans and Alaskan Natives who similarly struggle to maintain and protect the sanctity of their burial sites and ancestors through the NAGPRA process.

The organizations, families, and individuals listed below affirm this declaration:

LIST OF ORGANIZATIONS 'llio'ulaokalani Coalition Native Hawaiian Advisory Council PA'I Foundation Kānāwao Nā Maka Hāloa Lālākea Foundation Nā Wai 'Awa'awa He 'Ohe Hale Noa Mana Maoli Aloha Friday Productions NATV Pictures, LLC Nā ' Api'iali'i Holoholo Queens, Hawai'i Ke Kahua Pa'a NOA (Not of Amenkkka) Paia'a'ala Productions Kauahea, lnc 'Āpono 'la, LLC. Edith Kanaka'ole Foundation Nā Lei Na'auao Nā Pualei o Likolehua Hālau Ke'alaokamaile Pua Ali'i 'llima Hālau Nā Mamo O Pu'uanahulu Hālau o ke 'A'ali'i Kū Makani Ka Pā Hula O Kauanoe O Wa'ahila Hālau o Kawainuhi Hālau Palaihiwa O Kaipuwai Hālau Nā Lei Kaumaka O Uka Nā Maile Kū Honua Pā'ū O Hi'iaka-Wailuku, Maui Papa Laua'e O Makana, Kaua'i LIST OF FAMILIES Ahi'ena O Puna 'Ohana Puna, Hawai'i Ahi'ena-Kanahele 'Ohana Pana'ewa, Hawai'i Cabebe 'Ohana Hanapēpē, Kaua'i Chu 'Ohana

Honolulu, O'ahu Espere 'Ohana Wainiha, Kaua'i De Coito Ohana Kea'au, Hawai'i DeFries 'Ohana Kalāwahine Homestead, O'ahu Holi 'Ohana Hanapēpē, Kaua'i Hēkūlani Holt-Padilla'Ohana Kauahea, Maui Hinā 'Ohana Pālolo, O'ahu Hussey 'Ohana Kohala, Hawai'i Johns 'Ohana Pana'ewa, Hawai'i Ka'awaloa 'Ohana Puna, Hawai'i Ka'iana Haili 'Ohana Hilo, Hawai'i Ka'iliwai 'Ohana Kona Hawai'i Kalei 'Ohana Pana'ewa Hawai'i Kam 'Ohana Kaua'i, O'ahu, Hawai'i Kanaele-Kenao 'Ohana Kohala, Hawai'i Kanahele 'Ohana, Pana'ewa, Hawai'i Kaninau 'Ohana Wainiha, Kaua'i Keali'ikanakaoleohaililani 'Ohana Ka'ū Hawai'i Keaweamahi 'Ohana Kaua'i, O'ahu, Hawai'i Kekahuna 'Ohana O'ahu Kekua 'Ohana Anahola, Kaua'i Kelekolio 'Ohana Keaukaha, Hawai'i

Konanui 'Ohana Pāhoa, Hawai'i Kuoha 'Ohana Waimānalo, O'ahu Lindsey 'Ohana Kula, Maui Mahi 'Ohana Anahola, Kauai Mahi-Higa 'Ohana Anahola, Kaua'i Matsuyama 'Ohana Keaukaha, Hawai'i McGuire 'Ohana Kailua, O'ahu McKeague 'Ohana Honouliuli, O'ahu Nahale-a 'Ohana Pana'ewa Hawai'i Nakea 'Ohana O'ahu Nāleimaile 'Ohana Hilo, Hawai'i Nihipali 'Ohana O'ahu Osorio 'Ohana Pālolo, O'ahu Pā 'Ohana Kauai, O'ahu, Moloka'i Perry 'Ohana O'ahu Purdy 'Ohana Ho'olehua, Moloka'i Segismundo Ohana Kapahi, Kaua'i Stibbard 'Ohana Kahuku, O'ahu Tengan 'Ohana Mānoa O'ahu Thomas Higashi Jr. 'Ohana Waipahu, O'ahu Thomas Higashi Sr. 'Ohana Honolua, Honokēhau, Maui Tilton/ Degan 'Ohana

'Aiea, O'ahu ( Phoenix, AZ) Tsuha 'Ohana Kahakuloa, Maui Tyson Gomez 'Ohana Wainiha, Kaua'i Uehara-Tilton 'Ohana 'Aiea, O'ahu ( Phoenix,AZ) Waiau-Wright 'Ohana Kalapana, Hawai'i Williams 'Ohana Lahaina, Maui Young, Kanalu 'Ohana O'ahu, Maui, Kona Hawai'i Wright-Peralto 'Ohana Puna, Hawai'i (Antioch, CA) Wright-Yamaguchi 'Ohana Puna, Hawai'i (Oakley, CA) Wright-Betts 'Ohana Pāhoa, Hawai'i Wright-Ka'aihue 'Ohana Pāhoa, Hawai'i LISTOFINDIVIDUALS Ali'i Alapa'i A. Aikāne Alapa'i Ku'ulei Alfiche Ka'apuwai Alfiche Kahi Brooks Loui Cabebe Kēhau Cachola-Abad Kevin Chang Sonny Ching Shay Conant 'lhilani Chu Mālia Davidson Kamana'opono Davidson-Robinson Silva Decker Nālani Garmon Puamana Guyang Kapena Haumea Glenn Higa Sr. Kamaleionālani Higa Kia'ipono Higa Makamaeonālani Higa