Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 26, Number 8, 1 ʻAukake 2009 — Hāʻena burial plan hits snag [ARTICLE]

Hāʻena burial plan hits snag

A ruling on the burial treatment plan for Joseph Brescia's Hā'ena property is in hmbo, after the Kaua'iNi'ihau Island Burial Council could not legally convene at a scheduled July 2 meeting due to eouneil vacancies. The eouneil is down to six members after two members' terms expired June 30. State law requires the public board to have at least nine members in order to reach a quorum. The eouneil, whieh is administratively attached to the state Department of Land and Natural Resources Historic Preservation Division, is accepting applications for the vacant seats. Information on the application process is available at the SHPD web site at hawaii.gov/dlnr/ hpd or by calling SHPD at 6928015. Meanwhile, at its last meeting in June, the eouneil deferred action on Brescia's 1 1 th burial treatment plan, whieh drew heated opposition from Native Hawaiians who say that the property owner's plan to eonstruct a home on land where at least 30 sets of iwi have been unearthed amounts to an illegal desecration of ancestral remains. In a document filed with the Native Hawaiian Legal Corp„ Kai Markell, OHA Director of Native Rights, Land and Culture, described the significance of ancestral iwi to Hawaiian descendants as "the obligation to ensure that iwi remain undisturbed and protected" as well as properly respected and cared for as an "integral eonneetion to the ancestors and ancestral guidance." Markell also wrote that

ongoing Brescia construction activities are causing continued harm to the buried remains, and now face the possibility of seepage of sewage from a leeeh field. Markell and other Native Hawaiian advocates registered similar criticisms in response to the previous 10 burial plans from Brescia but say their concerns have yet to be addressed. They are asking that the court intervene and stop the construction. Burial councils in eaeh island-county address concerns related to the disposition of ancient Hawaiian remains.

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