Posted on: Thursday, June 28, 2001

Coalition working out reburial of remains

By Kapono Dowson
Advertiser Staff Writer

State officials have been meeting with archaeologists and community members this week to discuss proper procedures for reburying the skeletal remains of six Native Hawaiians found during the past 14 months at the construction site of the Windward Water Line Project.

The State Department of Land and Natural Resources Department gathered Kahana and Punalu'u community members, archaeologists, City and County Board of Water Supply representatives and construction contractors at Ahi's Restaurant on Tuesday to discuss the remains found between Kualoa and Punalu'u.

"We want all the families within the moku (district), as well as those who have cultural or lineal ties to the area to be a part of the process," said restaurant owner Ahi Logan, state cultural monitor and kupuna for the Kualoa-Punalu'u area. "Being a part of it means finding a location to reinter the iwi (bones)."

Archaeologist David Shideler of Cultural Survey Hawai'i Inc., said the group of about 20 people met in a "spirit of harmony."

Shideler, who was on-site archaeologist at the find location, said the remains had been in this spot for at least 50 years and appear to be those of ancestors of Native Hawaiians living in the area. He also said the remains may have been from the pre-contact period, or before 1778.

Also at the meeting were three representatives from the Board of Water Supply's independent contractor for the project, RCI Environmental Co. Rusty Rhoads, project site manager for RCI, said the company tries to be sensitive to community concerns. "Cultural heritage is very important to us," Rhoads said. "We're committed to having a positive relationship with the community."

Ululani Beirne, active with Friends of Kahana and the Kahana Community Association, said she's concerned about where the remains will be reburied. She said she believes the bones may have belonged to her ancestors.

Beirne also said a possible water line break might endanger other remains in the project area, but praised the efforts of RCI in working with the community.

Kai Markell, the director of the state Burial Sites Program who called the meeting, said, "It was time to reassess the water line project and its potential impact to important burial sites."

According to Markell, the burial sites program handles "the inadvertent discovery procedure" mandated by state law when possible ancient bones are discovered. Should remains be found, the police and the Department of Land and Natural Resources are informed.

A qualified archaeologist checks to see if the remains have been interred 50 years or longer. If they are, the burial sites program becomes responsible for them. Burial sites program workers then try to contact the families who have cultural and lineal ties to the remains, as well as families within the community where the remains were found.

"People think it's just about a lot of rules and regulations. But it's just about people taking care of people," Markell said.

More families will be contacted and another community meeting scheduled to discuss the location of reinterment and the type of ceremony to be held.

Meanwhile, the remains are being kept by Logan, who traces his ancestors to being in the Kualoa area for more than 2,000 years.

"I'm the keeper of the iwi (remains) for the moku (district)," he said, adding that he will keep them in a safe and reverential place until the community makes its decision.

Indicating that the location is not to be disclosed, Logan raised his index finger to his lips and whispered, "It's huna. (hidden)."