Posted on: Tuesday, June 29, 2004

Burial official's duties revised

By Vicki Viotti
Advertiser Staff Writer

A reshuffling of assignments within the state office that deals with ancient Hawaiian burials has some within the Hawaiian community worried that protection of graves may fall short as the pace of development picks up.

The Lingle administration cut two positions in the state Department of Land and Natural Resources this month, citing budgetary constraints, said department spokeswoman Debbie Ward.

But the department petitioned for reconsideration, Ward added, and last week the positions were restored on the condition that the jobs be redefined to cover the department's immediate needs.

One post was that of an archaeologist, but the one that caused the biggest uproar was the post held by Kai Markell, coordinator of the state burial sites program, whose duties are being revised.

Markell has declined comment on the issue, but attorney Moses Haia of the Native Hawaiian Legal Corp. said he has been meeting with DLNR officials to press for the restoration of the position as originally described.

Ward said Markell's redefined duties have not been settled but that they "most likely" would still involve burials.

However, Haia said officials have suggested in preliminary meetings that decisions on whether a burial site should be relocated or preserved — decisions generally made by Markell — would be handled by someone else, and that Markell would be responsible for the reburial of remains.

"We have a real concern with the attempt to limit his duties," Haia said.

The upheaval has sparked concern from groups such as the Protect Keopuka 'Ohana, a group of people descended from generations of Kona residents. In a written statement, group vice president Jack Kelly said that the burial sites program would be "crippled" without a coordinator.

And last week, a group of descendants called Koa Mana that has been pushing for protection of burials on the Wai'anae Coast issued a similar statement.

A petition drawn up by the group before Markell's employment was extended called the state officials' action "additional evidence of their continued racist practices to desecrate and remove known native Hawaiian burials."

Paulette Kaleikini, one of the plaintiffs challenging the treatment of burials at the site of the Wal-Mart development, said the reorganization of the burials program concerns her because she fears not enough attention will be paid to grave sites.

In response, Ward said DLNR "greatly values its ongoing working relationships with the Native Hawaiian community. In particular, we value the support and involvement of the island Burial Councils in the process of reviewing and determining the treatment of burials."

Reach Vicki Viotti at vviotti@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8053.