Posted on: Tuesday, February 15, 2005

At least 60 sets of bones tallied at Wal-Mart site

By Vicki Viotti
Advertiser Staff Writer

A contract archaeologist working on the inventory of human remains unearthed at the Wal-Mart Ke'eaumoku Street site has turned over to state officials what he now estimates to be the remains of at least 60 people buried there in the mid-1800s.

The remains, believed to be those of Hawaiians, previously had been numbered at about 44 to 50 people, but archaeologist Aki Sinoto said his studies indicated that the area represent-ed more burials.

On Saturday, Sinoto gave Wal-Mart officials the keys to a trailer where he and his crew had been working on the inventory of remains. Officials of the State Historic Preservation Division enforced a final stop-work deadline Friday, one week before the bones are scheduled to be reburied.

The fate of the remains has been a controversy for the past two years, a conflict that has intensified because of disagreement among families about how to proceed with reburial. Some have favored reburial as soon as possible, while others have wanted the mingled bones to be fully sorted into separate burials.

Paulette Kaleikini, one of those favoring reburial Friday, said yesterday she was pleased by how the effort is proceeding.

But Regina Keana'aina Rash, a member of a family officially recognized as direct descendants of some buried individuals, yesterday said she is afraid "they will be reburied before they are ready."

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