Reburial of bones delayed again
By Vicki Viotti
Advertiser Staff Writer
The on-again, off-again reburial of human remains on the Wal-Mart property is off again.
Advertiser library photo
Melanie Chinen, the administrator of the State Historic Preservation Division, yesterday said the planned reinterment on Friday of an estimated 61 sets of remains unearthed during construction of the Wal-Mart complex on Ke'eaumoku Street has been postponed.
The dispute over how to treat the remains unearthed at the Ke'eaumoku Street Wal-Mart construction site remains unresolved.
The state could not take over control of the on-site trailer where the bones are stored, Chinen said, because the archaeologist hired to work on them did not submit a final written inventory of the remains.
"This information is needed to document what (the state) will be receiving," she said.
Aki Sinoto, the archaeologist hired by Wal-Mart for the project, declined comment yesterday.
Chinen has stood at the center of a dispute between families recognized as descendants of Hawaiians who lived in the area. Families have argued over how the remains should be treated, and in recent months state officials have sided with those pressing for an early reburial date.
The Keana'aina family, officially recognized as the direct descendants of ancestors linked to four of the burial spots on the property, has argued that Sinoto should be given more time to finish separating the bones, many of which had become mixed in a previous disturbance of earth in the area.
Chinen yesterday said she had invited Sinoto and his team to request more work time, requests that would have been considered on a case-by-case basis.
"Rather, they have given us a blanket statement of inability to meet deadlines," she said.
The delay has left Miles Takaki, one Keana'aina family member, hopeful for an opportunity to settle the dispute.
"I would like to take this time for the family to confer and consult with the state," he said.
Reach Vicki Viotti at vviotti@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8053.
