KUALOA — Frustrated members of the O'ahu Island Burial Council yesterday said they want quicker action on the reburial of at least some of the iwi kupuna, or human remains, dug up during construction of the Wal-Mart/Sam's Club complex on Ke'eaumoku Street.

They also want more communication between the State Historic Preservation Division, which is tasked with oversight of burial finds, and the recognized descendants of the remains.

Commission member Linda Kaleo Paik said after its monthly meeting that reburial should be a priority.

"This council strongly believes that what happened with Wal-Mart is a travesty," Paik said. "We need to have closure. Having kupuna in boxes underneath the (store's parking) ramp is not the ideal situation in any religion, any human sentiment."

The 62 sets of remains have been in temporary storage in a remote site of the complex since 2005, pending the outcome of a quasi-judicial proceeding looking into charges that archaeologists working on the site tampered with the iwi. The State Historic Preservation Division recommended that the Board of Land and Natural Resources fine the two archaeological firms and their employees $210,000 as a result of their actions on the construction site.

The contested-case hearing, which will give the various sides involved in the dispute more of a forum to present their arguments, is scheduled to begin on June 17.

The commission yesterday voted to urge the SHPD to seek the immediate release of the estimated 40 to 42 sets of remains that are not being used in the contested-case hearing as evidence of tampering.

It also urged the SHPD to keep recognized descendants appraised regularly of what is happening with the iwi.

The commission also agreed to, at its meeting next month, reassess the burial plan for all the remains to address concerns raised by cultural descendants that the size of the reburial vault is too small to be culturally appropriate for all the remains.

Edward Halealoha Ayau, one of the recognized descendants, and Moses Haia, who represents another recognized descendant, said they were pleased with the council's recommendations.

"Our No. 1 concern is not the enforcement action (against the archaeologists), it's when the kupuna are going to be reburied," Ayau told council members. "We want to know when the kupuna are going to be available to be put back."

SHPD administrator Melanie Chinen did not attend yesterday's burial council meeting.

Also yesterday, burial council members were formally told that an additional 11 sets of remains were found at the construction site of a retail and residential complex at Ward Centers.

Details given to burial council members by SHPD staff were sketchy.

Dwight Yoshimura, senior vice president of developer/landowner General Growth Properties, later told The Advertiser that the 11 newly discovered sets were found while workers were moving 10 previously identified sets of iwi into a secured, air-conditioned trailer on the property for temporary keeping.

After General Growth informed SHPD officials about the find, the developer was given approval to store them at the trailer with the other remains, Yoshimura said.

The latest finds are not causing further delays for the Ward Village Shops, a project that includes a Whole Foods Market, a 17-story rental apartment building, assorted retail shops and a parking garage at the diamondhead end of Auahi Street in Kaka'ako, he said.

The grocer is expected to open next year.

Council member Kehau Abad said she's worried that the additional finds signal that there may be many more burials on the five-acre site.

Adam Johnson, SHPD assistant O'ahu archaeologist, told council members "there could be more."

Reach Gordon Y.K. Pang at gpang@honoluluadvertiser.com.