LIHU‘E — When nearly 80 Native Hawaiians met in Po‘ipu late last year, their focus was singular: protect the iwi. There were no impassioned pleas for sovereignty, no debate over the merits of the controversial Akaka bill proposing to establish
LIHU‘E — When nearly 80 Native Hawaiians met in Po‘ipu late last year, their focus was singular: protect the iwi.
There were no impassioned pleas for sovereignty, no debate over the merits of the controversial Akaka bill proposing to establish a Native Hawaiian governing entity, no arguing at all, recalled Donald Cataluna of Koloa, the state Office of Hawaiian Affairs trustee representing Kaua‘i and Ni‘ihau.
Participants were concentrating on “one thing: protect the iwi,” or bones of Native Hawaiians buried in grave sites known and unknown across the state.
From that post-election gathering at the Grand Hyatt Kaua‘i Resort and Spa came proposed legislation to consider all burial sites as cemeteries, with protections against building on them.
Also discussed were changes to the way the state Department of Land and Natural Resources State Historical Preservation Division approves of projects proposed over burial sites before said projects reach county planning approval processes, Cataluna said.
Both bills died in committee during the state legislative session completed earlier this year, he said after an OHA board meeting at the Queen Lili‘uokalani Children’s Center here Thursday.
“I’m going to bring it up again,” Cataluna said of the legislation.
Cataluna wanted members of the various island burial councils to participate in November’s gathering, but received a negative response from state officials, he said. The various island burial councils make recommendations about disposition of Native Hawaiian burials discovered on parcels of land large and small.
OHA helped put the conference together, with funds for some air and ground transportation and meals for participants, said Cataluna.
Instead of zeroing in on the controversial Ha‘ena lot owned by Joseph Brescia, Cataluna said he prefers to consider all Hawaiian burial sites for the proposed legislation.
• Paul C. Curtis, staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 224) or pcurtis@kauaipubco.com
