Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 8, Number 12, 1 December 1991 — Preservation Council nominations open [ARTICLE]

Preservation Council nominations open

Anyone who wishes to apply for the Native Hawaiian Historic Preservation Council positions should contact the Office of Hawaiian Affairs at 586-3777 for an application form. Forms must be completed and received by Trustee Moses Keale no later than Dec. 15, 1991. It is not necessary to be of Native Hawaiian ancestry to be nominated to the advisory eouneil. The Native Hawaiian Historic Preservation Council was originally established as a task force by the OHA Board of Trustees in January 1989 "to review and recommend statutory amendments whieh would address known weaknesses in federal and state laws and county ordinances affecting historic preservation."

That same year, the legislature passed and the BOT delegated the task of studying, ways to better respond to discovery of important historic sites in Hawai'i. Two reports were submitted by the Task Force. As outlined" in the scope of duties approved by the full Board on July 26, 1991, the Council is also now responsible for administering the repatriation fund and an appropriation for the construction of a special repository to receive the two ka'ai now cared for at Bishop Museum. The task force has also taken responsibilities to assure safe return of Native Hawaiian remains at federallyfunded institutions. For example, this summer and in 1989 task force members were involved in the retum to Hawai'i and reinterment of Hawaiian skeletal remains whieh had been in the care of the Smithsonian Institution for over 100 years.