Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 6, Number 1, 1 January 1989 — The Desecration at Kapalua [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

The Desecration at Kapalua

By Moanikeala Akaka, Trustee, Hawai'i

As the events about our Hawaiian remains at Kapalua unfold, I am distressed and burdened as a Hawaiian and a Trustee for the Office of Hawaiian Affairs to allow the desecration of this resting plaee of our kupuna by archaeologist Rosendahl and Maui Land

and Pineapple Co. From the beginning of OHA's involvement and our initial visit in the summer of 1987 to this sacred site, I voiced my eoneem to archaeologists, fellow Trustees, OHA staff, and developers that our ancestors' remains be left where they were (except for those already exposed) and that the hotel lobby be moved elsewhere! OHA staff related that developer Cameron already had permits, henee there was no way the development could be stopped, with or without the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) that OHA Trustees signed along with Hui Alanui O Makena. As Trustee, I had felt that I could only go as far as the community was willing to push. Numerous times I asked Hui leadership if they were satisfied

with the MOA, for I personally was not. Aumakua has moved Hawaiians islandwide who have shown their righteous indignation at this sacrilege — whieh is exactly what it is. Now is the time for Hawaiians to defend the sanctity of our kupuna and for OHA to reevaluate our decision on the Kapalua MOA. I have already informed staff that 1 immediately want my name removed from that MOA and encourage my fellow Trustees to unanimously do the same. From the beginning, I have voiced displeasure about these MOA's. I felt OHA was being used by staff, developers, and archaeologists to rubberstamp proposed developments, including H-3. It is time we Trustees reevaluate our position on MOA's and decide whether we should discontinue this practice. To date at Kapalua, a thousand and more of our kupuna remains have been removed; it is gross insensitivity to continue to disturb our ancestors' resting plaee. They should be put back as they were found. The MOA calls for other of the developers' 'aina and dollars to rebury our bones. No sums of developers' cash nor kapa and lauhala baskets should allow us to lose sight of what is right and proper concerning our responsibilities in dealing with our ancestors' remains. We must not allow the continued desecration of our heritage for yet another resort complex. "Uwe," our kupuna wail. E kala mai ia'u, kupuna. Ua mau ke ea o ka 'aina i ka pono.