Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 6, Number 10, 1 October 1989 — Honokahua agreement signed [ARTICLE]

Honokahua agreement signed

By Ed Miehelman Public lnformation Officer A bitter year-long dispute whieh errupted after the remains of close to a thousand ancient Hawaiians were discovered at the site of a proposed luxury hotel on Maui, ended with handshakes, smiles and a formal signing ceremony Sept. 7. Work on the 450-room Ritz Carlton Hotel at Honokahua Bay was halted last yearafter massive public protest over building the hotel on a major Hawaiian burial ground.

Details of the formal agreement are given in a separate story in this newspaper, but the developers have agreed to move the hotel and work with OHA and community groups to insure the dignified reburial of the remains whieh were unearthed. The agreement was signed by OHA Chairman Thomas Kaulukukui Sr.; Richard Cameron for Kapalua Land Company, the hotel developer; Libert Landgraf for the State of Hawai'i, and Dana Dispute, eoniinue paae 16

Dispute /rom page 1 Hall representing the community group Hui Alanui O Makena. The signing ceremony took plaee in the Office of Maui Mayor Hannibal Tavares who helped facilitate the agreement. Mayor Tavares praised the parties involved for their willingness to "negotiate with a eool head" and hailed the agreement as a precedent whieh has "resulted in a document reflecting the sensitivity of the Hawaiian people and their feqlings eoncerning the remains of their ancestors." Chairman Kaulukukui expressed pleasure that "this long awaited project has eome to a satisfactory eomplehon." OHA Land Officer Linda Delaney called the agreement "a major step toward trying to heal a very deep hurt." Dana Hall of Hui Alanui O Makena said the document required "an immense amount of patience, perseverance and love for our kupuna." Landgraf, deputy director of the state Department of Land and Natural Resources called the agreement the "beginning of a new system and a way for doing new and different things when it comes to the Hawaiian people and the 'aina." Cameron said Kapalua Land Co. is "very pleased with the agreement," and called it "good for Kapalua, good for the Hawaiian community and good for Maui." Leslie Kuloloio, a community spokesman, told the gathering "now comes the cultural and spiritual part." He asked everyone to "pray for us." He said, there are restrictions on the reburials not set forth in the written agreement whieh will involve the cooperative efforts of kupuna throughout the state with regard to the manner in whieh the reinterments will take plaee.