Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 8, Number 9, 1 September 1991 — Repatriation of Smithsonian remains concludes [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Repatriation of Smithsonian remains concludes

by Deborah Ward Editor, Ka Wai Ola O OHA With solemn chanting and prayer, the remains of 115 Native Hawaiians were reinterred last month in a respectful blessing and ceremony at a Keoneloa, Kaua'i sand dune overlooking the sea. The 'iwi had been in the curation of the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History for more than 100 years. About 50 persons attended the late afternoon ceremony. They included Hawaiian families who ean trace their genealogies to the Keoneloa area and who as lineal descendants were supported by the Office of Hawaiian Affairs in the repatriation of

their ancestors. As the ceremony opened with the blowing of the pu (eoneh shell), a distant peal of thunder answered. As the graves were covered, a double rainbow formed over the oeean and then a fine rain descended upon the burial site. The dune is located near a construction site owned by Embassy Suites, whieh has set aside the land for protection of the site into perpetuity. The remains, mostly skulls, were removed from the island in the late 1800s by collector Valdemar Knudsen, and had been in the Smithsonian's collections since then. Some were collected during the Wilkes expedition to Hawai'i in 1857.

The reburial of na 'iwi o Kaua'i, as well as other bones returned to Kohala, Hawai'i and O'ahu, concludes the repatriation of all Native Hawaiian human remains in the Smithsonian. Return of the bones was challenged last month ,by two Hawai'i men, Ed Kaiwi and Eric Kanakaole, who arrived in Washington D.C. and claimed the bones on the grounds that they were kahuna seeking to elaim their ancestors' bones. They said the Kaua'i 'Ohana O Maha'ulepu would rebury them in the wrong plaee. Responding to the challenge by Kaiwi and Kanakaole, Hui Malama I Na Kupuna wrote in a continued page 23

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Kaua'i remains

/rom page 1 letter to the Nahonal Museum of Natural History that "It would be highly improper and culturally devastating to postpone the repatriation and reinterment of these remains at the request of two Kaua'i residents who previously have not voiced their concerns to this office." It stressed that planning has taken plaee to ensure reburial in a culturally appropriate manner. A letter from OHA refuted the claims of the two men and also pointed out that traditional Hawaiian culture ascribes superior responsibility for the remains of the deceased to the family, not to priests. "As reported by Kamakau in 'Ruling Chiefs of Hawai'i,' after the death of Kamehameha a eouneil of highest ali'i and kahuna discussed burial arrangements for this greatest of kings. They decided that the ha (his life) belonged to them, but that his bones belonged to his son, Liholiho, (and) reaffirmed a long-standing tradition that burial matters belong to the family." The letter also points out the family genealogies of the two men are more closely linked to the island of Hawai'i and not Kaua'i. Support for the planned return of the 'iwi was also provided by Sen. Daniel K. lnouye and Hawai'i Gov. John Waihee. The Smithsonian lnstitution therefore decided to proceed with original plans for repatriation. A joint request to conclude the repatriation of all Native Hawaiian remains at the Smithsonian Institution was sent in a letter in July to the Smithsonian by Lydia Namahana Maioho, chairperson of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs Mokihana fest Sept. 20-29 The 1991 Kaua'i MokihanaFestival,featuringan international peaee day concert, a genealogy workshop and a Hawaiian lu'au celebration, will be held from Friday, Sept. 20 through Sunday, Sept. 29 on Kaua'i. The events, whieh will include a ti leaf lei making workshop, a quilting demonstration, and a gourds, ipu and helmet workshop, will be held at a variety of locations such as Kaua'i Resort, the Anahola Hawaiian Church, Hyatt Regency Kaua'i, Hanalei Bay Resort and the Coco Palms Resort Hotel. Five Hawaiian women who are major writers of Hawai'i will also share their poetry as part of the Mokihana Festival, a celebration of Hawaiian culture and arts. Na haku mele, the poets, are Kaikilani Carr Oyama, Mahealani Perry Kamauu, Tamara Wong Morrison, Puanani Burgess and Dana Naone Hall. To sign up for workshops, eall Lee Mentley at 822-0426 or Nathan Kalama at 822-2166.

Native Hawaiian Historic Preservation Council, La France Kapaka-Arboleda of the 'Ohana O Maha'ulepu, and Edward Kanahele of the Hui Malama I Na Kupuna. OHA and Hui Malama I Na Kupuna O Hawai'i Nei are explicitly named in the federal law (P.L. 101-185) to receive and reinter native Hawaiian remains kept at federally-funded institutions. They are to clarify the validity of Native Hawaiian repatriation requests and to assist and facilitate the return of Native Hawaiian remaigs to Hawai'i for reinterment consistent with appropriate cultural traditions. Arrangements had been made with the Natural History Museum to receive the entire remaining inventory of Hawaiian remains on Aug. 10. The plans for this final repatriation have taken more than a year to complete, in accordance with the wishes of the Kaua'i community and descendants. Representatives of the OHA Native Hawaiian Historic Preservation Council, the 'Ohana O Maha'ulepu and Hui Malama 1 Na Kupuna O Hawai'i Nei traveled to Washington, and brought home the remains on Aug. 11. The remains were reinterred the next day on their respective home islands. In accordance with the wishes of the Kaua'i descendants, no media

were invited to attend, nor was photography of the Keoneloa reinterment permitted. In July 1990, the first repatriation of Native Hawaiian remains from the Smithsonian Institution brought home individuals from O'ahu, Maui, Lana'i, Moloka'i and Hawai'i. Return of Kaua'i remains was postponed at the time to allow the Kaua'i 'ohana time to prepare a reburial site. Repatriation of Native Hawaiian remains from federal museums is supported by the Native American Museums Act whieh providesfor return of Native American and Native Hawaiian remains and cultural artifacts to approved native groups.