Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 10, Number 11, 1 November 1993 — New law calls for rules for historic site access [ARTICLE]

New law calls for rules for historic site access

by Patrick Johnston Lost, but not forgotten, in the oeean of important Hawaiian legislation passed this year was a bili that specifically addresses native Hawaiian access rights to important historical sites and i properties. H.B. 1955 grew out of repercussions from an altercation between native Hawaiians and 'lolani Palaee officials in the summer of 1992. A dispute had arisen over whether the Department of Land and Natural Resources had given permission to the demonstrators to spend the night on the palaee grounds. When the dust finally settled several Hawaiians had been arrested although they were later released without being charged. The bill states that rules for access to historical sites and monu-ments-now created by the historic preservation division of the Department of Land and Natural Resources-be developed in consultation with OHA's Native Hawaiian Historic Preservation Uouneil. The purpose of this would be to make the rules more in tune with the cultural sensibilities of Hawaiians.

"Native Hawaiians have different types of access needs," explains OHA Iand officer Linda Delaney, "so we're trying to set up a rule-making process with Department of Land and Natural Resources that accommodates these needs. ... The idea of allowing access to properties based on a Western 8-5 schedule doesn't make sense." Already certain sacred sites have restrictions that apply to nonHawaiians. The top of the Pu'ukoholā heiau on the Big Island is for the use of Hawaiians only and access to the Honokahua dunes, an aneienl Maui cemetery, is restricted to Hawaiians. The new law will continue this process by setting rules and, it is anticipated, establishing a consultation process whieh ean respond to particular needs at specific sites. [