BLNR Rejects U.S. Army’s FEIS Required to Renew Lease for Continued Bombing of Pōhakuloa
On Friday, May 9th, in a powerful defense of Hawai‘i’s environment, cultural heritage, Hawaiian rights and public lands, the state’s Board of Land and Natural Resources voted to reject the U.S. Army’s final environmental impact statement for its proposed “retention” of up to 22,750 acres of state-owned land it currently leases at Pōhakuloa Training Area on Hawai‘i Island. The area is a U.S. military training base located in the high plateau between Mauna Loa, Mauna Kea and Hualālai. It spans more than 132,000 acres, making it the largest U.S. Department of Defense installation in the islands. The board’s rejection effectively ...
What is the kuleana of the Island Burial Councils to protect iwi kūpuna?
By Terina Fa‘agau, NHLC Staff Attorney To promote the “sensitive treatment of Hawaiian burial sites through cooperative and shared decision making with representatives of the Hawaiian community,” the Hawaiʻi State Legislature established the Island Burial Councils, under the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR), to administer Hawaiʻi Revised Statutes (HRS) § 6E. There are five Island Burial Councils: Hawaiʻi Island; Maui/Lānaʻi; Molokaʻi; Oʻahu; and Kauaʻi/Niʻihau. The governor appoints council members selected from lists recommended by the State Historic Preservation Division (SHPD) and the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA). The Molokaʻi Council has five members, while all the others have ...
Settlement Reached to Rebury 28 Iwi Kūpuna at The Park at Keʻeaumoku Project in Honolulu
The Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation (NHLC) and its client, Edward Halealoha Ayau, have reached a settlement in their litigation with the State of Hawaiʻi, the City and County of Honolulu (County), and Keʻeaumoku Development LLC (KDL) regarding Native Hawaiian burials at the Park at Keʻeaumoku project (the Park Project). Pursuant to the settlement, a total of 28 iwi kupuna that have so far been discovered at the site will be reburied, on location, in accordance with and an accepted Burial Treatment Plan and traditional protocols by September 30, 2024. The Park Project is a two-tower, mixed-use condo development that ...
NHLC represents Kalaeloa Heritage and Legacy Foundation in successful negotiations to lease Kalaeloa Heritage Park
At 91-1940 Coral Sea Road, between Ewa Beach and Kapolei on Oʻahu, is Kalaeloa Heritage Park (the Park). The Park is comprised of more than 11 acres containing over 177 recorded cultural sites including a heiau, habitation sites and pre-Western contact burials. The cultural structures are unique, constructed of coral and may have Tahitian origin based on the construction methods used. For years, the lands were held by the Federal Government as a part of Barber’s Point Naval Air Station. After the station was closed in 1999, the Federal Government returned the park lands to the State, and the lands ...
