Hawea Heiau Hawaii Preservation

Aloha,


Mahalo to everyone who has contacted us regarding Hawea Heiau Complex and the wetlands below Hawea where the endangered ‘alae ula moorhens are found. Our community continues to work to make sure this sacred site will be properly preserved and protected.


Hawea Heiau is one of numerous wahi pana across our islands that are under threat of being erased from the land by the lack of proper preservation and protection by the State Historic Preservation Department.


We have informed the Administrator of the State Historic Preservation Department we do not accept the preservation plan for Hawea Heiau. Basically what the SHPD plan proposes is to preserve a small area of Hawea leaving the larger complex unprotected and open for development.


Our community is waiting to hear back from SHPD on a plan of action to address community, Office of Hawaiian Affairs, O’ahu Burial Council, Kahu O Kahiko, Livable Hawaii Kai Hui and Maunalua Fishpond Heritage Center concerns.


On the bottom of this email you will find a very important survey being conducted by the National Park Service. This survey gives our statewide community a chance to voice their thoughts/opinons on how our cultural and historical sites are being cared for, and protected by, the State Historic Preservation Department. The survey is a Technical Assistance review of the State Historic Preservation Office.




What we are communicating to the National Park Service via the survey is:


1) The Administration and staff of SHPD should be properly qualified for preservation and archeological work. To be clear, SHPD should have a) recognized Hawaiian Cultural Specialists b) archeologists trained in Hawaiian archeology and c) architectural historians.


2) SHPD should no longer allow developers to hire archeologists to do reports on cultural and historical sites which SHPD then uses for assessment on whether a sacred of cultural sites should be protected.
This is inherently biased. While paid for by developers involved in the specific projects, SHPD should select the archeologists/archeological firms (or have archeologists on staff) for such work. This allows SHPD to monitor and assess the type of work that is being done and to make sure their office is fulfilling the State HIstoric Preservation mandate.


3) We ultimately would like to see SHPD become an autonomous entity separate from DLNR where it has a better chance of not being influenced by political appointments or political agendas.




The NPS survey is anonymous. Your name & email address will not be revealed. Please fill it out as soon as you can and please forward it to others. Just copy and paste the survey into a new email
message and email to NPS (the email address is below).


The short time you spend filling out this survey will have long term effects for our cultural and historical sites throughout all our islands.


Please forward this email to others you feel should be a part of this survey.

“It may be difficult for some to see ‘just another piles of rocks’ as a Hawaiian sacred place. One culture’s sacred places and objects will not be the same as those of another, nor will they be understood in the same way. These differences, however, do not make Hawaiian sacred places any less sacred. They are more than remnants of a distant past; they are enduring reminders of Hawaiian identity, a rich heritage left by kupuna.” Pana O’ahu Sacred Stones, Sacred Land by Jan Becket and Joseph Singer.



Aloha,

Ann Marie Kirk, Livable Hawai’i Kai Hui

Chris Cramer, East O’ahu Historian, Livable Hawai’i Kai Hui




________________________________________________________________

National Park Service, Department of Interior

Seeks your Comments on the

Hawaii State Historic Preservation Division

Public Survey



Name (Optional)______________________________


1. What are the major successes and organizational strengths of the Hawaii State Historic Preservation Division?


2. Are there any impediments in accomplishing the preservation and protection of historic properties, including traditional cultural properties? If so, what are they?


3. What suggestions do you have to improve overall HI SHPD operations?


4. Do you feel that all HI SHPD partners work toward shared objectives? Do you feel HI SHPD resources are used effectively? If not, why?


5. Does communication flow freely or are there communications barriers within
the HI SHPD that limit how information flows to the public?


6. How would you describe morale in the HI SHPD? Do you have recommendations for improvement?


7. Is there a level of comfort expressing ideas with the HI SHPD leaders? Do you think the HI SHPD leaders communicate openly with the public?

Optional: Please provide any additional comments that you might have relating to the HI SHPD.

Please send form by email to: Jaynee_Nakamura@nps.gov
or mail to National Park Service, 300 Ala Moana Blvd, Room 6-226,
Honolulu, Hawaii 96850.

Any identifying information will be omitted from your comments.
Thank you for your input and constructive assistance.