Hawea Heiau Damage Under Investigation

Hawea Heiau Damage Under Investigation

Written by Brooks Baehr - bbaehr@kgmb9.com

August 05, 2009 06:12 PM

The state is investigating damage to a Hawaiian temple, or heiau, in Hawaii Kai. The landowner appears to have damaged the Hawea heiau while preparing to build condominiums nearby. The Hawea heiau sits at the base of Mariner's Ridge just mauka of the intersection at Keahole Street and Hawaii Kai Drive. "This is a man, and that's right here," state Senator Clayton Hee said while pointing to a petroglyph on a large rock in the heiau. Hee and members of a group called Hawaii Kai Hui toured the heiau Wednesday. "Until about a month ago there was a really unique wall around this ridge. And it's hard to say if they destroyed it or we think it's still there. It's just under all this debris," said Chris Cramer, who identifies himself as a historian with Hawaii Kai Hui. The group claims rock walls, stone platforms, and perhaps terraces for growing taro have been damaged or demolished. "We don't know what we lost because we never had a chance to properly study it. We didn't have a chance to clear the area and to judge what's there and then have cultural specialists and kupuna and archeologists work together to tell that story," said Ann Marie Kirk, another member of Hawaii Kai Hui. "It was just a deep sense of sadness and also a sense of loss of what information could have been gained by what was destroyed," she added. The Hui said damage to the heiau is only part of the problem. They claim the developer also encroached on a protected wetland while bulldozing a wide path through the property. "What you're looking at is remnants of a huge enormous wetland," Cramer said. "What happened was about a month ago, roughly, all this debris was shoved right into the wetland. It was all done with no permits illegally." The state Attorney General and the state Historic Preservation Division are investigating. The Historic Preservation Division gave KGMB9 a written statement saying "the petroglyph field and house site are extremely important and we believe they are part of the Hawea Heiau complex. A petroglyph field in and of itself is extremely significant and worth preserving." "We have serious concerns about what appear to be violations to the preserve area." The landowner, Hawaii Intergenerational Community Development Association, did not immediately return calls from KGMB9. "It would probably be infinitely cheaper for him if he would engage the community and have the community be caretakers of this site and build around the site," Hee said. Members of the Hawaii Kai Hui says they will help restore what has been damaged, but it is important no more damage be done.