They Call Themselves Hawaiian -- But Are They Really?Please kokua!Kawaiaha'o Church officials have sanctioned the digging and removal of iwi kupuna -- the bones of our ancestors. They have recently uncovered 23 separate gravesites and have unearthed 69 sets of iwi kupuna. Iwi kupuna have been wrapped in muslin, put in lauhala baskets and placed on shelves in the church basement beneath the bell tower. They have been on these shelves for over one year and plan to Desecrate OVER 300 more!What the church plans: They intend to remove any and all iwi kupuna from the former site of Likeke Hall and its surrounding areas in order to build a multi-purpose building. The construction of this site will perpetuate a tragic legacy of the removal of over 100 iwi kupuna in 1940 when Likeke Hall was first built. Those iwi kupuna were taken to the Kamo'ili'ili cemetery, removed again when that cemetery was sold, and removed once again, cremated with other iwi kupuna, and re-interred on Kawaiaha'o's grounds. Removal of bones from their final resting place is the ultimate disrespect.What you can do: Call Kawaiaha'o church to voice your concerns -- 522-1333 or 469-3060. Call the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) - 594-1835, and ask the trustees to take a stand to stop the digging. OHA has helped to fund this project with a $1.5 million grant of beneficiary money. Call the Department of Land and Natural Resources -- 692-8015. and find out why the State Historic Preservation Department is not doing their job to protect the iwi kupuna under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act. Call the Department of Health -- 586-4400, and find out why they are issuing permits for the disinterment of iwi at Kawaiaha'o.Our kupuna need help! Meet EVERY Sunday, , at the ahu on 'Iolani Palace grounds, 8:15 am. We will meet and pule, and from there proceed to the church to hold signs and hand out flyers.
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