State Department of Land and Natural Resources agents suggested Kaua‘i residents Waldeen Palmeira, Ka‘iulani Edens and Liko Martin call police over concerns about a 20- foot-long, four-foot-deep trench makai of Kuhio Highway near Wailua Beach. So they did, filing a Kaua‘i Police Department complaint around 10:45 a.m. Wednesday, claiming desecration and obstruction of due process, part of an ongoing battle to prevent construction of roads and paths over and around Wailua Beach. They said they are lineal descendants who are certain the county coastal path along the beach will yield human remains during the construction process. The trio also said on both sides of Wailua River not enough investigation and consultation has been done into how many remains remain, and where they might be located.It was almost exactly two years ago that Police Chief Darryl Perry halted groundbreaking at the besieged oceanfront Brescia property in a dramatic 11th-hour appearance on the site, stating that construction would violate the state burial desecration statute. Ultimately, the house was built. Paul Curtis doesn't report what came of yesterday's call to police, so presumably the chief declined to exercise his discretion.
As I've pointed out on this blog numerous times, while Hawaii is unique in the ubiquity of ancient burials and, therefore, guaranteed controversy and conflict in practically any activity involving much excavation, that's not to say that we are the only place where the future and the past collide in this way. Here, inversecondemnation.com, updates the latest development in the ongoing saga of the the use of eminent domain to take property in St. Johannes Cemetery for the expansion of O'Hare airport, and last week's oral argument in the appeal by the "living relatives" from an Illinois state court's judgment dismissing their claims.
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