RES 330 Draft 01 2022-2024 - Laserfiche WebLink

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COUNTY OF HAWAII RESOLUTION NO. STATE OF HAWAII 330 23 A RESOLUTION STRONGLY URGING PROTECTION OF IWI KUPUNA AT KUMUKAHI AND COLLECTIVE ACTION TO PRESERVE AND MANAGE THE CULTURAL AND NATURAL RESOURCES OF KUMUKAHI. WHEREAS, Ka Lae o Kumukahi, in the ahupua`a of Kula, District of Puna, is where the rising sun first touches Hawaii and is among the most celebrated wahi pana (storied and sacred places) in all of the Hawaiian Islands as well as a pu`uhonua (place of refuge); and WHEREAS, the preservation and protection of iwi kupuna (traditional burials) and moepu (funerary objects) at Kumukahi, including the reinterment of iwi and moepu that have been disturbed, has been a longstanding issue; and WHEREAS, in 2018, the Kilauea Eruption in lower Puna produced over one billion cubic yards of lava that covered residential areas, destroyed precious ecosystems, and completely transformed the coastline of Puna from Kumukahi to Pohoiki; and WHEREAS, Kumukahi-Lighthouse Road, which has historically provided access to Kumukahi, was partially inundated during the 2018 eruption and is scheduled for restoration, presenting both opportunities and challenges in terms of cultural preservation, management of natural resources, and resolution of historically neglected land and road ownership ambiguities; and WHEREAS, property owners, direct lineal descendants of Kumukahi, and government stakeholders play a vital role in protecting and preserving iwi kupuna from exposure to indiscriminate, uninformed human influence, allowing traditional cultural information to come forth; WHEREAS, the County Planning Department has convened the University of Hawaii, State Department of Land and Natural Resources, Office of Hawaiian Affairs, property owners in the vicinity of Kumukahi, and direct lineal descendants since 2020 to resolve iwi kupuna issues through development of a burial treatment and preservation plan for certain sites; and