Burial Site Found on a Property Tied to Obama, Causing Tension With Native Hawaiians
After Native Hawaiian remains were found on the multimillion-dollar oceanfront lot being developed by the chair of the Obama Foundation, a state official decided to relocate the remains. Kamuela Kala‘i is speaking up for her ancestors.
by Sophie Cocke, Honolulu Star-Advertiser Aug. 15, 6 a.m. EDT
On a Wednesday morning in early July, the Oahu Island Burial Council logged on to Zoom for its monthly meeting. Members, who are appointed by the governor to oversee and consult on the treatment of Native Hawaiian remains, faced a long agenda.
Bones had been found at a variety of construction sites. Some were discovered under a sidewalk, others near a waterline replacement project.
Kamuela Kala‘i was there to speak up for ancestors in Waimanalo, a Native Hawaiian community in eastern Oahu. In January, workers had found human remains, or iwi kupuna, as they reshaped a multimillion-dollar oceanfront lot into a luxury compound being developed by Marty Nesbitt, the chair of the Obama Foundation and head of a Chicago-based private-equity firm.
The bones were unearthed in an area where the owners were planning a swimming pool and septic system, and they were reburied months later on another part of the property. A state official made the decision to relocate the remains.
Kala‘i was furious with the developers.
Obama’s personal office declined comment...
“Tensions are already high. The state previously approved an easement for a century-old seawall on the property, allowing owners to keep the structure in place.
Now, Nesbitt is seeking a separate environmental exemption from the local government so his team can restore and expand the seawall.
A Native Hawaiian community group is opposing the $3.2 million seawall overhaul, arguing that...”
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