LIHU‘E — Kaua‘i residents, some in favor of a makai alignment for the Wailua segment of the multi-use path and some strongly opposed, piled into the War Memorial Convention Hall Monday night to tell Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr. their thoughts on his recent announcement to keep the boardwalk on the sand.
With more than 200 signed-in attendees stuffing the space to standing-room-only capacity until the back wall was opened up to accommodate more seating, Carvalho opened his remarks in Hawaiian, speaking directly to those in the audience who have most vocally criticized his position.
He said in an e-mail Tuesday that the opening oli was “an expression of love and respect for our Hawaiian heritage and especially honors our departed chiefs.”
“I am aware that there are a number of people in our community who do not agree,” he said Monday night, adding he is sensitive to concerns about cultural issues, specifically iwi kupuna. “If anything is found, we, me, I will call the Kaua‘i Burial Council” to ensure it is handled properly, the mayor promised.
For inadvertent burial discoveries, the law requires only that the state Historic Preservation Division be notified.
Carvalho also committed to the county undertaking a much-requested Archaeological Inventory Survey that was not required as part of the Environmental Assessment that returned a Finding of No Significant Impact years ago but could go a long way toward appeasing his critics.
The county will manually pre-test anchor locations to assess the presence or absence of cultural materials and burials before installing 13-foot-deep anchors.
“I’m not going to promise you that the decision (on the path’s route) is going to change,” Carvalho said, but he is “gathering information” from the community nonetheless.
Nearly five hours later, just before 11:30 p.m., about three hours after the meeting was scheduled to have concluded, an emotional and tired Carvalho told the few remaining attendees, “I am Hawaiian too.”
“I understand it’s sacred,” he said in a brief interview afterward. “My Hawaiian side is trying to be mindful and respectful.”
In between Carvalho’s opening and closing statements, a handful of consultants presented information about how the decision was reached and more than 50 members of the public took to the microphone to voice their support or concerns.
A Kaua‘i woman warned Carvalho that the path decision will be a “black mark on your political career,” and another threatened that by ignoring proper process, Carvalho was breaking the law and would be indicted, convicted and punished.
The tone of the meeting became somewhat heated when Deputy County Attorney Mauna Kea Trask, answering a submitted question from the public, said there have been many documented iwi on the Coco Palms grounds and mauka of the highway, but no bones have been found on the beach so the county is going to proceed there and “hope for the best.”
Cultural practitioner Jeff Chandler stood up and loudly criticized Trask for not being of royal blood but speaking about royalty, yelling “Kapu” before Planning Director Ian Costa, Deputy Planning Director Imai Aiu and Trask himself confronted him and another interjecting audience member, gesturing and pointing outside.
Approximately a half dozen Kaua‘i Police Department officers were in attendance, but the confrontation did not turn violent and there were no other reported incidents.
Many of the comments, even those who criticized the path’s current proposed route, were less accusatory and more civil in tone.
Kumu hula Kehau Kekua, one of the main organizers of a vigil last month that aimed to raise awareness about Wailua’s sacredness, introduced herself by reciting the lineage of 700 years of ancestry and said, “I am grateful to my kupuna because without them I would not know who I am.”
“Please do not stuff this down our throat,” she told Carvalho. “The sands is out of the question.”
Her testimony and similar statements from Aikane Alapai of her halau seemed to impact some erstwhile path supporters.
Kaua‘i Path Board member Mark Olson, who spoke immediately after Alapai and said he was honored by the testimony, said if he thought there were bones on the beach, he would not support it. Later, Kaua‘i Path Board Member Bev Brody said while she was “sold” on having the path on the beach at the start of the meeting, “Now, I want to learn more.”
• Michael Levine, assistant news editor, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 252) or mlevine@kauaipubco.com.
