LIHU‘E — The first of two meetings by the U.S. Department of the Interior on its draft protocol plan for handling and disposition of burials, sacred sites and other important areas is 6:30 p.m. today at the Kapa‘a Neighborhood Center.
LIHU‘E — The first of two meetings by the U.S. Department of the Interior on its draft protocol plan for handling and disposition of burials, sacred sites and other important areas is 6:30 p.m. today at the Kapa‘a Neighborhood Center.
The second Kaua‘i meeting is Thursday at 6 p.m. at the Waimea Neighborhood Center.
The U.S. Department of the Interior Office of the Secretary Office of Native Hawaiian Relations is facilitating the community-consultation meetings on its draft Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) consultation protocol.
The NAGPRA consultation protocol will guide the bureaus and agencies within the U.S. Department of the Interior, such as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. National Park Service, and U.S. Geological Survey, in their conduct of consultation pursuant to NAGPRA in Hawai‘i.
Each meeting will begin with a 20-minute overview of NAGPRA which addresses the appropriate handling and disposition of iwi kupuna, funerary objects, sacred objects and objects of cultural patrimony from federal lands and state Department of Hawaiian Home Lands.
The Office of Native Hawaiian Relations anticipates noticing a formal, 60-day comment period with a revised draft NAGPRA consultation protocol following the consultations.
For more information, contact Lisa C. Oshiro in the Honolulu office of the Office of Native Hawaiian Relations by phone at 1-808-792-9555 or via e-mail to lisa_oshiro@ios.doi.gov.
