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Residents press OHA for clearer support on iwi kupuna, genealogy, kuleana tax exemptions and housing displacement
Summary
Public commenters urged OHA to provide real‑time updates and hands‑on support for iwi kupuna cases, criticized gaps in genealogy assistance and highlighted unaffordable taxes and housing displacement; OHA staff said Anahola iwi are being handled by DHHL and that trustees are prioritizing beneficiary advocacy work.
Several Kauai residents used the meeting’s community‑concerns segment to press Office of Hawaiian Affairs trustees for clearer, hands‑on support on iwi kupuna repatriation, genealogy assistance, kuleana tax exemptions and housing affordability.
Megan Wong, a North Shore resident and caretaker of kuleana land, told trustees she represents families that have spent years researching genealogy and land connections and said the process to secure Kuleana tax exemptions and repatriate iwi kupuna is broken. She described a recent experience in which a genealogist deferred to the county and the county in turn directed descendants back to OHA or to obtain a court order. Wong urged OHA to provide a “hands‑on genealogy and kuleana tax exemption help desk” with staff who can walk families through permitting, genealogical record work and appeals.
Wong also asked for ongoing public updates on iwi kupuna investigations and enforcement; she cited a recent discovery of iwi on a beach and questioned whether investigations receive the same responsiveness from SHPD or county planners as higher‑profile cases. Trustee and staff responses noted OHA’s ongoing involvement and that some cases involve other agencies; OHA staff later stated that SHPD secured an Anahola site on June 27 and that Department of Hawaiian Home Lands would reach out to descendants and likely reinter remains at a DHHL reinterment vault nearby.
Other public speakers described intergenerational land‑loss concerns and urged partnerships and coordinated genealogical support. Trustees said beneficiary advocacy and capacity to support iwi cases are priorities and suggested committee workshops to deepen trustee and staff understanding of statutory responsibilities and interagency processes.
Ending: Trustees pledged to pursue internal training and greater communication about OHA’s role in ancestral‑remains cases and to coordinate follow‑up with community members who requested help.
