Kawaiahao Breeds Anguish at Oahu's Burial Council

UPDATED 5/17/2011 2:45 p.m.

The Oahu Island Burial Council is asked to deal with a lot of weighty issues.

And the burden of that responsibility is evident when you walk into the room.

The meeting Wednesday was heavy with frustration and anguish. The council's vice chair was even moved to tears.

With every decision — even the approval of minutes, pro forma at most other meetings I've covered — the council nearly crumbled under the burden of being one of the last places Native Hawaiians have to turn to talk about the clashes between the host culture and modern society.

The expectation from many who attend the meetings is that council members will stand up for Hawaiian burials, stand up for the Hawaiian religion, stand up for what Hawaiians say is pono. But the council, administratively attached to the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources' Historic Preservation Division and just a minor player in state government, is limited in its power.

The pain caused by that friction was on full display Wednesday. The council, which has struggled to meet quorum in recent months and is still seeking more volunteers, was asked to recognize a handful of Native Hawaiian families as being descendants of those buried at Kawaiahao Church.