The Key Facts Help You Spot the Issues
Recently, three hand-carved bowls, some burial kapa, and a gourd were uncovered when the Li Family dug into their hillside to shore up the back portion of their house.
Burial site
The Li Family got a good price from Deke and agreed to pay him cash for even more savings. Fifty percent down, fifty percent when Deke finished the work.
Contract law issues
When Deke saw the artifacts, he immediately stopped operations. He was afraid the next bucketful would include iwi kupuna, or old bones and that would be trouble, big trouble for him and the Li Family. At the very least, he recognized them as native Hawaiian cultural items and did not want to proceed in case he damaged them.
Native Hawaiian culture
After a restless night, Deke called Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) the next morning and reported the items but gave the Li Family name and address.
Agency rules and regulations
The State Historic Preservation Division (SHPD) said all work had to stop because it appeared that the Li Family could have a Native Hawaiian burial site on their property. They would have to research their databases to determine whether it was a known site or if this was an inadvertent discovery of moepu or funerary objects.
Native Hawaiian burial site
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