OHA 'drops the ball' in Protection Cultural Sites from Stryker Brigade

OHA ‘drops the ball’ in protecting cultural sites from Stryker brigade

August 3, 2010 by kyle from DMZhawaii.org

Independent has published an exclusive article about a formerly secret archaeological and cultural report contracted jointly by the Army and the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) for areas affected by the Army’s Stryker Brigade expansion. The article states:

The report, written by independently contracted archaeologist Christopher Monahan, comments on the Army’s numerous shortcomings in its attempts at documenting cultural sites, which, if included on the National Register of Historic Places, offers them various protections from being disturbed.

The report was the end result of a lawsuit OHA filed against the Army in November 2006 alleging violations against the NHPA and the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA). Cultural monitors claimed that numerous sites were being mistreated or were endangered, including Haleauau heiau near Schofield Barracks, whose protective buffers were razed by bulldozers in July of that year.

In October 2008, a settlement was reached where OHA would drop its lawsuit based on its then knowledge of the existing surveys and reports. In return, the Army allowed the independently contracted archaeologist, Monahan, as well as OHA staff, access to Stryker Brigade sites for a total of 50 days in order to draw up an objective second opinion. OHA had the option then to proceed with mediation or litigation based on the new findings.

The article describes some of the findings and conclusions in the archaeologist’s report:

Monahan is critical of the methods used in the previous surveys conducted by the military and its hired firms, recognizing there are issues with the competency of the field personnel involved. It also notes a general lack of subsurface testing, or excavating, to locate such sites. Instead, there are “mere guesses … and based on relatively little scientific data.”

At some locations, Monahan’s findings more than doubled the number of known features the Army had previously reported.

There is also concern regarding numerous earlier reports—ones that evaluated surveys taken of impacted areas—that were not made available to him because they were in draft form. Most problematic was a major report on the Kahuku Training Area, which was completed six years ago but is still not available.

The Army is systematically erasing the history and sacred places in Lihu’e, Kahuku, Pohakuloa and the other areas impacted by its Stryker Brigade expansion. The report by an independent archaeologist blasts the Army for numerous violations and failings and calls for protection of the vast and important cultural site complex in Lihu’e, O’ahu, once the ancient seat of government for O’ahu chiefs. Meanwhile OHA sat on this urgent information.

Buildup to impact heritage sites

Buildup to impact heritage sites

Friday, 04 December 2009 04:06
by Jennifer Naylor Gesick and Zita Taitano | Variety News Staff

SEVERAL endangered species of trees endemic to Guam and important to the traditional culture of islanders are under serious threat if plans for militarizing Guam further, as indicated in the draft environmental impact statement, are followed through.

Additionally, significant adverse impacts to archeological and culturally valuable properties, most of which but not all, have been identified on department of defense lands are also at great risk due to military development schemes.

Extensive data collection and surveys examined more than 5,000 acres on Guam, recording more than 100 archaeological sites and architectural resources that would qualify for protection under the National Register of Historic Places.

Rare wood

Construction eyed for Finegayan at Andersen South, and a firing range tentatively sited for lands not under control by the defense department would require the removal of dukduk trees, a traditional resource used by canoe builders and the decimation of critically-endangered ifit, or ifi, trees traditionally used as timber, for fuel wood and craftsman art.

The ifit tree, often called ipil or ifil by locals, is the official tree of Guam. The termite-resistant hardwood has completely disappeared from some parts of southeast Asia already and is increasingly harder to find on Guam.

Saving culture

The military impact report did however outline some potential mitigation measures that might serve to reduce the negative effects of the military buildup and expansion on Guam. The report states that through data recovery, implementation of a preservation plan, public education, signs, brochures and documentation adverse repercussions could be brought to less significant levels.

Apra Harbor, Andersen AFB, Orote Field, and Andersen South and a sizable portion of land south of Route 15 were identified in the impact study as being at-risk of serious disturbance of areas with both a low and high probability of containing important cultural heritage sites.

Disturbance

The Finegayan area marked for military housing and adjacent former Federal Aviation Administration lands, as well as the Harmon Annex, are dotted with historically relevant sites, according to the report.

A variety of construction at NCTS Finegayan and South Finegayan including housing, quality of life facilities, administration, training, and education could be affected by construction and development, too.

The initial planning process considered the locations of notable heritage sites and avoided impacting the majority of the historic properties in the area. Additional efforts would have to be made during the final planning stage to avoid all historic properties, noted the impact study.

However, additional personnel into the area once the community is operational, the impact study warned, could increase site vandalism, especially at the coastal site of Haputo and a latte stone-rich parcel designated as a park.

The perfunctory study goes on to list adverse impacts implications for archaeological sites at Andersen South.

100% disturbia

The air force base is scheduled to see high construction activity during the buildup period as outlined in the impact statement. One construction project at Andersen AFB would occur in an area of low- and high-archaeological probability as artifacts are known to be widely scattered around the entire parcel of land.

Given the level of development in the area, it is assumed that 100 percent of the area would be disturbed, the report concludes.

Other building projects risk several prehistoric Chamorro sites as well also known to military planners from previous studies. However, the impact report claims the ancient heritage sites of the indigenous people would not be impacted by proposed actions.