Hawaiian Group In Contempt For Refusing Disclosure of Artifacts

Hawaii KITV reported yesterday on the latest installment in the dispute between Hui Malama and 13 other Hawaiian groups. (See prior posting.) Hawaii federal district court judge David Ezra Tuesday found four members of Hui Malama I Na Kupuna O Hawaii Nei in contempt and jailed one of them-- Edward Halealoha Ayau, executive director of the group-- for refusing to say where they buried Native Hawaiian burial artifacts borrowed from Bishop Museum. Other Hawaiian groups had claimed that they had a right to participate in determining the disposition of the objects. Hui Malama refused to obey the court order to return the artifacts both because they said the cave could collapse if they opened it, and because their religious beliefs hold that digging up the artifacts will violate the kupuna (ancestors). Today's Honolulu Star-Bulletin chronicles the courtroom disruptions that Judge Ezra faced during the contempt hearing.