Ewa Field Photos Reveal Damaging Evidence
Hawaii development shows no integrity when it comes to preserving culture
By John Bond
Currently existing coral karst sinkholes have been seen very nearby with very old Ti plants growing out of them, indicating some Hawaiian cultural activity in the past.
This is in an area directly adjacent to areas Hunt Corp, which leases land from the Navy, which is now having the area bulldozed and uprooted for new commercial lots in an area that has been defined as National Register eligible in the Ewa Field warehouse district, according to a survey just done this year.
Glenn Oamilda, of the 50-year-old Ewa Beach Community Association and Section 106 Consultant to the current Navy-Hunt KREP-Ewa Field development plan under 106 review, believes that this area likely contains an underground karst water system, as well as possible Hawaiian burial remains.
It is of especially great concern, because this current work has been going on at odd hours of the night. The large machinery doing this work has been piling up large amounts or coral rocks and beach sand, as well as very large tree trunks pulled out of the ground.
This does not seem to fit the allowed "grubbing" activity that is supposedly permitted without a Section 106.
Mike Lee, a living descendent of Hawaiian royalty, has been asked to become a community consultant on this on-going damage of heavy-equipment digging and leveling in the Ewa Field area, and after reviewing the 1925 Ewa Mooring Mast pre-construction photos, he has great concern about damage that may be done to possible cultural and Hawaiian burial sites that likely exist just below the surface.
The 1941 Ewa Field Command History speaks of caverns as large as railway boxcars that had to be filled up with beach sand, in many cases from nearby beach dunes, which have been known to also contain Hawaiian bones and artifacts.
Mike Lee and Glenn Oamilda believe that the Ewa Field area is part of a contiguous Hawaiian burial area linked to the significant Onelua beach burial and heiau area directly to the south of this Ewa Field area.
Where Hunt Corp is currently bulldozing and clearing, it is exposing sand and coral rock. Part of the area they are clearing isn't even on their leased parcel. The Navy is apparently allowing them to do this.
The Navy is doing nothing to prevent this from happening. Those concerned can only record their on-going damage after they have done it. The State Historic Preservation Office doesn't seem to care either. (The administrator was forced to resign in 2013).
