Department of Land and Natural Resources
Oahu Island Burial Council
What This Council Does
The Oahu Island Burial Council advises the State Historic Preservation Division on the treatment, protection, and reinterment of Native Hawaiian burial sites and skeletal remains discovered on O'ahu under Hawaii Revised Statutes Chapter 6E. It reviews inadvertent discovery reports from construction and development projects, evaluates site significance, and recommends appropriate treatment decisions. Given O'ahu's density of development activity, the council handles a high volume of cases with significant consequences for construction timelines and Native Hawaiian cultural rights.
Why You Should Care
Developers, property owners, and Native Hawaiian descendants on O'ahu all have a stake in this council's decisions, which determine what happens when burial sites are encountered during ground disturbance across the island.