What's Being Discussed
The O'ahu Island Burial Council will meet on Wednesday, September 9, 2026 at 10:00 AM at the Kalanimoku Building, Board Room #132, 1151 Punchbowl St., Honolulu. The council oversees the respectful treatment of Native Hawaiian burial remains discovered across O'ahu. Key topics include:

Sewer replacement and rehabilitation projects in Mānoa and the Ala Moana area where burials may be affected
An update on burial treatment planning for iwi kūpuna (ancestral remains) found at the proposed Chick-fil-A site in Kailua
An archaeological survey update for the Howard Hughes Mahana Project in Honolulu
A review of a cultural descendancy recognition application from an individual seeking formal connection to Native Hawaiian remains in Honolulu
Future treatment plans for iwi kūpuna currently in state care, discovered across multiple O'ahu communities including Kapālama, Wai'anae, Hau'ula, and others
Numerous inadvertent discoveries of Native Hawaiian skeletal remains at sites including Waikīkī, Kailua, Laniākea, Kakaʻako, Pōkaʻī Bay, Mākaha, and Jefferson Elementary School

Decisions Expected

Approval of minutes from the August 12, 2026 meeting
A formal vote on the cultural descendancy recognition application
Determinations on how to handle and preserve recently discovered burial remains at multiple locations

Who Should Pay Attention

Native Hawaiian families and communities with ancestral ties to O'ahu
Developers and contractors working on projects where remains have been found
Residents near affected areas such as Kailua, Waikīkī, Kakaʻako, Mānoa, and the Wai'anae Coast
Anyone interested in the preservation of Native Hawaiian cultural heritage