What's Being Discussed

Burial Treatment Plans for Mākena development projects: The council will review two draft plans describing how Native Hawaiian burial remains discovered at a Mākena, Maui development site (Mākena Kāʻeo North Phase II and Mākena Kāʻeo South Phase I) will be respectfully handled.
Newly discovered burial remains: The council will receive notifications and discuss three recent accidental discoveries of unidentified Native Hawaiian skeletal remains at:

Waiheʻe Beach Park, Maui
Wailuku River Mouth, Maui
Baby Beach Park, Lāhainā, Maui

Council leadership election: Members will elect a Vice-Chairperson for the Maui/Lānaʻi Islands Burial Council.
Meeting minutes: The council will review and approve minutes from the August 26, 2026 meeting.

Decisions Expected

Votes on approving the two Burial Treatment Plans for the Mākena development projects
Election of a new Vice-Chairperson for the council
Approval of previous meeting minutes

Who Should Pay Attention

Native Hawaiian families and communities with cultural or ancestral ties to Mākena, Waiheʻe, Wailuku, or Lāhainā
Developers and landowners involved in the Mākena Kāʻeo projects
Historians, archaeologists, and preservationists working in Maui or Lānaʻi
Anyone interested in the protection of Native Hawaiian burial sites

The meeting is open to the public in person in Wailuku or online via Microsoft Teams on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, at 9:00 a.m. Written testimony can be submitted in advance to Leinoa.kong@hawaii.gov.