What's Being Discussed
The Hawai'i Island Burial Council will meet on Wednesday, October 7, 2026, from 9:30 AM to 1:30 PM. The meeting is open to the public in person in Hilo or online via Zoom (Meeting ID: 948 0549 2975, Passcode: HIBC26). Key topics include:

Repatriation support: A letter the Council issued supporting the return of human remains (Carolyn Sue Harp and family) to Kaloko-Honokohau National Historic Park.
Harbor project notice: A letter from the Hawai'i Department of Transportation about planned improvements at Kawaihae Commercial Harbor in South Kohala.
Six inadvertent discoveries: Native Hawaiian skeletal remains uncovered by coastal erosion at several North and South Kona shoreline locations between June and September 2026, including Old Airport Beach, Kamakahonu Beach, Kohanaiki, Honaunau, and Kealakekua Bay.
Burial Sites Working Group update: A progress report on ongoing working group efforts.
Contact information update: The State Historic Preservation Division (SHPD) is asking all recognized descendants to provide updated contact details.

Decisions Expected

Approval of minutes from the August 5, 2026 meeting.
A formal determination on a lineal descendancy recognition application from Carolyn Keala Norman, relating to a burial site in South Kona.
Setting agenda items for future meetings.

Who Should Pay Attention

Native Hawaiian communities, particularly those with ancestral connections to Kona-area burial sites.
Recognized lineal and cultural descendants who need to update their contact information with SHPD.
Developers and agencies working near coastal or historically sensitive areas on Hawai'i Island.
Anyone interested in the protection and treatment of Native Hawaiian burial remains.