Kalaeloa: Hawaiian Burial Caves to Be Bulldozed for Solar Farms?

by John Bond

Kalaeloa, Oahu: Incredible Kanehili Ewa Karst Caves may be destroyed by Navy Contractors drilling and burying ancient sacred Hawaiian cultural areas without benefit of an Archaeological Inventory Survey. A federal consultant said that this area likely contains hundreds if not thousands of Hawaiian burials as an area of the Leina a ka Uhane- spirit leaping place within Kanehili.

Amazing new video-photo evidence of close by cave sites was discovered just this past weekend. Most images are from a video camera placed down into cave entrances as we lacked cave exploration equipment to venture into them. The Kanehili Cultural Hui (KCH) is working to bring National Geographic and other investigative news organizations on the mainland to send out reporters to do a story about
this major injustice.

The Navy has refused a request for consultation with KCH about archaeological discoveries and supplied documentation about major Karst Caves which are below their HECO (Hawaiian Electric Company) Power Line and PV Farm construction project. Prior military history notes Karst caves as large as railway cars and storage of WW-II bombs in such caves next to the airfield that was attacked on December 7, 1941.

The Navy's own test surveys also indicate caves but they have refused to share this data, which they had promised to do earlier. In addition they are not allowing cultural monitoring, which they had also promised to do earlier. In addition, the Section 106 for the project was completely rigged and not signed off on by any of the local Ewa Community because of the Navy arrogance to fix the outcome the way they wanted it.

Many of the Incredible Kanehili Karst Caves areas are surrounded by walls. Numerous important sinkholes and cave entrances have been found just this past weekend and shot on high-definition video. It is an established fact that these caves are hydrologically connected and water flows through them to the ocean. Further this area was designated by a Federal HART TCP survey as a major "Leina a ka Uhane" sacred place and recommended for the National Historic register as a Traditional Cultural Property.

The Navy has refused Archaeological Inventory Survey despite all of the documented evidence that goes back to 1925 when the Ewa Mooring Mast was first constructed in this area. 1925 photos show the extensive coral limestone sinkholes and caves of the area and 1941 Ewa airfield construction further documents them.

These cave discoveries are makai (ocean side) of the Ewa Field area where Hunt Corp is currently putting in their solar farm and HECO is drilling down 9 feet below the surface to install a major 46 kV power line. An ancient Hawaiian implement which may possible be a kukui nut oil lamp was previously found, possibly used for going down into and exploring such caves by ancient Hawaiians.

The Navy refuses to do an Archaeological Inventory Survey despite all the evidence that they will be busting into ancient Hawaiian caves just below ground using boring and drilling equipment. This entire area was a major ancient Hawaiian cultural site with rich cultural significance and mentioned in the 1000 year old chants of Hi'iaka.