The Grand Wailea Maui has been planning to expand for years, but cultural experts on iwi kupuna, or Hawaiian burials, are pushing back. They’re asking the Maui Planning Commission to deny the permit.
Iwi protection groups say that over the past 35 years, more than 350 burials have been found, removed, displaced or remain unaccounted for on the luxury hotel site.
Clare Apana heads Mālama Kākānilua, one of the iwi protection groups on Maui. She said there’s a history behind the large number of Hawaiian burials in South Maui.
The battle of Kakanilua happened in the sand dunes here in 1776. Hundreds of soldiers from Hawaiʻi Island were annihilated by Maui’s army.
"The battle of Kakanilua actually started in the area between Makena and Wailea. There are only a few places where you can land a canoe, and the Kahamanini (Beach) at the Grand Wailea was one of those places," Apana said.
"We would like to see that the people who are buried in the sand there be respected and get some kind of peace from development," she said.
A hearing officer said the Grand Wailea’s proposal to add 137 new rooms still needs to address concerns over traffic, water, and Native Hawaiian traditional and cultural practices — including iwi.
The Maui Planning Commission has yet to schedule a hearing on the matter.
