Report Title:

University of Hawaii, Hilo; Cultural Resource Management; Graduate Program

 

Description:

Establishes a culture resource management graduate level program at the University of Hawaii in Hilo.  Appropriation.

 


HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

2976

TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2008

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

 

A BILL FOR AN ACT


 

 

relating to the university of hawaii.

 

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 


     SECTION 1.  The legislature finds that federal and state agencies face constant needs for professionals trained in cultural resource management in the disciplines of archaeology and anthropology to ensure rigorous, timely, and professionally reviewed compliance submissions for federal and state legislation, such as the National Native American Graves Protection Act of 1990 and chapter 6E, Hawaii Revised Statutes, establishing burial councils, as well as all aspects of the state historic preservation division of the department of land and natural resources and related federal and state laws and agencies.

     In Hawaii, the potential and demonstrated adverse effects to cultural resources are evident in many current project initiatives that could have a potentially adverse impact on cultural and environmental resources, economic stability, and community well-being.  These initiatives, if not handled with the support of trained professionals and consultation with appropriate community cultural leaders, have the potential to cause heightened levels of concern, mistrust, expensive and time-consuming litigation, and an overall sense of loss.  Examples of these are not intended to point blame at any particular project, but are well known in the lexicon of planning, economic development, natural resource conservation, and most important, the cultural integrity essential to sustainable systems for Hawaii's people, cultural and natural resources and traditions, its unique lifestyle, and its future visions.

     In the past, the Bishop Museum served as a regional resource for historical curation, cultural anthropology, archaeological research, and cultural education throughout the Pacific region.  Eminent scholars such as Kenneth Emory, Yoshito Sinoto, William Bonk, and their trained successors provided Hawaii and the Pacific region with unparalleled resources for historical conservation, preservation, and scholarly research in concert with native practitioners and cultural experts from all communities.

     In spite of the evidence in newspapers, community gatherings, court proceedings, and daily dialogue at many levels of federal, state, and county government, the State of Hawaii has limited opportunity to train cultural resource management professionals at the graduate level to work with community leaders to assist federal, state, county, or private entities in cooperating with the local community in the cultural resource management process so vital to preserving cultural integrity.  Establishing localized training in cultural resource management is essential to training a cadre of effective and qualified professionals who would form meaningful partnerships with educational institutions and indigenous cultures in the preservation of the nation's cultural heritage, as called for in the presidential Executive Order 13287 of March 3, 2003.  Hawaii has an extraordinary track-record in such preservation, and it is essential to restore leadership to Hawaii's academic, cultural, and conservation resources.

     The lack of trained professionals is demonstrated in the critical understaffing of the state historic preservation office of the department of land and natural resources, as well as critical backlogs of more than two hundred fifty reports and reviews required to advance state and federal capital improvement projects at many levels.  There are also critical shortages of trained staff for the twenty-four permitted cultural resource management firms working in the State, which require that principal investigators possess a graduate degree from an accredited institution in archaeology, anthropology (specialization) or an equivalent field.  Other planning, architectural, engineering, and communications firms report a critical need for trained and knowledgeable professionals to assist in this important work.  There are further shortages in United States-affiliated Pacific islands, the territories of Guam and American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and the Freely Associated States.  The Polynesian nations that share Hawaii's cultural heritage also are woefully short of qualified cultural resource management programs; fully one-third of the world's cultural heritage is impacted by a shortage of personnel and a dearth of knowledge spanning three thousand years of cultural awareness.

     While there has been a significant increase in recent years in expanding environmental, social, and cultural resource programs, there is no better place to grow Hawaii's own talent than the University of Hawaii at Hilo's "living laboratories" in anthropology, geology, archaeology, astronomy, natural and environmental science, biology, and the first national doctoral program in a native language through Ka Haka Ula o Ke‘elikolani, the college of Hawaiian language, which has unanimously endorsed expansion of the cultural resource management program at the University of Hawaii at Hilo, through establishment of a masters program through the anthropology department, in close association with the University of Hawaii at Manoa.  Although the program has elicited enormous interest from community, faculty, student, and government leaders, it is essential to obtain a complete analysis of costs and resources required to proceed with this important endeavor.

     Also critical to establishment of a masters program in cultural resource management is development of an appropriate partnership with federal, state, county, and private resources to establish a professional curatorial facility on the island of Hawaii that will enable scholarly and student access to further research, instruction, practicum, and exhibition of the University of Hawaii at Hilo's exceptional archives covering federally mandated collections requirements now housed in inadequate storage areas.  In addition, there are numerous private collections that require appropriate conservation and preservation and a pressing development of new and existing facilities to aid this important work.  There are numerous locations and partnerships that can be developed to support the concept of the "living laboratory", such as that as practiced by the Army Environmental Center at Pohakuloa, which is staffed by more than thirty-five professional experts in archaeology, anthropology, biology, out planting, endangered species management, conservation, ungulate and invasive species management practices, and other real-world conservation skills practiced on adjacent lands managed by the department of land and natural resources at Mauna Kea State Park, and office of Hawaiian affairs at the historic Humuula sheep station and historic paniolo Keanakolu Trail and Mana Road.  The practices of the past have a place in the future, and the opportunities to create new and innovative educational disciplines and high skill-high knowledge – high pay jobs will never be more important than they are now.

     The purpose of this Act is to establish a master of arts program in cultural resource management at the University of Hawaii, Hilo in concert with related courses or programs at the University of Hawaii at Manoa and Hawaii community colleges.

     SECTION 2.  There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $250,000 or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2008-2009 for the establishment of a graduate level master of arts program in cultural resource management at the University of Hawaii at Hilo and related courses at the University of Hawaii at Manoa and Hawaii community college.

     The sum appropriated shall be expended by the University of Hawaii for the purposes of this Act.

     SECTION 3.  This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2008.

 

INTRODUCED BY:

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