TMT - Contested Case Hearing Status - Hilo

[geochem]

quote:

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Originally posted by TomK

Well, this is a turn-up for the books:

"State Investigating Placement Of Human Remains At TMT Site"

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Not at all surprised by this. I am personally familiar with a similar (although not as offensive) situation at another protected cultural site. An activist, who demanded caretaker status for the site, claimed that he had ancestors buried there. When an archaeologist investigated the alleged burials, it was clear that some of the burials were very recent and when the bones were analyzed, they were found to be animal bones arranged to look like human ones.

Not surprised by DLNR's response either: they have a history of protecting the interests of a "favored" party over those not so favored - whoever that might be or whichever direction the political winds are blowing. Both of which discredit the agency's ability to make decisions in the best interest of all residents. But it also encourages acts like this because the perpetrators recognize that, as favored parties, they likely won't be prosecuted if they're caught.