News | ACHP Chairman John Nau visits OHA |
Federal historic preservation official
In the well-attended OHA board room gathering, Nau—appointed to the ACHP by the Bush administration, said the adoption of the policy statement on May 13 resulted largely from Native Hawaiians advocating for better integration of their cultural values and traditional knowledge whenever circumstances trigger the National Historic Preservation Act. He credited the current and future Native Hawaiian ACHP volunteer advisory group--Fred Cachola and Shad Kane respectively, for highlighting concerns that prompted the convening of three executive meetings by the Bush administration in Washington, D.C.. Noting federal agencies are more numerous in Hawai'i than in most other states, Nau said Native Hawaiians have an especially large stake in ensuring that federal agencies involved in historic preservation coordinate properly with local Hawaiian cultural experts.
"Until you put on the other person’s boots and really walk where they walk, you’re not going to see their perspective," said Nau, as a way of thanking his Native Hawaiian hosts for showing him Makua Valley and other places where the protection of historic sites has been an issue. A Texan resident with Chicago roots, Nau added that his visits to Hawai'i as ACHP Chairman have helped him understand his childhood summers spent in Minnesota where a Native American friend told him that outsiders were not given access to certain tribal lands—considered sacred. "I’m not going to pretend to say I understand everything about the (indigenous) perspective, but it is important that wherever the National Historic Preservation Act applies, federal agencies understand that the policy is to work with Native Hawaiians." Nau clarified that this would include not only federal lands in Hawai'i but any project where federal funding or regulation is involved with historic preservation issues. For example, if a proposal for Stryker Brigade roadway appears to impact a heiau, then a Native Hawaiian organization can have a role in protecting the heiau land by working with the local ACHP advisory body, known as the Native American Advisory Group (NAAG). Noted Hawaiian leader Annelle Amaral, an invitee at the OHA gathering, questioned whether Native Hawaiian input is actually applied by federal agencies. "We spend our time and resources meeting with multiple federal representatives and then we don’t see significant results," said Amaral, now a representative of a Hawaiian civic club organization. "Welcome to my world," Nau replied, making a light-hearted jab at the notoriously heavy bureaucracy of the so-called Beltway—the nation’s Capitol district and political nerve center. He said the new policy statement is aimed at educating Beltway bureaucrats on the native viewpoint by providing a venue for improved communications. But he also agreed with Amaral that there is still cause for concern. "The ACHP policy statement is just a piece of paper. It’s a matter of words. What really counts is deeds, so we have a lot of work ahead of us," said Nau, who has one year left at ACHP chair. He said that a memo has been sent to policy officers at other federal agencies advising them of ACHP’s policy adoption and encouraging them to do the same. Those welcoming Nau to OHA included Clyde Nāum'o and Trustee Oswald Strender; Hau'oli Akaka provided an oli. Nau’s visit was arranged by OHA’s legal services division with some support from PIO. For information on ACHP, call the council at 202-606-8530 or visit www.achp.gov.
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