Historic Hawai'i Foundation
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NATIVE HAWAIIAN POLICY
In May, the White House Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) adopted a Policy Statement on the ACHP’s interaction with native Hawaiian organizations. The policy sets forth actions ACHP will take to oversee the implementation of its responsibilities under the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) with respect to the role afforded to Native Hawaiian organizations.
In 1992, 26 years after it was initially enacted, the NHPA was amended to give Native Americans – tribes, Alaskan natives, and Native Hawaiians – an equal and significant role in the identification and protection of our nation’s historic resources. It took another six years to adopt regulations to implement those amendments and still another ten years for the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation to adopt policy as to how the Council and its staff are to interact with native Hawaiian organizations.
Things move slowly in Washington. Despite the journey, advocates were able to forge and hold a coalition of friends in this administration, other native people from around the country, and long-time supporters in the preservation community, not the least of which is the National Trust for Historic Preservation, that led to the adoption of this policy.
ACHP ADOPTS NATIVE HAWAIIAN POLICY FOR CONSULTATION UNDER THE NATIONAL HISTORIC PRESERVATION ACT
By Ray Soon
Passed by the ACHP in May of this year, the policy commits the ACHP to ensuring that Native Hawaiian organizations (NHO) have the opportunities to which they are entitled under the NHPA to participate in the national historic preservation dialogue and program. It also implies the commitment of staff time and resources to helping other federal agencies meet their responsibilities to NHOs under the law as well. If the Tribal Policy adopted in 2002 is any indication, this policy will lead to a significantly stronger and more consistent voice for Native Hawaiians.
John Nau, Chair of the Council and a consistent supporter of Native Hawaiian involvement in the national dialogue on historic preservation, in recent executive level communication to all federal agencies, encouraged each of them to take similar steps to adopt policy or protocols for consulting with NHOs. He concludes that such action would demonstrate a serious commitment to working with NHOs and provide predictability to meeting their responsibilities.
The three key policy statements are:
1.
The ACHP acknowledges Native Hawaiian traditional cultural knowledge, beliefs and practices and recognizes their value in the understanding and preservation of historic properties in Hawaii.
The ACHP acknowledges Native Hawaiian traditional cultural knowledge, beliefs and practices and recognizes their value in the understanding and preservation of historic properties in Hawaii.2.The ACHP commits to working with Native Hawaiian organizations to fully consider the preservation of historic properties of importance to them.
The ACHP commits to working with Native Hawaiian organizations to fully consider the preservation of historic properties of importance to them.3.The ACHP acknowledges the important contributions of Native Hawaiian organizations to the national historic preservation program.
The ACHP acknowledges the important contributions of Native Hawaiian organizations to the national historic preservation program.The full text of the policy is available at http://www.achp.gov/NHOPolicy.pdf.
Ray Soon was a member of the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation from 1996 through 2004. He is First Vice President of Historic Hawai‘i Foundation’s board of trustees.
John Nau, Chair of the ACHP speaks at a recent gathering in Hawaii. Photo by Blaine Fergerstrom
