At the Jan. 27 Maui County Council meeting, the veto of Bill 154 by former Mayor Michael Victorino was addressed. Droves of testifiers appeared and called in to support this bill.

Bill 154 created an overlay map of Hawaiian sacred burial grounds that could be superimposed over county maps to avoid previous mistakes made by our large hotels in Lahaina and Wailea, and buildings constructed inadvertently everywhere on unknown Hawaiian sacred burial grounds.

Overlay maps could avoid future destruction of sacred sites, and avoid work stoppage post-permit, benefitting developers.

The council voted 5-4 to disregard the people who called pleading for support of 154, and instead confirmed Victorino’s veto, a total assault on native Hawaiian rights and culture. The new majority are pro development and pro tourism.

Desecration of sacred sites is considered a war crime and an illegal act. Others see it as raw racism. It was a very sad day.

Valerie Lasciak

Wailuku