Bill to Protect Historic Sites

Yesterday's Maui News had an interesting article about House Bill 1965, introduced by Maui's own Rep. Mele Carroll, which would require an archaeological inventory before selling undeveloped property.

Maui County is rich in archaeological remains -- particularly in Rep. Carroll's district, which covers East Maui, Moloka'i and Lana'i -- many of which are still undiscovered or have been forgotten during the most recent decades of rapid island development. In the 19th-century, many amateur historians, writers, and archaeologists commented on the heiau (temples) they saw and the remnants of pre-contact Hawai'ian settlements and farm sites. Many of those sites may still exist, but a comprehensive archaeological survey of the island has not been done in modern times using up-to-date techniques.

For anyone interested in reading more about Maui's archaeological past, the best (and most dense) book is Elspeth Sterling's Sites of Maui (unfortunately out of print, but sometimes available at used book stores on the island or online).

Or, of course, take a tour with us at Walk Maui! We'd love to share our island's history -- ancient and more modern -- with you.

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