{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://tokuda.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-tokuda-leads-letter-us-department-interior-requesting-additional-support", "Rep. Tokuda Leads Letter to U.S. Department of the Interior Requesting Additional Support for Maui Fire Recovery, Cultural Preservation Efforts", "2023-09-22", "2023", "2023-09", "Democrat", "House", "HI", "Jill N. Tokuda", "T000487", "tokuda.house.gov", "tokuda", "https://tokuda.house.gov/media/press-releases?PageNum_rs=9&", "scraper", "(Washington, D.C.)\u2013 Today, Representative Jill Tokuda (HI-02), along with House Natural Resources Ranking Member Raul Grijalva, and Rep. Ed Case sent a letter to Secretary Deb Haaland requesting that the Department of Interior (the Department) provide support for the environmental recovery and cultural preservation efforts on Maui and Hawai\u02bbi Island.\n\nThe letter outlines four areas of concern for the Department to focus on:\n\nEnvironmental Stewardship\n\nRequesting that the Department offer its technical expertise in the consideration of the future resilience of communities in Hawai\u02bbi, as well as respect the traditional stewardship of these areas.\n\nRepatriation of Native Hawaiian Artifacts\n\nRequesting that the Department take an active role to ensure that the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and other Federal agencies involved in L\u0101hain\u0101 remediation efforts are compliant with requirements under the Native American Graves, Patrimony, and Repatriation Act.\n\nNative Hawaiian Climate Resilience\n\nRequesting that the Department\u2019s Office of Native Hawaiian Relations help build capacity in the Native Hawaiian Community to increase climate resilience on Maui, Hawai\u02bbi Island, and throughout the State of Hawai\u02bbi.\n\nNative Hawaiian Consultation\n\nRequesting that the Department\u2019s Office of Native Hawaiian Relations continue working to develop and finalize formal consultation procedures with the Native Hawaiian Community so that they can be utilized by Federal agencies charged with remediation efforts on Maui and Hawai\u02bbi Island.\n\nThe full letter is as follows:\n\nSeptember 22, 2023\n\nThe Honorable Deb Haaland\n\nSecretary of the Interior\n\nU.S. Department of the Interior\n\n1849 C Street NW\n\nWashington, DC 20240\n\nDear Secretary Haaland:\n\nWe first want to thank the U.S. Department of the Interior (the Department) for its swift response and continued support in the aftermath of the wildfires that resulted in the loss of life and destruction of communities in Hawai\u02bbi. We greatly appreciate the Department\u2019s direct support in firefighting efforts that protected the Pu\u2019ukohol\u0101 Heiau National Historic Site on Hawai\u2019i Island and the Department\u2019s critical role in fire evacuation and search and rescue efforts in Maui.\n\nAs we transition from the immediate wildfire response to long-term action, we request that the Department provide support for environmental recovery and cultural preservation efforts on Maui and Hawai\u02bbi Island.\n\nEnvironmental Stewardship\n\nThese tragic wildfires continue a pattern of frequent once-in-a-lifetime weather events that are negatively impacting every aspect of life in Hawai\u2018i. Climate-fueled environmental conditions, including prolonged drought, dangerously high winds, and invasive species, contributed to these wildfires, which have tragically resulted in over 100 confirmed deaths. In addition to more than 2,100 structures damaged and 5,600 residents displaced, thousands of acres of agricultural and conservation land have been burned.\n\nLand management also remains an important factor in the mitigation of increased natural disasters. The Native Hawaiian Community recognizes the interconnectedness of ecosystems with the traditional ahupua\u2018a subdivision of land, from the mountains to the sea. The increase of fallow agricultural lands, lack of support for conservation lands, and difficulty in accessing critical resources, such as water, exacerbate the community impacts of climate disasters.\n\nAs Federal agencies look to assist the people of Hawai\u2018i in efforts to restore the local ecosystems, we request the Department offer its technical expertise in the consideration of the future resilience of these communities as well as respect the traditional stewardship of these areas. The Department will play a vital role in coordinating and overseeing the federal response to help in the rebuilding of these communities.\n\nRepatriation of Native Hawaiian Artifacts\n\nThe recent wildfires that swept through L\u0101hain\u0101, Maui have left many residents, including members of the Native Hawaiian Community, mourning not only the loss of family and friends but also destruction of homes, historic landmarks, and cultural items.\n\nFor hundreds of years, L\u0101hain\u0101 was the center of religious and political activity in Hawai\u02bbi. In 1810, after King Kamehameha succeeded in unifying the Hawaiian Islands, he made L\u0101hain\u0101 his royal residence. For three decades, L\u0101hain\u0101 served as the capital of the Hawaiian Kingdom before it was moved to Honolulu. As one of the most significant archaeological sites in Hawai\u2018i, L\u0101hain\u0101 was also home to historic documents such as the Mahele (the great land division agreement of the 1840s), the Hawaiian government\u2019s first constitution, and the remains of several Hawaiian monarchs.\n\nOver the past 30 years, in Hawai\u02bbi, repatriation advocates have helped bring back feather cloaks, wooden statues, and more than 6,000 ancestral bones, an effort which has been critical to restoring Native Hawaiian cultural assets, preserving history, and perpetuating traditional indigenous practices. As part of ongoing efforts to rebuild the town of L\u0101hain\u0101 and revitalize its rich history, we ask that the Department work with local leaders and community members to support the repatriation and transfer of any human remains and other cultural items of significance to the Native Hawaiian Community.\n\nWe also ask that the Department take an active role to ensure that the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and other Federal agencies involved in L\u0101hain\u0101 remediation efforts are in compliance with requirements under the Native American Graves, Patrimony, and Repatriation Act.\n\nNative Hawaiian Climate Resilience\n\nThe wildfires on Maui have renewed centuries-old tensions over water rights and management of natural resources between community members and developers. In the late 18th century, L\u0101hain\u0101 was once abundant with natural wetlands, extensive taro patches, and fishponds that sustained wildlife and generations of Native Hawaiian families. However, after more than a century and a half of plantation agriculture driven by American and European colonists, many L\u0101hain\u0101 streams have been depleted, and the large-scale monoculture of sugar cane and pineapple industries has drastically altered the ecology of the island.\n\nOver the past two decades, Native Hawaiian farmers in Maui have fought to reclaim water rights and restore streamflow on their ancestral lands for taro farming, sustainable fishing, and other traditional agricultural practices. We ask the Department\u2019s Office of Native Hawaiian Relations help build capacity in the Native Hawaiian Community to increase climate resilience on Maui, Hawai\u02bbi Island, and throughout the State of Hawai\u02bbi by considering these efforts to revive sustainable indigenous agricultural practices when determining Native Hawaiian Climate Resilience and Adaption grant awards authorized under the Inflation Reduction Act.\n\nNative Hawaiian Consultation\n\nDuring his recent visit to L\u0101hain\u0101, President Biden assured community members in Maui that the Administration would \u201cdo everything possible to help [them] recover, rebuild, and respect culture and traditions when the rebuilding takes place.\u201d He also promised the L\u0101hain\u0101 community that the federal government would support cleanup and rebuilding efforts and \u201cget it done the way [they] want it done.\u201d\n\nIt is critical that the federal government follow the President\u2019s directive to elevate and advance the needs of affected communities \u2013 not the interests of predatory developers. The devastating wildfires present the Native Hawaiian Community with an opportunity to rebuild their homelands and manage their resources in ways they have not been afforded in the past. They are best equipped to navigate their own future, and we must do all that we can to protect their seat at the decision-making table.\n\nIn October 2022, the Department\u2019s Office of Native Hawaiian Relations announced its plans to develop the agency\u2019s first-ever consultation policy with the Native Hawaiian Community. We encourage the Department to continue working to develop and finalize these formal consultation procedures with the Native Hawaiian Community so that they can be utilized by Federal agencies charged with remediation efforts on Maui and Hawai\u02bbi Island to ensure the full participation of the Native Hawaiian Community in long-term recovery and rebuilding efforts.\n\nWhile communities in Maui and Hawai\u02bbi Island continue to recover and start to rebuild, it is crucial that state and local governments and residents have access to strong resources and necessary assistance. The historical, cultural, and ecological importance of these islands and the affected areas cannot be overstated. We stand ready to assist the Administration in the environmental response and cultural preservation efforts of Maui and Hawai\u02bbi Island.\n\nThank you for your time and consideration.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T00:37:48Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://tokuda.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-tokuda-leads-letter-us-department-interior-requesting-additional-support"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.7785639502108097, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}