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Bishop Museum board
revamps collections
policy in wake of
Forbes Cave outcry

By Burl Burlingame
Star-Bulletin

In a special meeting yesterday, the Bishop Museum board of directors approved both a new collections policy and several new claimants for the missing Forbes Cave artifacts.

The artifacts, worth millions of dollars, were taken by claimant group Hui Malama in February and vanished. Museum officials say they believed they were "loaning" the items to Hui Malama in the spirit of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act.

An outcry both inside and outside the museum forced the creation of a committee to modify the museum's internal guidelines on the law. Additional claimants also petitioned the museum for a say in preserving the artifacts.

In public statements and in its Ka 'Elele membership association newsletter, Bishop Museum officials demanded a "recall" of the items by July 1, but later softened the deadline until after yesterday's special board meeting.

The new policies will be collated by the middle of next week, according to Bishop Museum spokespeople. They are described as a large document that includes establishment of kupuna advisory committees for cultural perspective, and board approval of loans under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act.

The names of 13 prospective claimants for the Forbes Cave artifacts will not be made public until they have been notified in writing.

"That's actually one of the suggestions in the new policies," said spokesman Joe DeMattos. "Get everything in writing first."