Hawaii’s rich cultural traditions include burial practices that mean ancestral bones can be found almost anywhere in Hawaii today. Oahu’s rail project, for one, learned this directly, when lawsuits over iwi, or ancestral bones, delayed the project for more than a year. That lesson — of the abiding need to respect iwi amid the modern-day push for development — cannot be forgotten.

The rail episode comes to mind now, with a lawsuit being filed by Maui resident Jennifer Ahia against the state, Maui County and a subdivision developer, that seeks to halt construction over at least 182 Native Hawaiian burials allegedly disturbed by the project.

The suit alleges that the state and county failed to follow state historic preservation law protecting ancient Hawaiian burials; and that The Parkways at Maui Lani developer’s archaeological survey was inadequate since the 45-acre housing site comprising old sand dunes was known to contain burials.

Indeed, it’s interesting to note that the state Historic Preservation Division’s own website says of ancient burial tendencies: “Some kupuna were covered by stacked stones while others were buried with no surface markers at all, frequently in sand dunes.” Whether protocols have been breached here, though, will be for a judge to decide. Still, this case reminds that Hawaii is unique — and that even in this 21st century, respect of ancient iwi remains a powerful force.