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Respect for the host culture is often cited by lawmakers as an important consideration.

But this year the desire to advocate for Native Hawaiians is coming up against fiscal realities and the need to encourage development.

At the halfway mark of the 2011 session of the Hawaii Legislature, bills introduced by the Office of Hawaiian Affairs have found no quarter.

Of the 14 non-budget bills in the , only three survived the crossover. Other Native Hawaiian-focused measures had similar difficulty.

Dozens of bills related to cultural resources were introduced in January. Civil Beat has identified key proposals, some of which are still part of the conversation and some of which have been relegated to the history books:

What’s Alive

• Preparing and maintaining a roll of qualified Native Hawaiians to be recognized by the state of Hawaii —

• Establishing an aha kiole advisory commission to serve in an advisory capacity to the governor and the Legislature on all matters regarding land and natural resources — ( stalled)

• Requiring further review of proposed exchanges, sales or gifts of state land, including whether it was classed as government or crown lands —

• Establishing a task force to lessen the instances of the people of Hawaii, especially Native Hawaiians, becoming entangled in the criminal justice system — ( stalled)

• Exempting hand-pounded poi from Department of Health food safety processing requirements — ( stalled)

• Authorizing counties to streamline construction permit, license and application processing by deeming projects approved if the State Historic Preservation Division fails to comment within 60 days —

What’s Dead

• Requiring the transfer of $200 million in cash or land to OHA as proceeds from the lands of the public land trust — 

• Treating inadvertently discovered Native Hawaiian burials the same as previously known burials by requiring Burial Council consultation — ,

• Requiring the Department of Land and Natural Resources to review all proposed projects to determine effects on historic properties, aviation artifacts or burial sites — , ,

• Requiring the Historic Preservation Division to consult with Native Hawaiian cultural practitioners when any archaeological investigation is conducted —

• Requiring that all environmental assessments and environmental impact statements include an OHA-approved cultural impact assessment — 

• Transferring the functions and duties of the Historic Preservation Division relating to Hawaiian burial sites to the Office of Hawaiian Affairs —

• Requiring an audit of all state-held lands and an inventory of ceded lands —

• Establish kanaka villages for homeless Native Hawaiians —