Summary Of Ronna Bolante's Bones Of Contention

Bolante’s Use of Pathos It is hard to imagine our loved ones being removed from their burial plots in a cemetery to make way for an apartment building but this is what is happening in Waikiki. Ronna Bolante’s article, “Bones of Contention,” analyzes the issues that arise when an ancient Hawaiian burial site is found during construction. Bolante uses pathos to invoke empathy from the reader. Pathos, the Greek work for suffering or experience, illustrates the speaker’s or author’s perception to the reader or audience. The article attempts to appeal to the reader’s sense of family, as anyone would be horrified if their loved ones’ graves were disturbed. It also paints a picture of halted development due to the mismanagement of the State…show more content…
To anyone who has lost a loved one, the thought of their coffins being dug up in the name of industry does not seem right. During the development of a condominium building and grocery store, 11 human remains were unearthed. Later, another 10 remains were discovered, some only two feet from the first burial site. All in all, 30 remains have been found over the entire site. Cultural descendants of the area have sued the state for allowing the construction to continue after the first 11 bodies were discovered. Native Hawaiian activists have tried to slow developers’ progress at the condominium site as well as other sites on the island to further preserve their culture. One activist has gotten “emotional talking about how the remains of a child were among those found at the sire and worries that the baby had been separated from its family” (60). The image of a baby’s body being removed from its family burial plot is horrifying for a parent in particular. Bolante’s effective use of pathos makes most readers sympathetic to Hawaiian activists’ pleas for better preservation of culture and burial lands. Why didn’t the state step in to stop construction of the land when the first 11 bodies were discovered? According to the president of the Society of Hawaiian Archeology, “the archaeologists surveyed…show more content…
Almost every working adult can remember a boss that has mismanaged a department. Bolante blames most of the failure of the SHPD on Chinen. The department has 24 positions but has had 22 personnel quit. Each island should have its own lead archaeologist and three islands’ archaeologists should have assistants. At the time of the article, there was one lead archaeologist and two assistants throughout the entire SHPD. That means three people have been doing the work of seven. Chinen “has an answer for every criticism…[some employees] could not handle the stress of dealing with such a thankless job” (66). Chinen insisted her policy changes, from time card accountability to report review quotas, have helped the division more than hurt but her former employees do not see it that way. One former branch chief eluded to manipulative management techniques such as “setting up a meeting and not give any idea on what it’s about” (68). Even Chinen’s qualifications have come under fire. The Department of Land and Natural Resources Chairman, Peter Young, was questioned about Chinen’s lack of qualifications and about the numerous complaints lodged against her during a confirmation hearing. Mr. Young was not confirmed because he was “not doing enough to address the root of the problem” (68). Chinen herself admits she does not have experience in historical preservation but has been working with other