About 50 Native Hawai'ians protested the October 13 opening of Wal-Mart's first store in Honolulu because the company had not yet reburied remains unearthed during construction. The discovery in March of 44 remains raised controversy over the continuation of the building project, and Native groups tried to delay the opening of the store until the remains were reburied. Moses Haia, a Native Hawai'ian Legal Corporation lawyer, filed a suit against the corporation over its unearthing and moving of the remains. Wal-Mart Spokeswoman Cynthia Lin told the Honolulu Advertiser, "We have been committed to treating the remains with respect and in accordance with appropriate cultural protocol."
