Standing in the old cemetery at Iosepa and gazing across desolate Skull Valley, it's hard to imagine a more incongruous place for a settlement of Polynesian Mormons. For families who had left behind fertile island homes colored with tropical flowers and lullabied by warm tradewinds, Iosepa must have seemed a test of faith akin to the Israelites been made to wander in the wilderness for 40 years. Indeed, the history of the turn-of-the-century settlement was short and harsh. Iosepa lasted 28 years, during which it was plagued by famine, leprosy, diptheria, scorching summers and brutal winters. Today the town's only prominent feature is a cemetery -- a telling sign of what life was like there.

Now an anthropologist from New York is planning an archeological dig to map out what Iosepa once looked like and try to piece together what life was like in the abandoned settlement. In our opinion, he should proceed carefully and with great reverence.

In Hawaii -- where most of the Iosepa settlers came from -- concepts of death and burial are culturally different from those of most Westerners. Native Hawaiians -- including many who are members of the LDS Church today -- believe that once a person dies, their mana, or spiritual power, continues to reside in their iwi, or bones. These bones were often buried near homes both to keep ancestors close and to keep the bones from being claimed by enemies of the family. Despite the presence of the cemetery at Iosepa, it's possible next summer's archeological dig will unearth bones in unexpected places.

For this reason, and to honor the memory of the faithful saints who died at Iosepa, we would encourage Benjamin Pykles, the anthropologist who will lead next summer's dig, and his team to be sure they consult with Hawaiian cultural/spiritual leaders, called kahu, throughout the project. They should also look to involve as many Native Hawaiians as possible in the work, including elders from the Wasatch Front Hawaiian civic clubs and descendants of the settlers of Iosepa.

Inclusiveness is a Hawaiian value -- one that should be adhered to as this important project goes forward.

Iosepa may have been a small settlement whose history was short, but to many people this forgotten town symbolizes tremendous faith and courage. We applaud the scientific effort to better understand how Iosepa once stood, but it should not come at the expense of understanding the spiritual significance of what it stood for.