The New York-based anthropologist spearheading an archeological project at Iosepa has reached out to Utah's Polynesian community to assist in the work planned for the area this summer.

Benjamin Pykles, assistant professor of anthropology at the State University of New York at Potsdam, addressed a crowd of Iosepa descendants at last weekend's annual memorial gathering in Skull Valley (see photos on A12). He outlined his study to understand what life was like in the abandoned town, which was settled by LDS Polynesian pioneers from 1889 to 1917, and asked for input and volunteers during his one-month project set to begin July 7.

Pykles said the landowner of Iosepa, the Ensign Group, has legal title to the land but the Polynesians have a heritage connection to it.

"We're trying to be accommodating to all interested parties so that they can participate and connect with the past," he said. "We hope some of these people will come out and volunteer."

Pykles also distributed comment cards asking for help in recording oral histories of Iosepa so its memory can be preserved. He said the response he's gotten about the overall project has been positive.

"The main goal of the project is to protect and preserve the town site and try to see what life was like there on a day-to-day basis," he said.

From July 7 to Aug. 2, Pykles, as well as about 10 or 11 students from the State University of New York at Potsdam and possibly one student or faculty from Salt Lake Community College, will be continuing archeological work that began last summer.

Last summer, 10 or 12 blocks of the town were staked out, and this summer Pykles hopes to finish staking the town in its entirety. In addition, he hopes to be able to find the old pipe system for fire hydrants and plumbing, as well as any other buried features throughout the town.

This summer, Pykles' team will be doing major work on one of two contiguous lots that belonged to John Mahoe, one of the original Iosepa pioneers. Ground-penetrating radar done last summer detected what looks like a foundation, Pykles said. He's hoping to confirm those findings this summer.

A depression in the ground at Iosepa with more plant growth shows what Pykles believes could be a trash deposit, which he also hopes to discover this summer. He said such a find would be valuable in understanding what life was like at the historic settlement.

Kathy Kaa, president of the Iosepa Historical Association, said she did have some concerns when first hearing about Pykles' plans.

"Now I'm happy with it, but before I didn't understand it," she said, adding she first thought graves were going to be dug up. She said once she found out no graves would be disturbed, she became excited about the project and now hopes to be a part of it.

Native Hawaiians believe spiritual power, or mana, resides in an ancestor's bones, or iwi. In ancient Hawaii, it was common for people to bury remains on family property to have the loved ones close and to avoid enemies obtaining that person's bones.

George Sadowski, grandson of John Mahoe, said his main concern was also that a body might be dug up during the process. Once he understood that Pykles would follow protocol associated with finding remains, he was put at ease.

"He's done his research. He's very good," Sadowski said. "He's coming to us to say 'We need your input. This is where your family lived, be a part of it.'"

Cory Hoopiiaina, a descendant of one of two families who remained at Iosepa after it was mostly abandoned, has had similar concerns regarding human remains.

"If a woman had a miscarriage, they didn't necessarily bury it in the cemetery," he said. "If they were to find a body, hopefully the landowner would allow us to perform a ceremony, take care of those remains and put them in the cemetery."

Hoopiiaina, current treasurer and former president of the Iosepa Historical Association, also said he hopes artifacts found at the town site could be on display so people could have an opportunity to see them.

Scattered around the more than 100 acres of the town site are shards of pottery and jars, and bent metal tablespoons lie half hidden in the dirt. Larger items like old skeleton frames of benches sit outside the visible rock foundations of one of the buildings.

"We'd like to retrieve the artifacts and share them," Hoopiiaina said.

Pykles said if he can't find a museum to house the artifacts found, the landowner has said he will build a repository.

Despite concerns, many descendants of the original Iosepa pioneers have embraced the project.

"It's really great how this is coming together," Sadowski said. "Every time Ben comes out here he finds something new and his enthusiasm is contagious. He has a vested interest in it as an archeologist, and we have a vested interest as a family."

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