Hawaii Archaeologist "Digs" Giving Back to the Local Community

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Kailua, Hawaii, United States of America (Free-Press-Release.com) November 23, 2010 --

Contact: Windy Keala McElroy, PhD FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(808) 381-2361 wkm@keala-pono.com
http://keala-pono.com

Local Archaeological Company “Digs” Giving Back to the Island Community

Hauula, HI – Keala Pono, a new archaeological consulting firm is one of a dozen that are located on the island. But that’s where the similarities end. Unlike many of the more established firms, the mission of Keala Pono’s founder and principal, Windy Keala McElroy is to train, educate and hire people from the local communities where she works rather than outsource to the mainland. McElroy, born and raised on the island, can understand the challenges for many people, having been a high school dropout and a single mother to two young children before going back to school to get her GED and eventually receiving a doctorate degree in Anthropology from the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa.

Since starting her company, she has already developed a reputation of offering competitive pricing but not scrimping or cutting corners when it comes to quality control. Her services are already in demand by developers, contractors and other agencies who appreciate her firm’s philosophy of being culturally sensitive and consulting with the community before the plans are set.

According to McElroy, ke ala pono translates in the Hawaiian language to “the path of righteousness” or doing the right thing. As an archaeological consultant, she is diligent to ensure that her reports are of the highest quality in the industry. A key component of her company is training and educating people in the local community about the field of archaeology and how they can get involved to protect and preserve archaeological sites. Her vision is to hire people from local communities that she has trained because they know and respect the land and can become long-term stewards of cultural resources. McElroy has already brought on four kama‘āina archaeologists to her firm and plans to continue with hiring more interns as they complete training.

When she first started college at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, McElroy had no idea that she would eventually be pursuing archaeology as a profession but was inspired by one of her professors. Since getting her doctoral degree, her travels have taken her all over the world including Belize, Cambodia, Mexico, Nepal, Japan, and Alaska. In Hawai‘i, she has run archaeological training programs on Moloka‘i and the Big Island and has plans for a fieldschool on the island on O‘ahu.

“Although there are other firms that specialize in archaeology, I like to hire people who live here to help create an awareness of how they can preserve the things that are unique to Hawai‘i. I want those resources to be available for my grandchildren so they can appreciate the beauty and heritage of the islands,” said McElroy. “ For those who may have thought that archaeology is just digging up rocks and that you can’t make a living at it, there is really a growing demand for our services. People want to make sure that the development of a project is compliant with the cultural heritage of the island.”



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Contact: Windy Keala McElroy, PhD
(808) 381-2361 wkm@keala-pono.com

Archaeology consulting     community service     Excavacation     Hawaii Manoa graduate     Hawaiian Archaeology     Keala Pono