The imprisoned leader of a native Hawaiian group is scheduled to appear in federal court this afternoon before a judge who jailed him for contempt last week.

Yesterday, U.S. District Judge David Ezra ordered Edward Halealoha Ayau to appear in his courtroom for a status conference at 2:30 p.m. Ezra's order did not say why he wanted Ayau to appear.

Ezra sentenced Ayau to prison after he violated a court order by refusing to give the specific location of 83 native Hawaiian artifacts that he and other members of his group, Hui Malama I Na Kupuna O Hawaii Nei, reburied in a Big Island Cave in February 2000. Hui Malama was founded in 1989 to reclaim native Hawaiian remains and burial items from museums and construction sites.

Ayau was sentenced to "an indeterminate amount of time" until either he or other Hui Malama members identify the location of the items.

Ayau has said the court order is demanding that he violate his religious beliefs, which is contrary to his constitutional right to freedom of religion.