MAUNA KEA – In our first interview with Lanakila Mangauil since the arrests on Mauna Kea, the Hawaiian cultural practitioner from Hamakua recalls the effort to defend the sacred mountain on April 2nd, which is seen as a pivotal moment. The 31 arrests made that day inspired people from across the state to become actively involved in the Thirty Meter Telescope blockade, either supporting the effort in person or staging demonstrations of their own on other islands (or across the globe).

This video combines the interview with footage taken on April 2 by Big Island Video News as well as Evan Bordessa and Lanakila Mangauil himself.