HONOLULU – The Office of Hawaiian Affairs will meet again on Thursday, April 30 where they are expected to (again) take a position on the Thirty Meter Telescope planned for the summit area of Mauna Kea.
OHA voted to support the project in the past, but with the emergence of a vocal and determined opposition from beneficiaries, the Board of Trustees is entertaining the demand to reconsider.
The decision to hold the April 30 meeting was made during Thursday’s Board of Trustees meeting on Oahu, following a presentation and discussion on the University of Hawaii’s management of the astronomy precinct on the mountain. The room was packed with Mauna Kea Hui members and supporters, some of whom camped out at the OHA building the night before. There was also a large media presence at the meeting.
OHA had initially issued a media release saying TMT would be on the agenda for a meeting scheduled for May 7th, but trustees – wanting to address the issue as soon as possible – called for an earlier meeting.
The Office of Hawaiian Affairs also reported that it has arranged for a meeting tomorrow (April 24) for representatives from the Governor’s office, the University of Hawaiʻi, the Office of Mauna Kea Management, the Mauna Kea Hui, the Mauna Kea ʻOhana, and OHA to discuss the TMT controversy.
“We are glad that the Mauna Kea ʻOhana will participate in the discussions to convey their own positions and perspectives. With the different parties coming together in shared conversation, we believe this will bring greater understanding for everyone—an important first step in efforts aimed at finding resolution,” said OHA Chairperson Robert K. Lindsey Jr. in a media release.
“All parties are genuinely interested in hearing from one another and connecting he alo a he alo, face-to-face. The in-person communication allows us to convey more than just information. You can see and sense a lot in the presence of others—such important things as honesty, commitment, respect, and aloha. These are vital for problem solving,” said OHA Chief Executive Officer Kamanaʻopono Crabbe.
Before the full trustees meeting, TMT supporter Richard Ha testified before an OHA committee, stressing the economic importance of the project to Hawaii Island.
He was followed by Walter Ritte, who told the trustees that this goes beyond the need for profits, and that the movement to defend the mountain is a turning point in Hawaiian sovereignty.
Trustee Rowena Akana said, “Hawaiians have endured much over the years”.
NO Rowena, the PUBLIC has endured much over the years putting up with
you cry babies! Every time we turn around there is more whining for
something else. Over 850 race based for Polynesian-Hawaiian programs,
Polynesian-Hawaiian only schools, Polynesian-Hawaiian only homesteading,
OHA sucking on the teet of the tax payers to the tune of hundreds of
millions of dollars. Time for this charade on the PUBLIC to end!
OHA to take ANOTHER position, is what you mean to say.
@Darwin, I agree with what you say.
Unfortunately, several respondees to previous articles, let us “Haoles” know they hold OHA, “Hawaiian Homelands,” the “State of Hawaii,” and even the “US,” in low regard, to the point of ignoring any positions they hold. We might as well be shouting into a hurricane, regardless of the attempts to appease local sensibilities.
I can imagine few scenarios that don’t include an Imperial Japanese occupation attempt around 1941, under the “Greater East-Asian Co-Prosperity Sphere.” If the US had not annexed Hawaii, it doesn’t make the injustice “fair,” but anything after that annexation, would have to be constantly defending an indefenseless, neutral country. \
“Native Hawaiians!:” defend the ‘aina as you desire, but you are not uninvolved in the current occupation, as you pretend to be!
Test Line
I’ve been a teacher (now retired) and have chaired hundreds of meetings in my time, and I’ve never been to one where everyone agrees with the proposal. In this case, the people opposed are ill educated when it comes to the separation of religious beliefs and social progress, have based their objections on a religious concepts not everyone is comfortable with, and use religious beliefs as a tool to violate civil law–even the police are guilty of not following the law, or enforcing laws that currently exist. I do believe this project is good for Hawaii, good for the Hawaiian people, and good for education in general. If Pele were opposed to this type of project, then why is it there are already two other telescopes on the mountain and nothing has happened—ever? The objections from a small group dedicated to disruption are not interested in educating themselves. They are simply out to destroy the advancement of science in order to protect antiquated and dangerous ideas. If the “Queen” and “King” were alive today, they would embrace this project and profess it’s powers for the Hawaiian Nation. People opposed are SELFISH.
Nailed it.
The continued opposition to this vital project is an embarrassment to the Hawaiian people and their earliest progenitors, who used the stars to find the island chain in the first place. This is not an affront to the people, it is a logical extension of its contributions to astronomy and astral navigation.
This protest is not moving Hawaiians forward, it is holding them back.
This is amazing how they went from DLNR to UH, Mayor, Governor and now OHA. All pointing their fingers at each other but revealing to everyone that they were planning to make money for only themselves . This will benefit Hawaiian people with the 120 jobs for a population of 300k. Common…people think we’re against a telescope. We’re not against the telescope. Enough is enough with 13 already. Why hawaii where we care about our aina. Find somewhere where they don’t care. As far as talking about Pele that goes to show you think this is a joke. Born and raised Hawaiian and total disrespect to our people. You think we selfish…I think you got OHA and native kanaka’s mixed up. My ohaha dates back to 1800s in kalahiki and kohala. I have the Honolulu advertiser newspaper of the statehood and the annexation petition with 60 signatures in 1897. Being that history is repeating itself education should be focused on letting the keiki know why we’re living like today so they can have a possible chance to stand up for what they believe in. You have the meaning of selfish protestors and annexation mixed up.
….Just to balance out BIVN people need to view this story on KITV about the TMT protestor and his hate filled Rant;
http://www.kitv.com/news/TMT-opponent-apologizes-for-hate-filled-rant/32567090?absolute=true
civil war…let the warriors from both nations..fight it out…
All religion is a joke. Too many stupid things are done in this world because of ignorant religious beliefs. Science is the only common denominator.
Civil war? Fight it out? America can’t even handle fighting a country that’s not fighting back. I think you forgot that America is built on cowards and snakes not hard work anymore. So send a drone from hilo airport and blow up kids is what you talking bubbles about like the middle east n Africa but over a telescope. Funny talk from a joke in the position of no power.
Well said. Sure hope you show up at the meeting.
“Yet, this is not a movement of anti-science—come on, we’re Hawaiian,” said Kanuha. “We got here because of science. Our kupuna were some of the greatest scientists in the world, traveling the largest ocean on the planet at a time when most people thought the world was flat, scared to sail five miles off shore for fear of falling off the edge. That’s one of the greatest achievements in the history of mankind. Think about that—they did that on canoes, with stone and wood, not …metal telescopes. We had courage and faith in the teachings of our ancestors. When did our ancestors teach us to desecrate ʻāina?
“When Captain Cook first came in 1778, he couldn’t believe how productive the lands were, couldn’t believe how clean the people were, couldn’t believe how we could feed and sustain a people so easily,” continued Kanuha. “More than 800 fish ponds in Hawaiʻi; is that not science? Thousands and thousands of loʻi; is that not science? Look at the Kumulipo; that’s science. What we’re against is desecration. What we’re against is the further dehumanization of our people that’s been institutionalized since 1896 when they banned Hawaiian in public schools.”
– Kahoʻokahi Kanuha
You’ve got the quantity (13) mixed up with quality. Ask a photographer what good 13 200mm lenses will be when he/she needs a 600mm with superior optics.
At least one of the 13 is slated for decommission and removal. Others will follow.
How is a telescope disrespectful? When you consider that your earliest progenitors were among the most advanced star gazers and astral navigators in the world in their time this protest strikes me as a slap in their faces.
The telescope will do far more to bring all the right kinds of recognition and respect to Hawaii and its people than not.
You could be working with the TMT to use this opportunity to further educate the world about the contributions the earliest Hawaiians made to astronomy and related sciences.
Why do so many Hawaiians live in the fantasy of isolationism? As if you want the rest of the world you live on to just magically disappear and go away? Makes no sense to think this way. Hawaiians, like ALL people, are a part of the greater global community. We all had the same origins. We are better off accepting the fact and working together to advance the species for the benefit of all.
Hawaiian ISIS or what? Damn.
It is not the telescope that’s disrespectful. It is the simple fact that Haoles do not care when we talk. They think we’re delusional instead of listening to history. Disrespecting everything that is our being. If we say the mountain means a lot to us do not ignore it. we’re not saying it for our health it really is sacred like mt. Fuji but you all don’t seem to have a problem with their mountain being sacred. People say hawaiians is like the Taliban and we uneducated but I can do everything most of these negative commenter’s can do and more. Hawaiians care about others and are willing to listen to their history. Take into consideration where you come from and who you are and on the other hand you tell us we’re superstitious, religion is a joke like we’re wrong and loony for thinking that way. We welcome everyone with Aloha while haole welcome themselves and forcefully try to annex the spirit of Aloha. It’s not about telescope it’s their snake attitude and how the uh regents looking all mad and not interested in any of the protesters speach. They have their mind made up and no consideration for anything but to fill up their pockets and attend meetings looking disgusted. Do you expect us to still have aloha after this disrespect? You know drug dealers use the same tactics to push drugs on someone who doesn’t want to do it.
You presume to know everything about me. Bad pool. I was raised on Oahu by haole AND Hawaiian family. My half-sister is directly descended from Hawaiian ali’i. There are many causes vital to maintaining Hawaiian and indigenous histories I support, just not this one. I feel this protest is more ideological than practical. There is nothing rational about declaring the largest mountain on Earth off limits to something like this telescope. It will not have any truly damaging effect. Far more good than bad will come of it. When was the last time you looked through a high powered telescope into the infinite universe?
No I don’t think I know everything about you. I never looked through a high power telescope but I’m a member at imiloa and I can tell you right now pictures or films in there don’t look like it came from the existing telescopes and membership is not cheap. That’s alright tho I got membership for the keiki. I seen an astronomer protesting in part 2 uh meeting that works at imiloa astronomy center. Look at most of the comments hawaiians stupid dis n dat. They like rip da mountain and dig 1 massive puka. That is just out of control. Change um from lava to gravel rebar,concrete, metal and mercury tanks yeah right on Aloha cuz
…Interesting insights and map;
http://www.welivemana.com/about-mana
Membership for indigenous Hawaiians should be free.
Massive puka? Relative to the size of the mountain it’s not even a flea bite. The runoff from the construction will have no lasting or measurable effect on the water table. Lava rock and dirt are among the best natural filtration systems on Earth. By the time any of the runoff makes its way to a faucet it will not have any measurably negative health effects.
One astronomer out of many isn’t a strong position. There are still some scientists who deny manmade climate change, most are religious. Should we be heeding them instead of the 97% of scientists who disagree with them?
The TMT is an excellent opportunity for Hawaiians to educate the world on the contributions made to astronomy and astral navigation by the earliest inhabitants of the islands.
King Kalakaua explicitly welcomed early western astronomers and encouraged their efforts.