HILO, Hawaii – Papakilohoku Hawaiian Star Priest, Michael Kumukauoha Lee, took the witness stand on Monday to provide testimony in the Thirty Meter Telescope contested case hearing.
Lee was presented by contested case participant Harry Fergerstom, who is opposed to building the TMT on Mauna Kea. It was the first witness in the proceeding to be called by an opponent of the project who is not a part of the original “Mauna Kea Hui” of petitioners who participated in the first contested case in 2011.
Lee spoke of the family burials located on Mauna Kea, his ancestral knowledge of the summit and its cultural sites, and said the mountain is a “living mountain” that must be protected.
The video above is just a segment of Lee’s testimony. We plan to present the entire testimony and cross examination soon and will post the link here when it is published.
by Big Island Video News
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STORY SUMMARY
HILO (BIVN) - Harry Fergerstrom calls his first witness in the Thirty Meter Telescope contested case hearing: Michael Kumukauoha Lee, a Papakilohoku Hawaiian Star Priest.