Group At Hale Pohaku on Thursday As Observatory Project Moves Forward
MAUNA KEA – As the site preparation for the construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope gets underway, the opposition to the $1.3 billion observatory has taken to Mauna Kea.
After a weather delay, the heavy machinery has been transported to the northern plateau of the mountain this week. A small group followed in protest.
On Thursday, during the state’s Prince Kuhio Day holiday, the size of that group grew larger. When Big Island Video News arrived at Hale Pohaku to film, the group had surrounded the Mauna Kea Access Road by the visitor center, holding kapu aloha. Vehicles driving through were questioned as to the intention of their visit. Although the road was blocked, the vehicles were being allowed to pass. There was no showdown with TMT construction crews, because work was postponed in observance of the holiday.
We interviewed Lanakila Mangauil during the action. Mangauil explained the situation to every summit-bound visitor he spoke to.
Participants in the demonstration say they will maintain a presence on the mountain over the next few weeks (at least) as construction of TMT gets underway.
The Thirty Meter Telescope Project has been developed as a collaboration among Caltech, UC, the Association of Canadian Universities for Research in Astronomy (ACURA), and the national institutes of Japan, China, and India. Major funding has been provided by the Gordon & Betty Moore Foundation. A groundbreaking for the project was disrupted in October 2014, but TMT nevertheless moved into its construction phase.
Big Island Video News will soon feature a lengthy interview with Lanakila Mangauil detailing his stand against the construction of the observatory.
Looking forward to that lengthy interview with Lanakila! He knows in his puuwai what the Mauna needs! And it does not need TMT! ❤️ Eo!
…Yes…Let’s all help take Hawaii back to the stone age instead of forward in the the future of space…..
VOLUNTEER YOUR BACKYARD
been reading and just observing people opinion !! everyone as the right to there own opinion!! but when it comes to Hawaii and Hawaiian cultural value!! no one as a right to dictate Hawaiian internal and cultural protocols and internal politics but Maoli kanaka Hawaii.. we welcome thos who stand with us for the value and Aloha as Akua gift to one another unconditional .. you comment about looking into the future!! My question is WHY? have you seen what space looks like all the rubbish that circles our planet and calls it science!! if the creator wanted us out there he would have not put us on this planet!! he would have put us on Mars long time ago!! and now science wants to peep into space where they have no right too!!.
In your pursuit towards making PONO, the process must be PONO. In understanding this statement: All parties are guilty. Maybe looking towards the stars for answers can be considered PONO, but the process they incorporate to do that is not. I don’t believe the protesters are denying summit access to visitors and more pressed to educate them, but whatever the protesters are doing should be without a doubt PONO or it invalidates the whole process towards making PONO. Tourists and non-Hawaiians no like listen to us anyways unless we peroxide our hair and wear large puka shells necklaces wearing outrageous colored aloha shirts.
I have a suggestion to help The Protectors with fundraising: Make t-shirts that have a silhouette of an astronomer with their nose in the air and the caption: “Why do the the astronomers think they are so above it all”. (Ha’aheo)
Funny thing is, they got this space rail thing their installing on the big island to launch future crafts into orbit. Hawaii is the future of space exploration!