A view of Mauna Kea in Hawaii. Photo from KAHEA: The Hawaiian-Environmental Alliance / Facebook
Native Hawaiians and their allies are gearing up for another round in their battle against a massive telescope project on their most sacred mountain. Last December, the state's highest court blocked construction of the $1.4 billion Thirty Meter Telescope, ruling that a permit was issued without a full consideration of all the environmental and cultural issues. Native activists believe the project will desecrate Mauna Kea, the most sacred peak on the big island of Hawaii. “Our connection to the mountain is like, that’s our elder, the mother of our resources,” activist Joshua Lanakila Mangauil, who famously interrupted an attempted groundbreaking in October 2014, told The New York Times. “We’re talking about the wau akua, the realm of where the gods live.” The next step in the fight is a "contested case" hearing that starts later this month. Interest is strong -- the document library hosted by the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources lists nearly two dozen parties and hundreds of documents. “In retrospect, we might have underestimated the strength of the sovereignty movement," Michael Bolte, an astronomer who sits on the TMT board, told The Times. Mauna Kea is already home to 12 telescope observatories that Native activists have opposed for years. Read More on the Story:
Under Hawaii’s Starriest Skies, a Fight Over Sacred Groun (The New York Times 10/4) Hawaii Supreme Court Decision:
Mauna Kea Anaina Hou v. Board of Land and Natural Resources (December 2, 2015)
Concurring Opinion (December 2, 2015)
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top court halts construction on sacred Native mountain (12/03) Dina Gilio-Whitaker: Sacred sites destroyed for observatories (12/02)
