Will Mauna Kea protests save a sacred summit?
Native Hawaiian activists say state’s business interests favoured over indigenous rights to sacred lands.
To some Native Hawaiians, the state’s tallest mountain Mauna Kea represents the realm of the Earth’s creator and the birthplace of the Hawaiian people. But pro-business groups interested in boosting Hawaii’s tech industry want the summit to house what would be the largest telescope in the Northern Hemisphere.
Native Hawaiian activists are currently blocking the mountain’s access road and have indefinitely halted the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) project that was scheduled to begin construction this month. Protesters say their current struggle is yet another chapter in a long history of racial discrimination and the denial of indigenous rights by the state. In this episode, we’ll talk about the telescope controversy and get an update on the ongoing protest led by indigenous Hawaiians. Join the conversation.
On this episode of The Stream, we speak with:
David Kauila Kopper
Staff Attorney, The Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation
nhlchi.org
Kealoha Pisciotta, @kealohap2016
President of Mauna Kea Anaina Hou
protectmaunakea.net
Blaze Lovell, @blaze_lovell
Reporter, Honolulu Civil Beat
civilbeat.org
Read more:
Hawaii telescope: $1.4bn project faces stiff opposition – Al Jazeera
Supporters say Hawaii telescope will bring jobs, knowledge – AP
WATCH: The 50-year history of mismanagement at Hawai’i’s Mauna Kea – Colorlines