{"id":58201,"date":"2015-05-18T12:00:58","date_gmt":"2015-05-18T11:00:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/?p=58201"},"modified":"2015-05-15T15:32:26","modified_gmt":"2015-05-15T14:32:26","slug":"the-30-meter-telescope-project-on-top-of-mauna-kea-hawaii-sacred-mountain","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/2015\/05\/the-30-meter-telescope-project-on-top-of-mauna-kea-hawaii-sacred-mountain\/","title":{"rendered":"The 30-Meter Telescope Project on Top of Mauna Kea, Hawai\u2019i Sacred Mountain"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"cropped-mauna-kea-ethan-tweedie-e14124954844422\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Confronting the Haole Attitude Towards Aloha \u2018\u0100ina<\/em><\/p>\n

14 May 2015<\/em><\/p>\n

I.<\/strong> I will start off by saying I\u2019m not indigenous to the islands, I\u2019m not born and raised in Hawai\u2018i, I\u2019m not even residing there right now, but on the pro-TMT side, it is those that are as well neither Kanaka Maoli nor long-term residents of Hawai\u2018i, who are the most self-righteous in their arguments for the construction. There is a certain fact they have no respect for or just refuse to understand<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

I want to talk about the haole attitude in the pro-TMT debate. Take a look at the racist e-mail<\/a> and non-apologies that came out of UC Berkeley and the astronomy community, defending their usually so harmless science as the sudden \u201cbad guy\u201d in this debate, when all they want is to see light years away to find the earth\u2019s origins. In doing so, they silence the voice of Hawaiians<\/strong>, who state their origins from the coming together of the Earth Mother Papah\u0101naumoku and the Sky Father W\u0101kea as their first-born Mauna Kea. I want to talk about those who believe this is about going \u201cback to the roots\u201d and doing away with all technology, those who scoff at the mention of \u201csacred\u201d and \u201cspiritual\u201d, and interpret it as \u201canti-science<\/a>\u201d and \u201canti-progress\u201d to make a mockery of it.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a blatant disrespect of Hawaiian beliefs.<\/strong> The desecration of Mauna Kea, when cultural practitioners and other protectors of the mauna have called it such, is further denial of the voice of a nation that has been oppressed<\/strong> by colonizers for over a century. Non-K\u0101naka Maoli are in no position to be laying any claim on these lands and what is to happen with them, while denying Hawaiian cultural expression and measuring it as of lesser value. This also isn\u2019t a debate for \u201clocal\u201d settlers, Asian and white, to take part in, if the only thing they have to say is that Hawaiian cultural beliefs don\u2019t factor into this. They aren\u2019t the ones who have ancestral ties to the land that is being desecrated<\/strong>. Questioning the verity of \u201csacredness\u201d and describing the protectors as superstitious quacks, or comparing them to religious anti-science climate change deniers, comes from a place of<\/strong> cultural insensitivity, intolerance, and ignorance<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

There is no separating the TMT construction, sovereignty, and Hawaiian cultural beliefs. The culture and the people are all a part of the \u2018\u0101ina<\/strong>, and the rightful indigenous custodians of the land<\/strong> have been replaced by American legalities. Consequently, calls for decolonization of the land, of the people, of the mind<\/strong>, are all a part of this. This means that no matter how many generations settler colonists have been living in Hawai\u2018i, this is about the people who were there first and who have had their homelands taken away from them and their rights denied<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Here, I focus on the cultural oppression and erasure<\/strong><\/a> that came from it. Ethnocide<\/strong>, as it\u2019s been called in these circumstances, which is fortunately on its way to being reversed since Hawaiian Renaissance in the 1970s. Hula was restricted, and is now a great attraction as the Merrie Monarch shows, but also a cultural practice of story-telling. \u2018\u014clelo Hawai\u2018i was banned, and now immersion schools have led to more recent generations of Native Hawaiians fluent in it, and it is no longer feared to be an endangered language if this continues. Previous generations given Christian first names and Hawaiian second names are now being called by their Hawaiian names. A hale was built on the mauna by the protectors, oli were chanted, hula was performed<\/a>, the community of solidarity is still growing in strength and in numbers<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Yet there are debates on authenticity of culture<\/strong><\/a>, what is customary Hawaiian, what is an ahistorical claim of it or a contemporary adaptation. Paragraphs of more legalities if the assertions of Mauna Kea as a spiritual place<\/strong> are according to Hawaiian tradition or not. On top of that, just this week one of the arrested protectors was led off the stands in the courtroom for speaking the native language<\/strong><\/a>, an official language of the land. How is that perpetuating the life of the land in righteousness<\/strong>?<\/p>\n

\"Mauna<\/a>

Mauna Kea protectors blow the P\u016b or conch shell to mark the beginning of a ceremony. (Facebook \/ We Are Mauna Kea)<\/p><\/div>\n

II.<\/strong> As I said, I\u2019m not talking about only white people as haole, nor are settler communities given a pass, I specifically mean haole as an attitude<\/strong><\/a>: the disrespectful behaviour and attitude some bring towards Hawaiian culture and beliefs. If you\u2019re a guest in a house, you take off your shoes, you don\u2019t move around the furniture, (\u201cIt\u2019s a metaphor\u201d), is what the UHM student in the YouTube video explained to his physics professor in her pro-TMT lecture. I was surprised to find out that the physics professor had already spent over a decade at UHM, this \u201cHawaiian place of learning<\/a>\u201d<\/strong> that granted me my graduate degree. Much like I was surprised when in my first year in Hawai\u2018i, a friend who had lived there for more than five times as long, said she had never heard about Hawaiians being descended from kalo<\/a>. How wasn\u2019t that common knowledge by now? Because they weren\u2019t taught this, or because they didn\u2019t care?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u2019m calling out those<\/strong> who walk in and do as they please and demand to be served as they believe their position necessitates, merely because their American passport lets them into Hawai\u2018i without passing through immigration. I\u2019m calling out those<\/strong> who treat Pidgin as a lesser and uneducated English, or who complain about not understanding a statement if it includes one or two common Hawaiian words that they refuse to pronounce properly, when it\u2019s not that clever to take pride in speaking only one language. I\u2019m calling out those<\/strong> who act all horrified that they are treated with less privilege than they had grown accustomed to. I\u2019m calling out those<\/strong> who want to make a case against \u201creverse racism\u201d and \u201cracial discrimination\u201d according to American laws and what they deem is \u201cequality\u201d, because they are unaware of or don\u2019t care about historical contexts of imperialism and illegal occupation<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m calling out those who have not yet learned to stop and listen<\/strong>, those who talk back to their elders and their hosts, those who have no humility in admitting they may not know everything and may not always be right. I\u2019m calling out those who don\u2019t know their place and lay claims on the land that is not theirs<\/strong>, because some signature on a piece of paper is given as proof.<\/p>\n

Maybe I was lucky enough to not have been born white (or a man), so I never got \u201chaole\u201d yelled at me in Hawai\u2018i for simply my appearance. Then again, that\u2019s the only time not being white (and a man) has ever been an advantage and would be considered lucky. As a newcomer to the islands, you\u2019re more likely to be criticized as haole by someone for your behaviour<\/strong>, not just<\/em> for your appearance. There\u2019s a difference between stating the fact<\/strong> of being haole and the insult of being a fucking idiot haole. There\u2019s a difference between born-and-raised local haole and those who complain about \u201cracism\u201d. Those that have spent enough time in Hawai\u2018i have learned to be more humble, they are born into or adjust to the local lifestyle with a sense of respect and humility<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

But this isn\u2019t about being \u201clocal\u201d to the islands, this is about being sprung from the kalo and the earth<\/strong>. This is about defining oneself and one\u2019s culture from the life of the land<\/a>, the kama\u2018\u0101ina<\/strong>. The concept of cultural identity being tied to the land is shared with many indigenous cultures, and it is also a concept that has many haole in disbelief over why relocation or paying for legal access to land isn\u2019t considered a fair trade-off. It happens over and over worldwide<\/strong> for mining projects, the logging industry and other deforestation, or whatever is judged to be for the sake of \u201cdevelopment\u201d. Environmental factors play a role, but it\u2019s often the hardest to explain the connection to the land that is lost. Ecological costs can be measured, but how do you quantify the spiritual loss of the land, the loss of one\u2019s self?<\/strong><\/p>\n

This really isn\u2019t the responsibility of K\u0101naka Maoli to have to explain to others. If it\u2019s too difficult a concept for you to understand, you should have no say in this matter. If you do understand, you respectfully accept that there is<\/em> no fair trade-off to be argued over.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"H\u0101loa<\/a>

H\u0101loa Cover by Solomon Enos<\/p><\/div>\n

III. <\/strong>What is my personal concern to this debate? My piko wasn\u2019t brought to Lake Waiau, my k\u016bpuna haven\u2019t been going up Mauna Kea to pule for generations, my genealogy isn\u2019t connected to the Hawaiian Islands in any way. I\u2019m speaking up<\/strong>, because for all the complaints I have heard about \u201creverse racism\u201d and how unwelcoming Hawaiians and locals are, I have to disagree. Hawai\u2018i is in fact the only place I have lived in, out of more than half a dozen on several continents, where I could feel most welcome<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Those arguing that Hawaiian belief in the sacredness of Mauna Kea<\/strong> is irrelevant or outlandish, are the same people that have argued with me about perceiving racism in Hawai\u2018i and that then go and make statements that insult the host culture:<\/p>\n

If Hawai\u2018i had never been colonized or would become independent now, what about all the development that has benefitted Hawaiians or they\u2019d be living like those other islands, yes, of course, even the homeless Hawaiians are far happier than any child in the Congo could be, thanks to the money and progress the Americans have brought.<\/em><\/p>\n

This was said to me in the person\u2019s unyielding conviction that he was in fact talking to a Native Hawaiian, as much as I argued that no, I wasn\u2019t<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Attitudes like this are given a voice<\/strong> at UHM, especially in the sciences. They have deliberately talked down to me being certain I was Hawaiian, and have made this my concern as well<\/strong>. If it\u2019s all in the name of bettering the education of Native Hawaiian students, as they are now saying repeatedly, it won\u2019t work by rejecting Hawaiian philosophies and calling them \u201canti-science\u201d to promote their cause. Wouldn\u2019t the money be much better put to use in Hawai\u2018inuiakea, if it\u2019s really supposed to benefit the education and future generations<\/a> of K\u0101naka Maoli<\/strong>, rather than in the astronomy research of a consortium of outside schools and associations.<\/p>\n

There is solidarity with the Mauna Kea protectors<\/strong> from Native Americans<\/a> and other indigenous peoples. Solidarity and support<\/strong> from local settlers, other residents, and visitors<\/a>, and perhaps some who may have had no previous links to Hawai\u2018i. This movement to stop the TMT isn\u2019t only \u201ca horde of native Hawaiians who are lying about the impact of the project\u201d, as high-profile astronomers Sandy Faber and Alexei Filippenko would have liked their colleagues to believe.<\/p>\n

Exactly 12 time zones away<\/strong> I sit here writing\/posting\/re-sharing pictures\/articles\/e-mails on #WeAreMaunaKea<\/strong>. Those who say it\u2019s only a few (violent) dissenters are obviously ignoring the petitions with over 50k signatures<\/strong> or the social media discussion groups with over 15k in attendance<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

There is global support<\/strong>, even if it\u2019s simply spreading awareness with hashtag selfies, or posting leaked racist e-mails on social media, or assisting in writing press releases to other activists and international news outlets to counter the local media bias. So then others on the ground can immediately launch retaliatory e-mails and demand explanations<\/strong> for condescending remarks, organize<\/strong> meetings and sign-waving protests<\/a>, testify<\/strong> before OHA<\/a> against the lack of support in these Hawaiian affairs<\/a>, come together<\/strong> and build ahu<\/a> at the \u201cHawaiian place of learning<\/a>\u201d that approved this project, and physically stand in the protection of Mauna Kea<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

____________________________________<\/p>\n

Karin Louise Hermes has an M.A. in Pacific Islands Studies from the University of Hawai\u2018i at M\u0101noa with a focus on cultural identities and national consciousness.<\/em><\/p>\n

Go to Original \u2013 sacredmaunakea.wordpress.com<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This isn\u2019t about being \u201clocal\u201d to the islands, this is about being sprung from the kalo and the earth. This is about defining oneself and one\u2019s culture from the life of the land, the kama\u2018\u0101ina. The concept of cultural identity being tied to the land is shared with many indigenous cultures.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[221],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-58201","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-indigenous-rights"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/58201","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=58201"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/58201\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=58201"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=58201"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=58201"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}