The Office of Hawaiian Affairs continues to urge Governor David Ige and University of Hawaii President David Lassner to participate in the legal issues surrounding the planned Thirty Meter Telescope in Mauna Kea, resolving concerns before the construction moratorium is lifted.
Robert K. Lindsey, Jr., OHA chairperson, addressed all stakeholders, encouraging everyone to come together to come up with a collective resolution that will have the best interests of Mauna Kea at heart, as well as those of the stakeholders.
"Taking a step back and engaging respected voices on both sides of the issues in a productive and healthy conversation would give us a much-welcomed opportunity to find a positive outcome," he said.
Kamana'opono Crabbe, chief executive officer for the OHA, added that Ohana leaders in Mauna Kea have already built a deep relationship with the land, allowing them to take on a responsibility that the OHA cannot assume. The leaders understanding of the land also gives them extensive knowledge to assess the potential harms the TMT project will bring to Mauna Kea's culture and environment. It is for these reasons that the OHA believes that the participation of Mauna Kea leaders is important in resolving the current problem.
Natives are protesting the construction because the $1.4 billion telescope will be built on land they consider sacred. Astronomers, on the other hand, are arguing that the top of Mauna Kea is the best place to build the TMT. It won't be the first telescope to be built on the volcano, but it will be the largest, letting astronomers see as far as 13 billion light-years away from Earth, which would dramatically expand what scientists already know about space.
Jason Momoa, a part-Native Hawaiian actor best known for his stint as Khal Drogo on Game of Thrones, joined the protesters, saying they are fighting how Hawaiian lands are being treated. Other celebrities, like Ian Somerhalder, Nicole Scherzinger (also born in Hawaii) and Zoe Kravitz, joined Momoa's cause, writing #WeAreMaunaKea on their bodies and posting their pictures online to encourage others to join.
"#WeAreMaunaKea represents all of us humans and [our] solidarity towards preserving our natural resources and protecting our native habitats," wrote Momoa in an Instagram post.
Astronomers are baffled at the level of opposition the TMT is facing. After all, this is the 14th time that a telescope will be built on Mauna Kea.
"What changed since the last time a big telescope was put up there that has allowed this wedge to be driven in the community?" asks Doug Simons, Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope executive director.
Photo: Vadim Kurland | Flickr
