This is an email that I sent to Mark Glick, President of the Hawaii Sierra Club.
Aloha Mark:
It saddens me to write this note to you. I am a member of the Sierra Club. But I very much disagree with the stance that the Sierra Club has taken with regard to Mauna Kea.
There are many, many dedicated volunteers in the Moku Loa group and I enjoy participating in conservation committee meetings. But, If the Sierra Club sues, I will regretfully have to terminate my membership.
I am native Hawaiian and the overwhelming number of native Hawaiians are in favor of the Comprehensive Management Plan and the development of the Thirty Meter Telescope on Mauna Kea. We feel that it is appropriate that the best telescope in the world be built on the most sacred mountain in the world, in honor of our proud history of astronomy and navigation. I feel that the Sierra Club has no regard for what the vast majority of the Hawaiian people feel.
When the Thirty Meter Telescope corporation first announced that they were interested in coming to Hawaii, I volunteered to be on the TMT committee of the Hawaii Economic Development Board. I was disappointed and angry about how astronomy had been done on the mountain. And I was determined that if it was to be done, I wanted a hand in making sure that it be done right.
Previous to this I had been just a banana farmer. But when one talks about Mauna Kea, one needs to talk about the culture. And then, one gravitates to Keaukaha, the oldest Hawaiian Homes community of the Big Island. There I discovered that although there were hundreds of millions of dollars of telescopes on the mountain, there were no visible benefit to the Hawaiian community. This community has a much lower average income than Hilo proper.
One day, I asked Kumu Lehua Veincent, the principal of Keaukaha Elementary School: Where do the kids go on excursion? He said, We do not have enough money to rent buses, so we organize walking excursions around the neighborhood. How could this be? I thought that all kids went on excursion.A friend of mine and I decided that we could not just talk, we needed to do something and so we started the adopt-a-class project. We figured that $300 would be enough to rent a bus and $300 would pay for entry fees to Imiloa the Astronomy and Hawaiian culture museum. So, we went around and asked if individuals or groups would be interested in adopting a class so they could go on excursion. In four months all the classes were adopted for both semesters.
Soon after, the Moore Foundation, using the adopt-a-class project as a template, funded all the students on the Big Island for an excursion to Imiloa.
You may know that Hawaiians occupy the lowest rungs of the economic ladder. And that the best predictor of family income is level of education. The TMT committed to fund $1 million annually to a keiki education fund as soon as permits are issued. We have an opportunity of elevating our Hawaiian childrens’ education level and to move them up in our society.
The Sierra Club fighting against this project, when we and so many others fought so hard to make the CMP pono, is so disappointing as to be beyond words. Your stance is anti-Hawaiian.
What is your justification for doing this? What does the national chapter think? How can you even contemplate it?
Aloha,
Richard Ha
Thank You, Richard, for your stance regarding the Sierra Club’s position re the 30M telescope. It is time that there was a benefit to the Hawaiian community arising out of the use of this sacred mountain. Where was the Sierra Club and what was their position when the first telescope was placed?
Great letter!!I am NOT a native of this paradise you call Hilo,but I love it.I spend as much time here as I can afford.The people are just fantastic.I call them my “friends”.I to am a member of the Sierra club and I am hoping they just need to understand what Richard is saying.If not,”I will regretfully have to terminate my membership” also.I love you guys and keep up the good work.
Richard, Mahalo once again for your thoughtful & insightful words. I’m glad you wrote the letter. It saddens me to say that we have seen this type of behavior in the past. It begs the question, Who’s interest are they really pursuing?
And I quote – (a statement from a beloved Hawaiian leader) “A sacred mountain hosts a sacred science.”
Hawaiians have been doing that for YEARS, nay, centuries – was that a Hawaiian who recommended suing the project?? I doubt it.
Right on Richard! Thank you for your tenacity (‘oni pa’a), in trying to keep us all pono!
Proud to call you my classmate!!
Penny Keli’i-Vredenburg
Waimea, Hawai’i Island
Richard, I love these words: We feel that it is appropriate that the best telescope in the world be built on the most sacred mountain in the world, in honor of our proud history of astronomy and navigation. As a native Hawaiian myself, I agree.
So has anyone heard from Mark Glick or anyone from the Sierra Club? Good question from Mike J.
Will keep checking…aloha! Penny
I have received Mark Glick’s cc of a response to someone else.
I have also received supporting letters from Big Island Sierra Club members. They were very concerned that they are perceived as being anti Hawaiian. I responded that, I do not see the individual members as anti Hawaiian. I enjoy the company of the folks at the conservation committee meetings, that I try to attend regularly, very much. But, I and many, many others see a lawsuit that delays or kills the TMT project as having an anti Hawaiian effect.
I told Mark Glick in a subsequent letter that; “we know, you know!”
Richard, I was touched by your letter. I moved to Hilo in 1985 to attend UH and have called The Big Island my home ever since. As someone who chooses to make this amazing place my home I love my island home more than words can express. I agree with you letter and believe that education is so important. The World is opened up when you are educated. An educated society will prosper and we can/should be that society. Mahalo and Aloha
Mahalo for your comments D. I am returning home from Wash. DC where I attended the Association for the Study of Peak Oil conference. Due to the world oil situation we are facing an uncertain future. But, on the Big Island we have so many resources at our disposal to make a better life for future generations.
If all of us pull together we can do it. Mahalo for your very nice letter. Please stay in touch. We will need your and your friends help. Aloha