Richard Ha writes:
Tuesday morning was the groundbreaking ceremony for the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT). The blessing took place – Kahu Kaniela Akaka blessed the four corners of the site – but the speeches, the cutting of the maile lei and the ‘o‘o symbolically breaking the ground had to be cancelled due to protestors.
I understand and am okay with folks expressing their passionate opinions. But I am very embarrassed that they attacked the foreign dignitaries at the ceremony, our guests, yelling at them close up and calling them thieves and snakes. That was truly bad manners.
It is not Hawaiian style. That made us all shame and reflected very, very poorly on all Hawaiians.
Kaliko Kanaele of the Royal Order of Kamehameha was present at the protest. The Royal Order’s mission statement says this:
The purpose of the Royal Order of Kamehameha I as it is known today is to unite in fraternal and benevolent work, men of Hawaiian descent, of good moral character, of sound bodily health; to cultivate the cardinal principles of friendship, charity and benevolence; to aid widows and orphans; to improve the social and moral conditions of its members; to provide scholarship assistance; to preserve and perpetuate the ancient culture, customs, and traditions of Hawai’i, uplift the Hawaiian people; infuse the spirit of patriotism, loyalty, helpfulness and kindness among its members; advance the interest of its members in every rightful cause, and to encourage and develop leadership.
I don’t see how protesting the TMT uplifts the Hawaiian people. The leadership of the Royal Order needs to do some soul searching, or else they should change the organization’s mission statement.
The TMT is one way of taking care of our people and our future. It provides jobs, money for the economy, money for our keiki’s education, furthers our scientific knowledge, and moves us and our families and our island forward.
There is more than one way to respect and honor our ‘aina and our ancestors and our mauna. Our people have always been brilliant and managed to honor the past at the same time they move forward and take advantage of the best of the present. I don’t know why people now are so hell bent on fighting to stay in the past.
Mayor Billy Kenoi was there; he spoke with the protestors and handled it well, trying to find common ground. He gave the police explicit instructors that no one got hurt and there would be no arrests. He handled it very well and I was proud of him. No one felt any danger. It was the manners part that was a big problem.
Richard,
I did mention to Sandra once that the technical community on Hawaii island needs to interface to the locals better. Koko kanaka maoli means at least 50% for recognition. Many locals may be part Hawaiian but their bloodline percentage displaces them from any land rights and they are usually descendants of mixed marriage plantation laborers, often never owning land. Their adoption of the Hawaiian religion is often distorted. Mauna Kea is not sacred by itself. There are places on it that are sacred. It is Poliahu lying in deep sleep in Mauna Kea who is sacred. You do not want to wake up Poliahu. What needs to be communicated to the Hawaiians and the locals is that the TMT is Pele’s Eye. Pele and Poliahu, even though sisters, are mortal enemies and Poliahu only sleeps because Pele defeated her in battle. Now, the TMT on Poliahu’s back will allow Pele, who is alive and awake, the eye to look out into the universe for her companion, a rocky planet with an atmosphere and water. That is the message the TMT working group needs to convey.