The tour guides give the basic story behind the creation of Mauna Kea. The story given is simple… A hot spot in the mantle is the source for a plume of magma that punches through the oceanic crust and forms the Hawaiian volcanoes. As the pacific plate moves the islands are formed one by one, the latest being the Big Island of Hawaiʻi.
A panarama from atop Puʻu Kole showing Mauna Kea and a distant snow covered Mauna LoaThis is basically correct, but is also a vast simplification of the process. If you want to learn more about the formation of these impressive volcanoes you need to look further.
A radio telescope of the Very Long Baseline Array stands in the background of an ancient ahu atop Mauna KeaThe construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope has become a symbol of the many issues that swirl in these islands. It is an argument that touches the fundamental question as to who we are and where we are going.
While many frame the argument as one between science and culture, others frame it as one of development versus culture. Their premise is that somehow building another telescope is destroying local culture. They overlook the opportunity the telescopes represent, that the right economic development can support a community, preserve a culture.
Supporters of TMT highlight the jobs that the telescope will bring… “It is not about the jobs!” is the reply from opponents. Of course it is. You cannot maintain a culture in poverty. You cannot maintain a culture when your keiki leave to seek opportunity elsewhere. Leave the island behind… Leave the culture behind. Economic struggle is the greatest single threat to a local culture, a threat that cannot be overstated.
The lack of economic opportunity has an enormous impact on a local community. The stress of struggling for a living, of getting by on a low paying service industry job can be destructive to families and individuals. Drugs use, family abuse, all of the social ills so often identified in low income areas are as destructive to the culture as they are to the person. The statistics tell the story… Hawai’i Island routinely tops rest of the state in numbers that are not good…. Lowest per capita income, highest number of children living in poverty, unemployment and more.
The AO system was broken, nothing really bad, but something I would need to go up and fix. Reading the nightlogs each morning there are occasionally surprises like this, a sudden re-planning of an otherwise lazy Sunday.
A workshop in the Mauna Kea adze quarry
I suspected that the fix would not take me long at all. But I would be on the mountain… What to do with the rest of the day? I load camera and hiking gear along with my backpack of tools. If I do complete the job quickly I will go hiking. The Mauna Kea adze quarry springs to mind as a likely spot to spend a few hours.
The ancient Hawaiians had no access to metal on these volcanic islands. What they did have was a source of very hard volcanic rock. High on Mauna Kea there were once glaciers, a place where the fury and heat of the volcano met ice. Cooling quickly in the icy realm the lava formed a dense, fine grained rock suitable for making tools.
The rock from this quarry could be shaped and ground into a number of tools, particularly adzes that could be used to cut wood or carve the great ocean going canoes. Tools made from this particular rock were so prized that they have been found in archaeological sites on distant islands across the Pacific.
I have known how extensive the adze quarry is for years. The numbers are abstract, number of find sites mapped, square kilometers of area, just numbers on paper. What I found was quite different than what I was expecting, nothing conveys the actuality of being there.
I was amazed at the sheer size of the piles of flakes. These are sites that were worked for centuries, each workshop accumulating many tons of waste rock flake to tumble down the slope. Having worked with my hands continually over my lifetime, I know how hard hand labor like this is. I stood amazed at the sheer amount of human effort it took to accumulate these piles.
I found I had another misconception to correct… Looking from a distance you see the caves with piles of waste rock spilling down. I had assumed that the caves and ledges are where the actual mining took place, where the basalt was pried from the mountain. Visiting one of the workshops I quickly see this is not the case.
I have not had a chance to attend any of the contested case meetings, they are taking place in Hilo on workdays. Following along by reading all of the court documents is almost as good, maybe better. Big Island Video news has also posted quite a few videos of the proceedings where you can watch and get a feel for the tone and process of the hearings.
An overhead view of the proposed Thirty Meter Telescope, credit TMT Observatory CorporationAll of the filings are available online, posted to the DLNR website. There are now over two hundred filings, with at least a few added almost every day. They detail the legal maneuverings of all of the parties as they make claims and counterclaims over every issue in the case.
It is clear that the telescope opponents have a couple basic strategies, neither of which address the issues. First is simply to delay and obstruct. Every decision is appealed and contested, from who is party to the case, to the selection of the hearing officer herself. Attempts to limit the discussion to the issue at hand have been vigorously contested by those who have other agendas.
One observation is that witness lists of telescope opponents are extensive, 39 persons on the Mauna Kea Anaina Hou (Doc-103 and Doc-104) list alone. To be fair, many of the the opponents do only have a few witnesses to call, but the sheer number of participants makes the resulting numbers a bit excessive. Reading through the various lists I fail to see where each witness will bring unique testimony to the case. In contrast the University and other supporters have very brief witness lists with only a handful of witnesses requested. Certain names do stand out… Dr. Sai, a well known sovereignty proponent. UH Chancellor David Lassner is present. Even Governor Ige has been listed, a request that is already subject to extensive legal wrangling.
A common theme in both the hearing room behavior and in the document opponents claim that they have been subject to personal attacks or harassment. Claims are made that they are “under duress” despite the fact that participation in this proceeding is entirely voluntary. Judge Amano has gone out of her way to explain methods by which opponents could participate in the hearings without being full parties in the process and subject to the associated paperwork and attendance burdens.
One of the most striking features of Mauna Kea is the māmane forest. These native trees are generally found from 5,000-9,000ft elevation on the slopes of the mountain. The māmane (Sophora chrysophylla) is highly variable in appearance, growing as a shrub or a tree, bearing bright yellow flowers in late winter months.
At around 8,000ft there is a fence built to keep feral sheep and cattle out of the māmane forest and to protect the endangered palila (Loxioides bailleui). Above this fence the trees thrive, below the fence the forest is nearly dead. The hillsides scattered with relic trees where no young trees survive the herbivores to replace them. While desolate in appearance these old trees can be quite photogenic.
A skeletal māmane tree (Sophora chrysophylla) in the saddle region of Mauna Kea
A mamane tree along the Mauna Kea access road.
A dead grove of mamane on the side of Mauna Kea
The remains of an ancient mamane with a snow covered Mauna Loa behind
A mamane tree in the fog along Mauna Kea access road
A favorite mamane tree framed by a fogbow along the Mauna Kea access road
A mamane tree in heavy fog along the Mauna Kea summit access road
A thin crescent moon rises over the slopes of Mauna Kea at dawn
There is a pretty good article published on the Civil Beat website earlier this week. In it author Peter Apo questions many of the basic claims made by those protesting the construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope. The identity of the author is of particular relevance as Mr. Apo is Hawaiian and has served the state and community in various offices. He is currently a trustee for the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, very much at the center of the controversy. I highly suggest reading the article.
An ancient ahu (shrine) atop Mauna Kea with Mauna Loa in the backgroundThe article hit home for me as I too have been confused about some of the claims I have heard. They just do not coincide with other information on the history of the mountain that I have studied over the years I have lived here. Since the controversy started I have been reading many of the old records, from the Kumulipo to the laws of the Hawaiian Kingdom. Yet I have many questions when modern claims seem to conflict with the records. Mr. Apo has obviously had the same questions, but is in a much better position to look hard at some of them and provide some evaluation.
It is in the comment section that the true divide in the community becomes apparent. What is disturbing to see are the truly nasty accusations flung at Mr. Apo in the comments. For questioning some of the anti-TMT movement’s basic claims, for asking valid questions, the abuse he receives is unrelenting.
Peter Apo is a sell out! How dare he question the “Traditions” of his own Kupuna? – Herbert Faima
Fuckin fake Hawaiian! – Ricky Keona Kauanui
Peter Apo the quintessential sellout and all around parasite. – Kama Ki
Fortunately there are as many positive comments, thanking Mr. Apo for publishing the article. Many of those commenting clearly understand that it took a good deal of courage to write the article, undoubtedly knowing what would occur. Seen in these comments is the split revealed in polling data, that even among the Hawaiian community opposition for the telescope is not a complete majority.
Good article, arigato Peter. We, the silent majority, decided to keep quiet as the protesters were getting violent and out of hand. Threats were made to individuals, families and businesses. Many business owners kept quiet so that no one would get hurt. – Russell Arikawa
I have to hand it to you, you’ve got the nads to speak what you feel is the truth. For that, you are to be commended. We should never be afraid of a discussion. I see that this discussion is quite healthy. Mahalo for helping light the fire of dialogue. – Tim Orden
I agree with the necessity to question dogma. In a controversy like this the facts become somewhat malleable. Often exaggeration or complete misinformation slips into the conversation, to be repeated so often that it becomes truth to those inclined to believe. In this I too must congratulate Mr. Apo in looking back to the old records to see what may have been added to the conversation, to get a little closer to the truth.
