Kū ha’aheo e ku’u Hawai’i
Stand tall my Hawai’i
Mamaka kaua o ku’u ‘āina
Band of warriors of my land
‘O ke ehu kakahiaka o nā ‘ōiwi o Hawai’i nei
The new dawn for our people of Hawai’i is upon us
No ku’u lahui e hā’awi pau a i ola mau
For my nation I give my all so that our legacy lives on
For my nation I give my all so that our legacy lives on
Composed by Kumu Hina, this is the chant being offered into the piko (Mauna Kea) by the peaceful protesters at the summit of Hawaii Island. Hawaiian communities here in Washington state are gathering to show support. Mahalo to the winds of the Internet and Facebook for the message. We will add our voice of support from our place on Whidbey Moku, in the Salish Sea.
What is the story?
The recent protests and arrests during the last few days are the lastest, but not the first declarations of protest on the part of Kanaka. The issue is an old one, and as one of our respected kupuna predicted,"Years ago at a hearing, professor and cultural expert Pualani Kanakaole Kanahele wondered aloud if the Mauna Kea fight would eventually become "another Kahoolawe."
The recent protests and arrests during the last few days are the lastest, but not the first declarations of protest on the part of Kanaka. The issue is an old one, and as one of our respected kupuna predicted,"Years ago at a hearing, professor and cultural expert Pualani Kanakaole Kanahele wondered aloud if the Mauna Kea fight would eventually become "another Kahoolawe."
A new 30-meter telescope (read the background and the rationale)
What is the long-time issue?
Mauna Kea is under seige. In 2006 Na Maka O Ka 'Aina created the documentary "Mauna Kea -- Temple Under Seige"
The synopsis of the film reads, "Although the mountain volcano Mauna Kea last erupted around 4000 years ago, it is still hot today, the center of a burning controversy over whether its summit should be used for astronomical observatories or preserved as a cultural landscape sacred to the Hawaiian people.
For five years the documentary production team Na Maka o ka ‘Aina ("the eyes of the land") captured on video the seasonal moods of Mauna Kea's unique 14,000-foot summit environment, the richly varied ecosystems that extend from sea level to alpine zone, the legends and stories that reveal the mountain's geologic and cultural history, and the political turbulence surrounding the efforts to protect the most significant temple in the islands, the mountain itself.
Mauna Kea — Temple Under Siege paints a portrait of a mountain that has become a symbol of the Hawaiian struggle for physical, cultural and political survival. The program explores conflicting forces as they play themselves out in a contemporary island society where cultures collide daily."
What we need to learn about Mauna Kea is not only the top of the mountain, because Mauna Kea is inclusive of all, down to the base.
I think what Mauna Kea has given us is the many
different levels of life.
I think what Mauna Kea has given us is the many
different levels of life.
—Pualani Kanahele, Kumu Hula (hula master)
Dr. Lilikala Kameelehiwa offers the historic perspective.
READ the comments. I will post updates to the current issues as they happen.
