On July 19, 2019, supporters of the sacred mountain Mauna Kea in Hawaii assembled in Union Square in New York City to protest the proposed construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT), an 18 story conservatory on top of the highest peak of the island. The installation would require the excavation of over eight acres of public lands and 64,000 cubic yards of the summit area, encroach upon hundreds of ancient Hawaiian shrines, and impact native Hawaiian traditional and customary rights and practices. The footprint of the completed structure would be over 5 acres. And it, once again, raises the question of the sovereignty of Native Hawaiians and who gets to decide what happens on historically indigenous lands.
The construction of the $1.4 billion telescope was set to begin last Monday. Since then hundreds of protestors have been blocking access to the mountain, which is a sacred place and regarded as a shrine of worship for native Hawaiians. In response to the protests, Governor David Ige signed an emergency proclamation on Wednesday. It gives authorities including the National Guards more control over access to the Big Island mountain and the right to arrest protestors.
On Friday, Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard from Hawaii and Democratic presidential candidate came out in support of the protestors. In a video statement, she said, “The materialistic way that developers and corporations are viewing Mauna Kea — ignoring the spiritual significance and relationship many Native Hawaiians have with the Mauna — is at the heart of the problem.” She also called on Governor Ige to withdraw the emergency declaration and to delay any new construction.
