Don't Understand the Moana Kea Issue (Honolulu, Nanakuli: sublease, 2015, home)

[Tuck's Dad]

First, this is NOT intended as a debate. This IS an honest question on my part.

I saw protesters (a pretty sizeable group) on the side of the road in Nanakuli on my comute home last night, and I am honestly confused by the protests about the Moana Kea telescope project.

I understand that the protesters are saying it is sacred land, but I am unaware of a specific archeologic site, grave site, temple or worship site, or any other specific sacred site that would be disturbed by the proposed location. Are there any? And if there are what are they? Where specifically are they located? And finally, can the issue be addressed by siting the telescope in a slightly different location?

If the conept being protested is the entire moutain is a sacred site, then I am genuinely confused as to why there are already several telescopes on the site (top of the mountain), a gift shop and education center at about the 7,000-8,000 ft level, a road system, and some amount of agriculture activity on the sides of the mountain.

So, why this particular telescope, and why now for the protests?

PM responses are fine, I expect this to be a 2-3 post thread with some one that can actually give me an answer to my question, because it simply doesn't make sense to me, and it appears to be a manufactured issue, not a true issue of desecration of sacred land based on the statements of the protesters (although I don't know that they speak for the protest organizers, and may not really know what the issues are).

Thanks.

[whtviper1]

Originally Posted by Tuck's Dad

If the conept being protested is the entire moutain is a sacred site, then I am genuinely confused as to why there are already several telescopes on the site (top of the mountain), a gift shop and education center at about the 7,000-8,000 ft level, a road system, and some amount of agriculture activity on the sides of the mountain.

Back when all the other stuff happened on Mauna Kea, you didn't have things like the internet to notice all the noise in Hawaii. The protesters are just better at marketing in 2015 than they were back when the original telescopes were built. Quite frankly, when things were happening in Hawaii pre-internet, hardly anyone would take notice.

[Tuck's Dad]

Originally Posted by whtviper1

Back when all the other stuff happened on Moana Kea, you didn't have things like the internet to notice all the noise in Hawaii. The protesters are just better at marketing in 2015 than they were back when the original telescopes were built. Quite frankly, when things were happening in Hawaii pre-internet, hardly anyone would take notice.

Fair enough, and that may actually be the answer - nobody noticed before.

[Dreaming of Hawaii]

Tuck, I understand your questions and personally don't have any answers. I thought that there were plenty of hearings held before the County gave approval. The local people I talk with here say that they are still angry about the first 12 telescopes built there, and instead of building more some of the old ones should be torn down.

MAJOR COMMENT: Sorry to be rude, but you live in Hawaii and you really should know how to spell Mauna Kea. The people in my community would consider that a direct insult to their culture.

[whtviper1]

Even the Office of Hawaiian Affairs approved the project:

The Hawaii Independent: OHA backs down from contesting the TMT sublease

[Tuck's Dad]

Originally Posted by Dreaming of Hawaii

Tuck, I understand your questions and personally don't have any answers. I thought that there were plenty of hearings held before the County gave approval. The local people I talk with here say that they are still angry about the first 12 telescopes built there, and instead of building more some of the old ones should be torn down.

MAJOR COMMENT: Sorry to be rude, but you live in Hawaii and you really should know how to spell Mauna Kea. The people in my community would consider that a direct insult to their culture.

Spelling is a personal weakness, and add in Hawaiian language spelling and I'm a disaster waiting to happen - no insult or offense was intended, and yes, I have lived in Hawaii for 10 of the last 13 years.

[Dreaming of Hawaii]

Originally Posted by whtviper1

Even the Office of Hawaiian Affairs approved the project:

The Hawaii Independent: OHA backs down from contesting the TMT sublease

But as of yesterday the OHA said that they are going to re-think this decision. One of the Trustees said that they propose going back over all of the decisions made since 2009. There was an article in yesterday's Honolulu Civil Beat.

Sounds like the County government may be facing lawsuits if they let the TMT go ahead and lawsuits if they don't

[Mikala43]

OHA has been having problems getting themselves all on the same page on multiple issues.

[KaraBenNemsi]

The money for OHA is just too sweet. They will not block the deal but bid on time that the protests fizzle.

[Kawena]

Originally Posted by whtviper1

Even the Office of Hawaiian Affairs approved the project:

The Hawaii Independent: OHA backs down from contesting the TMT sublease

did they even ask the people that they are suppose to represent? If they wanted it or not?