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I’ve also been concerned about the lack of honoring Hawaiian culture and history on Mauna Kea, which should be respected, and I think that is a problem here.
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Would any of the current crop of protestors that are claiming that they are cultural practitioners, have been allowed up on Mauna Kea in the past? The common folk weren't allowed and I doubt any of these folks are true ali'i.
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I really like the idea of an amphitheater, but I don't think it would be any more culturally appropriate than the telescopes. But then this has never really been about culture.
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our wimp prosecutor, Mitch Roth, ended up dropping all the charges
Prosecutor is an elected position. If you can do a better job, run for election.
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Prosecutor is an elected position.
Which makes him a politician and subject to criticism from his constituents, whether they plan to run against him or not. If a halfway competent alternative candidate runs against Roth, I will support that person both financially and verbally. I don't do sign waving, though, so that's off the list.
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I would love to see a Hawaiian Cultural Center and Museum across from the Visitor’s Center.
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A small concrete seat amphitheater
Good suggestions SBH.
If a Cultural Center can’t be built on land near the Visitor Center, DHHL has a large homelands area they oversee right off Mauna Kea access road.
A small, permanent amphitheater near the summit could make gatherings on Mauna Kea for practitioners more practical, especially for those not in peak physical condition. A parking area with a paved footpath gently descending into the amphitheater might provide a meeting place for groups as well as individual reflection. There is already a paved road, so a small walkway and seating area is a minimal extension of the existing access. Perhaps OHA could designate funds for their constituents.
"I'm at that stage in life where I stay out of discussions. Even if you say 1+1=5, you're right - have fun." - Keanu Reeves
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"Perhaps OHA could designate funds for their constituents."
That's a good one. We know who native Hawaiians would want to pay for this. It broadly falls under a tax.
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I know people who have spent years, decades even, on the mountain and they saw very little traditional cultural activity. Granted they could have missed alot but they should also have seen alot too if the claims of protesters are true. They didn't see much of anything so there's that. Hawaiians from all the other islands would not have had any cultural practices that involved Mauna Kea so there's that too. Also I must admit that if I think the Catholic church should be bitch-slapped into the 21st century it stands to reason I would feel the same way about any other cultural group on earth no matter how genuinely traditional their cultural practices are. That's on top of how ungenuine and untraditional I find much of the present day theatrics.
So I also don't think an amphitheater would be any more culturally appropriate than the telescopes. An amphitheater and the telescopes are both part of history as history includes now.
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My personal opinion is that building some kind of cultural center by the VIS or at the summit won't make a jot of difference. It's not what the protesters want. And I agree with MarkP's comment. I've had over two decade's experience working on Mauna Kea and seeing cultural practices up there is rare and have never seen any at the TMT site. The ones that do occur tend to be associated with solstices and equinoxes and the astronomy community have gone out of their way to help make those possible. I very much doubt they happened before the road to the summit was built or before the astronomical community provided them accommodation and help to those who fell ill due to the altitude.
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Some might find this rather strongly-worded opinion piece at "Science 2.0" an interesting read:
"
Thirty Meter Telescope At Mauna Kea Goes Ahead - Manufactured Hype Dismissed"
https://www.science20.com/hank_campbell/...sed-239055
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TomK, even with my confirmation bias, I thought that article was as poorly written as some of the anti-TMT ones. He mentions protesters that stuck around from 2008, and later payed protesters, but cites nothing to back up those claims...
