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This sums up how a lot of Hawaiians I know feel about the TMT. The full article might interest people, but here is a snippet.
quote:
[...]Today, we have a new generation of Hawaiians who insist on resurrecting the old gods and superstitious beliefs that were used by the elites of Hawaiian society to oppress and subjugate the common people.
They claim to represent the wishes of our ancestors, but for whom exactly are they speaking?
There is no evidence, historical or otherwise, to suggest our ancestors would have opposed the construction of a device that would have allowed them to see stars that they have never seen before.
Indeed, there is no historical evidence to suggest our ancestors were opposed to any new technology of any kind.
I’ve scoured the historical record and I have been unable to find any instances where Hawaiians were against science and technology en masse. This new movement appears to be an entirely novel concept, but where is it coming from?
Neo-Luddism and New Age spiritualism, imported directly from California and the mainland, have combined with certain aspects of Hawaiian culture to form a new religion/culture. This new anti-science movement is opposed to all kinds of beneficial technologies, from telescopes, to genetic engineering, and even vaccines.
Many Hawaiians, economically disadvantaged and lacking a proper education, fall victim to these kinds of ideologies because they offer the promise of “ancient knowledge” as a solution to modern problems.
This highly idealized version of history is extremely popular with many Hawaiians. But this neo-Luddite view is ahistorical and ignores what life really was like before contemporary history, and what life really was like under the kapu system for the vast majority of kanaka maoli.
Hawaiians, like all people, are a diverse group of individuals. There is no “Hawaiian view” on the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) any more than there is a “haole view” on the issue or a “Maui view.” The protesters atop Mauna Kea represent one particular aspect of Hawaiian culture while entirely ignoring the rich tradition of scientific exploration that brought Polynesians here in the first place.
There are some Hawaiians, such as myself, who identify more with the scientific heritage of our culture rather than the religious/superstitious aspect, but our views are often shouted down by the extremely vocal protesters.
It is for this reason I feel compelled to speak up in defiance of the threats of social isolation leveled at me by the protesters.
Some have claimed I am not Hawaiian because I do not support their ahistorical, ad hoc interpretations of Hawaiian culture.
Some have even threatened me with death for daring to speak out against their religion — in true kapu fashion. Others claim I am “out of touch” with Hawaiian culture, and should “consult my kupuna.”
I have, and my kupuna taught me to think independently, logically and never to blindly follow the crowd. Therefore, I categorically reject the assertion that our ancestors would be opposed to the construction of the TMT.[...]
https://indiancountrymedianetwork.com/ne...telescope/
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Thanks Eric1600,
I read the entire blogpost at the link.
Bronson Kaahui writes thoughtfully, with an insight into Native Hawaiian history and beliefs that's often drowned out by the more vocal opponents of the TMT. Good to hear another point of view.
You could never convince a monkey to give you a banana by promising him limitless bananas after death in monkey heaven.
"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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The DLNR has extended its contract with Judge Amano until the end of the year, it was previously set to expire on June 30th. This is a bad sign for the TMT, which wants to restart construction this time next year. Remember, there will be appeals and another possible contested case hearing starting sometime in the near future. It also outlines the costs of just hiring a judge for a redo because the BLNR and DLNR couldn't get it right the first time.
http://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/news...ested-case
" The contract amendment continues her employment through the end of the year, assuming the process isn’t complete by then and increases her maximum compensation from $200,000 to $350,000. The original contract was signed March 31, 2016, and was set to expire June 30."
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At $375 per hour, she will hit that contract limit much sooner than a year from now.
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$375/hr to listen to fools? Now I can see how she tolerated all of that so well.
As a taxpayer, though, I don't want to pay for any more such "hearings". Maybe ones in the future can be funded by the Hawaiian kingdom, at Fergestrom's house, in a cloud of pakalolo smoke.
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quote:
Originally posted by Rob Tucker
I didn't see any defacing... not like the trash and beer bottles I find under nearly every bush here.
Exactly. I was bicycling on Beach Road a while back and saw an abandoned washing machine on the side the road that had "We are Mauna Kea" scrawled on its side. It made my day.
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"We are Mauna Kea" scrawled
Whenever I see a makeshift sign like that, I always read it as
"We Are Unemployed"
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abandoned washing machine on the side the road that had "We are Mauna Kea" scrawled on its side
The washing machine's owner must have consulted the Sacred/Not Sacred Map printed on the back of his birth certificate.
You could never convince a monkey to give you a banana by promising him limitless bananas after death in monkey heaven.
"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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I know this is photoshopped, but it still made me giggle.
https://goo.gl/IwaobY
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Although testimony is over, there is still an awful lot of activity - http://dlnr.hawaii.gov/mk/documents-library/
This caught my eye:
https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/mk/files/2017/03/536-UHH.pdf
Allegedly, it seems the Temple of Lono are accusing the judge of being biased if their motions are dismissed. In other words, if the decision is not in their favor, the judge must be biased.
One of the documents the UHH's motion mentions is this (doc 435 in the library link above):
https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/mk/files/2016/12/435-Lono.pdf
" Perhaps seeing the Hearing Officer take it personally that the Temple considers the Hearing Officer to be biased against the Temple and favoring the telescope, the University decided to raise the whole matter again, despite the absence of any right to do so, in hopes of gaining some advantage with the Hearing Officer."
The other documents the UHH motion refers to can easily be found from the library link above.
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