Protect Sacred Mauna Kea
Here is testimony submitted by Jim Albertini.
Maunaa Kea Hearing Thursday, April 5, 2018
Spread the word please.
Spread the word please.
Establishes the Mauna Kea Management Authority and membership of the Authority. Establishes and specifies duties of the Mauna Kea candidate advisory council. Limits the number of telescopes that may be authorized on Mauna Kea. Authorizes the renegotiation of leases, subleases, easements, permits, an…
capitol.hawaii.gov
Our Malu ‘Aina organization is opposed to this cut and replace Mauna Kea Management 91 page Bill. While it certainly is true that the University of Hawaii has mismanaged the mountain, this bill creating a new entity is headed in the same direction, even with a Native Hawaiian majority on the Board. Why?
1. The sacredness of Mauna Kea is not recognized. Sacred is Sacred. No moneychangers in, or on, the Temple.
2. It’s all about making money off of the Sacred Mauna. I attended the Keaukaha presentation of Senator Kahele and listened for an hour and a half. He didn’t mention the Mauna is sacred once in his entire presentation. He did note the illegal overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom, but then he went on talking business as usual under the illegal occupation.
In short, this bill simply puts a new wig on the same old colonial head. Or to put it another way — The focus is clearly to create a new cash cow by exploiting the most sacred site in all of Hawaii and Polynesia, instead of addressing the real justice and economic issues facing Hawaii’s people, especially Native Hawaiians –landless, homeless, imprisoned, poverty, etc. pushed into circumstances created by a racist system.of exploitation.
Needed Action Plan
1. Respect the sacred. Sacred is Sacred. Period.
2. End the illegal U.S. Occupation of the Hawaiian Kingdom and recognize and respect Hawaii’s host people values over money.
3. Hawaii’s economy has been based on exploitation through plantations, militarism and tourism. Such an economy is killing Hawaii and its people and increasing the great divide between the haves and have nots.. A Science plantation on Mauna Kea is another example of exploitation. Put the breaks on tourism and militarism, and a science plantation on Sacred Mauna Kea. Begin to restore a solid base economy by getting people on the land and growing food to feed Hawaii’s people. Currently 90% of the food consumed in Hawaii is imported.
Just putting more Hawaiians on a Board designed in a 91 page bill to exploit the Sacred Mauna is no real solution. It’s similar to the following analogy: the forest was shrinking but the trees kept voting for the axe because its handle was made of wood and they thought it was one of them.
Ku Kia’i Mauna –Guardians of the Mauna
-- Jim Albertini Malu 'Aina Center for Non-violent Education & Action
