Mauna Kea

Mauna Kea: Where Everything Comes Together

Today, the fight for Hawaiian sovereignty centers on Mauna Kea, the sacred mountain that rises from the heart of the Big Island. To understand why thousands of Hawaiians are willing to be arrested protecting this place, you need to understand what it means to our people.

In the Kumulipo creation chant, Mauna Kea is Mauna a Wākea—the first-born son of Wākea (the sky father) and Papahānaumoku (the earth mother). It's the piko (umbilical cord) connecting Hawaiians to their divine ancestors. Its summit is wao akua, the realm of the gods, where only the highest-ranking chiefs could go.

The Thirty Meter Telescope Controversy

When plans emerged for the Thirty Meter Telescope—a massive structure the size of a football field—Hawaiian activists said enough. The TMT would require bulldozing part of the summit and drilling deep into the mountain's body. For many Hawaiians, this was like desecrating a church.

The movement calls itself Kū Kiaʻi Mauna—Stand as Guardians of the Mountain. Notice they don't call themselves protesters. They're guardians protecting their ancestor from further harm.

Kū Kiaʻi Mauna: Standing as Guardians

In 2015 and again in 2019, thousands of kiaʻi blocked the access road for months. The images were powerful: kūpuna (elders) in their 70s and 80s being handcuffed by police for protecting their sacred mountain. These weren't radicals or troublemakers. These were teachers, nurses, veterans, and community leaders willing to go to jail for their beliefs.

Traditional Protocol at the Encampments

The movement brought together every strand of Hawaiian resistance. Traditional protocol governed the encampments. Hawaiian language was spoken. Traditional foods were shared. Hula and chant connected protesters to their ancestors and their land.

But this wasn't just about stopping a telescope. The TMT became a symbol of everything wrong with Hawaii's colonial relationship to the mainland. Decisions about Hawaiian land made by outsiders. Native voices ignored. Sacred places treated as resources to be exploited.

Beyond Telescopes: A Larger Fight

The struggle for Mauna Kea represents the culmination of everything covered in this moʻolelo. It connects ancient spiritual beliefs about sacred mountains to modern fights for indigenous rights. It shows how colonial patterns established in the 1890s continue today—outsiders making decisions about Hawaiian land without Hawaiian consent.

The kiaʻi aren't anti-science. Many are scientists themselves. They're fighting for the principle that some places are too sacred to be further developed. They're asserting that Hawaiian voices must be heard in decisions about Hawaiian land. They're demanding that old promises about protecting cultural resources finally be kept.