Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 32, Number 10, 1 October 2015 — Mauna a Wākea: A Time for Change [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Mauna a Wākea: A Time for Change

Aloha mai from Kaua'i and Ni'ihau, I have spoken to

# %this topic on numerous occasions since the first arrests happened on Mauna Kea in April, but the stakes are getting increasingly higher and the University of Hawai'i has been allowed to steer clear of any significant criticism or repercussions for its role in the disorder happening on our mauna. We must demand action on the part of the State

to address the mismanagement of Mauna Kea and Haleakalā. They are protected natural environments and sacred cultural sites in the eonservation district and there is a long track record of adverse impacts, both culturally and environmentally. In 1999, Nainoa Thompson spoke about Mauna Kea while serving on the UH Board of Regents, "This is really about abuse of the native people being subject to racism and disrespect." We eonhnue to hear UH's justification for what has taken plaee on the mountain for the last 40 years, yet the facts don't seem to correlate with the justification. To allow blatant mistruths outweigh the voice of the native people who have been demanding change and answers for far too long amounts to nothing more than what Mr. Thompson observed in 1999, blatant racism and disrespect. Enough is enough. There is overwhelming documented evidence of UH's mismanagement of Mauna Kea and

more recently we have seen facts eome to light about processes that were undermined or flat out ignored in the approval of the

TMT project. The Hawai'i Supreme Court barraged UH and State attorneys in August with questions about why the conservation use district permit was approved prior to the contested case hearing taking plaee. The contested case was brought by a hui of Native Hawaiians asserting that cultural and natural environments would be adversely impacted as a result of the construction of TMT. The permit was

approvea wniie tne eoncems were being raised and before the contested case took plaee. Native voices were disregarded. UH has everything to do with pushing this project through while ignoring Hawaiian voices and it is shameful because UH calls itself a center for "Hawaiian Learning." A self-proclaimed Hawaiian learning institution that ignores the voices of Hawaiians sounds more like an institution of exploitation. It is time we demand UH no longer have sole authority to manage our mauna. We need a collaborative management model that allows equal access and decision-making power to the various stakeholders associated with the mauna. We need cultural practitioners and environmental experts to work along-side eaeh other to ensure that proper management of ecosystems, natural habitats, water resources, and the cultural significance of the mauna are given highest priority. We need a fully developed and funded decommission plan for ALL of the telescopes currently on the mauna. It is time for a change in management of the mauna. It is time for the eommunity to have an equal voice in the management of the mauna. Demand the change now! Demand action from OHA trustees, fromlegislators, from the DLNR, from UH, from the Governor, and demand aehon from your own peers and 'ohana... the time for change is now, it is up to ALL of us to make it happen. ■

Dan Ahuna VicE Chair, TrustEE, Kaua'i and Ni'ihau

Participants in the Aloha 'Āina march through Waiklkl. - Courtesy photo