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Mahalo to Scott Crawford for getting this article out and about.
Please visit Scott Crawford's weblog on Hawaiian Independence, updated regularly...
HawaiianKingdom.info
--------------
www.mauinews.com/story.aspx
The Maui News
Wednesday, May 03, 2006
Hawaiians continue to protest solar telescope
By VALERIE MONSON, Staff Writer
PAUKUKALO - Hawaiian voices were unanimous Monday
night in opposing the National Science
Foundation's plan for an enormous telescope atop
Haleakala, but it turns out that even the most
united effort might not be able to stop the
project.
"Normally, I say 'aloha,' but tonight I think it
died," said Tim Bailey, whose job is caring for
the resources at Haleakala National Park.
Just minutes earlier, the audience at the
Paukukalo Community Center had learned that all
its testimony protesting the proposed
14-story-tall telescope at the summit of the
mountain might not make a difference in the end.
National Science Foundation attorney Charisse
Carney-Nunes acknowledged that while
"consultation" with Native Hawaiians was required
by federal law, "concurrence" - agreement - was
not.
That didn't sit well with the 75 or so residents,
most of them Hawaiians, who were hoping that a
mountain of objections could send the telescope
proponents packing.
"I've been consulting, I know the game," said a
disgusted Kalei Kaeo, a Maui Community College
instructor in Hawaiian studies. "We come, we
show, we say a few words and they do what they
want to do anyway. That's consulting."
Waiehu resident Carl Eldridge didn't know why he was wasting his time.
"If it's not going to mean anything, I'm going to leave already," he said.
As frustrated residents began walking out,
Carney-Nunes encouraged them all to stay.
"I can't say it means nothing," she said. "I'm
saying honestly that concurrence is not required.
But just because it's not required does not make
this process insignificant, it does not make this
process meaningless."
The controversy over locating what would be the
world's largest solar telescope on the summit of
Haleakala - a sacred place to many Hawaiians -
continued with no middle ground in sight. Because
Haleakala has been recognized as a "traditional
cultural property" under federal law, National
Science Foundation officials have been asking
Hawaiians to help make one of three choices
regarding the $175 million project: avoid (not
build at all), minimize or mitigate.
It was the third hearing in little more than a
month on Maui where those speaking have
essentially said the same thing.
"Please don't build that up there," urged Maile
Kekahuna, a student at Maui Community College.
Rising 143 feet above ground, the Advanced
Technology Solar Telescope would become the
tallest building on the island. It is proposed
for one of two sites in the complex of
observatories, towers and other buildings on the
18-acre site managed by the University of
Hawaii's Institute for Astronomy.
National Science Foundation officials continue to
say that the project, proposed by the National
Solar Observatory, is in its "early stages" and
that the funding has not even been approved, but
members of the audience were starting to wonder
if it already wasn't a done deal or if it needed
only the support of a single person of importance.
"If (U.S. Sen.) Dan Inouye wants this, it will
happen," said Charles Kauluwehi Maxwell Sr.,
noting that Congress has the final say in
approving the money.
Maxwell prepared a cultural study for the
developers and has taken some heat over his
involvement, including a suggestion that the
community be given compensation should the
telescope get built.
Maxwell said he remains opposed to the telescope,
but he's unsuccessfully tried to halt the
construction of two earlier telescopes.
"If they're going to build it, give us something
in return," said Maxwell, who suggested that
developers build a traditional Hawaiian
navigation and astronomy center for the community
should the telescope be funded.
"I'm not in favor of this, but it might be the
third time I said this and it will happen anyway."
A draft environmental impact statement is being
prepared - and a hearing aimed at the general
public will be held this summer.
Haleakala was chosen above 72 other sites - and
six finalists - as the ideal location for what
would become the world's flagship telescope for
studying the sun. Bailey, though, disputed the
claims of perfect conditions of little dust, low
humidity and other criteria that lifted it to the
top spot.
"What about the other sites?" asked Bailey.
Kiope Raymond, a Hawaiian language instructor at
MCC, said that as early as 2003, officials were
aware that Haleakala was a sacred site to many
Hawaiians but failed to include that when making
their decision.
"It's the only one of the six other sites that
was ascertained to have a (cultural) significance
like Haleakala," said Raymond.
Kaeo wondered if officials would even think of
putting the giant telescope at such revered or
sacred sites as Machu Picchu, Mt. Everest,
Stonehenge or Mt. Zion.
Oliver Dukelow raised the question of land title.
The 18-acre observatory site was established on
ceded lands by an executive order from Gov.
William Quinn in 1961. The very issue of ceded
lands (former government lands taken over by the
United States upon annexation and turned over to
the state upon statehood) has been disputed by
those who say the illegal overthrow of the
Hawaiian kingdom means the lands were never
ceded, or surrendered.
The first Hawaiian organization also officially
took a stand against the project. Lui Hokoana
read a letter that said the Association of
Hawaiian Civic Clubs - the oldest community-based
grassroots Hawaiian organization in the state,
representing 51 clubs throughout the islands and
the Mainland - voted last weekend to support the
Maui District Council and its member clubs'
position to oppose construction.
Toni Dizon, an MCC agriculture student, got the
first ovation. Dizon said if the government had
$175 million to spare, then use the cash for a
better purpose, such as the college's ag
department, to clean up polluted waters on Maui,
restore taro farming and help students obtain
their degrees.
"You guys don't belong up there," she said. "You
should purify things down here instead of futtin'
around up there. You damn well don't belong on
Haleakala."
Valerie Monson can be reached at vmonson@mauinews.com.
Copyright © 2005 The Maui News.
Please visit Scott Crawford's weblog on Hawaiian Independence, updated regularly...
HawaiianKingdom.info
--------------
www.mauinews.com/story.aspx
The Maui News
Wednesday, May 03, 2006
Hawaiians continue to protest solar telescope
By VALERIE MONSON, Staff Writer
PAUKUKALO - Hawaiian voices were unanimous Monday
night in opposing the National Science
Foundation's plan for an enormous telescope atop
Haleakala, but it turns out that even the most
united effort might not be able to stop the
project.
"Normally, I say 'aloha,' but tonight I think it
died," said Tim Bailey, whose job is caring for
the resources at Haleakala National Park.
Just minutes earlier, the audience at the
Paukukalo Community Center had learned that all
its testimony protesting the proposed
14-story-tall telescope at the summit of the
mountain might not make a difference in the end.
National Science Foundation attorney Charisse
Carney-Nunes acknowledged that while
"consultation" with Native Hawaiians was required
by federal law, "concurrence" - agreement - was
not.
That didn't sit well with the 75 or so residents,
most of them Hawaiians, who were hoping that a
mountain of objections could send the telescope
proponents packing.
"I've been consulting, I know the game," said a
disgusted Kalei Kaeo, a Maui Community College
instructor in Hawaiian studies. "We come, we
show, we say a few words and they do what they
want to do anyway. That's consulting."
Waiehu resident Carl Eldridge didn't know why he was wasting his time.
"If it's not going to mean anything, I'm going to leave already," he said.
As frustrated residents began walking out,
Carney-Nunes encouraged them all to stay.
"I can't say it means nothing," she said. "I'm
saying honestly that concurrence is not required.
But just because it's not required does not make
this process insignificant, it does not make this
process meaningless."
The controversy over locating what would be the
world's largest solar telescope on the summit of
Haleakala - a sacred place to many Hawaiians -
continued with no middle ground in sight. Because
Haleakala has been recognized as a "traditional
cultural property" under federal law, National
Science Foundation officials have been asking
Hawaiians to help make one of three choices
regarding the $175 million project: avoid (not
build at all), minimize or mitigate.
It was the third hearing in little more than a
month on Maui where those speaking have
essentially said the same thing.
"Please don't build that up there," urged Maile
Kekahuna, a student at Maui Community College.
Rising 143 feet above ground, the Advanced
Technology Solar Telescope would become the
tallest building on the island. It is proposed
for one of two sites in the complex of
observatories, towers and other buildings on the
18-acre site managed by the University of
Hawaii's Institute for Astronomy.
National Science Foundation officials continue to
say that the project, proposed by the National
Solar Observatory, is in its "early stages" and
that the funding has not even been approved, but
members of the audience were starting to wonder
if it already wasn't a done deal or if it needed
only the support of a single person of importance.
"If (U.S. Sen.) Dan Inouye wants this, it will
happen," said Charles Kauluwehi Maxwell Sr.,
noting that Congress has the final say in
approving the money.
Maxwell prepared a cultural study for the
developers and has taken some heat over his
involvement, including a suggestion that the
community be given compensation should the
telescope get built.
Maxwell said he remains opposed to the telescope,
but he's unsuccessfully tried to halt the
construction of two earlier telescopes.
"If they're going to build it, give us something
in return," said Maxwell, who suggested that
developers build a traditional Hawaiian
navigation and astronomy center for the community
should the telescope be funded.
"I'm not in favor of this, but it might be the
third time I said this and it will happen anyway."
A draft environmental impact statement is being
prepared - and a hearing aimed at the general
public will be held this summer.
Haleakala was chosen above 72 other sites - and
six finalists - as the ideal location for what
would become the world's flagship telescope for
studying the sun. Bailey, though, disputed the
claims of perfect conditions of little dust, low
humidity and other criteria that lifted it to the
top spot.
"What about the other sites?" asked Bailey.
Kiope Raymond, a Hawaiian language instructor at
MCC, said that as early as 2003, officials were
aware that Haleakala was a sacred site to many
Hawaiians but failed to include that when making
their decision.
"It's the only one of the six other sites that
was ascertained to have a (cultural) significance
like Haleakala," said Raymond.
Kaeo wondered if officials would even think of
putting the giant telescope at such revered or
sacred sites as Machu Picchu, Mt. Everest,
Stonehenge or Mt. Zion.
Oliver Dukelow raised the question of land title.
The 18-acre observatory site was established on
ceded lands by an executive order from Gov.
William Quinn in 1961. The very issue of ceded
lands (former government lands taken over by the
United States upon annexation and turned over to
the state upon statehood) has been disputed by
those who say the illegal overthrow of the
Hawaiian kingdom means the lands were never
ceded, or surrendered.
The first Hawaiian organization also officially
took a stand against the project. Lui Hokoana
read a letter that said the Association of
Hawaiian Civic Clubs - the oldest community-based
grassroots Hawaiian organization in the state,
representing 51 clubs throughout the islands and
the Mainland - voted last weekend to support the
Maui District Council and its member clubs'
position to oppose construction.
Toni Dizon, an MCC agriculture student, got the
first ovation. Dizon said if the government had
$175 million to spare, then use the cash for a
better purpose, such as the college's ag
department, to clean up polluted waters on Maui,
restore taro farming and help students obtain
their degrees.
"You guys don't belong up there," she said. "You
should purify things down here instead of futtin'
around up there. You damn well don't belong on
Haleakala."
Valerie Monson can be reached at vmonson@mauinews.com.
Copyright © 2005 The Maui News.
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Re: Hawaiians Protest Solar Telescope on Haleakala!
Fri, May 5, 2006 - 5:42 AMThat is so sad, but true. We don't have a say anymore. No one. Only the rich and powerful. What the people want is simply ignored.
