Hawaii seeks to end controversy over astronomy on sacred mountain | Business

The shift comes after thousands of protesters camped on the mountain three years ago to block the construction of a modern observatory, which made politicians and astronomers realize that the status quo had to change.

There’s a lot at stake: Native Hawaiian advocates want to protect a place of great spiritual significance. Astronomers hope they can extend the lease on the state-owned land under their observatories, which expires in 11 years, and continue to make revolutionary scientific discoveries for decades to come. Business and political leaders want astronomy to support good-paying jobs in a state that has long struggled to diversify its tourism-dependent economy.

In addition, the new body could offer a world-first test of whether astronomers can find a way to respectfully and responsibly study the universe from indigenous and culturally significant lands.

“We’ve been here for centuries. We didn’t leave; we are still here. And we have the knowledge to create a possible management solution that is more inclusive,” said Shane Palakat-Nelson, a native of Hawaii who helped write the report that laid the foundation for the new law.

We are talking about the summit of Mauna Kea, which is 13,803 feet (4,207 meters) above sea level. In 1968, the state leased the land to the University of Hawaii for 65 years, which the school subleases to world-leading research institutions in exchange for a share of observation time.

Astronomers love the summit of Mauna Kea because its clear skies, dry air, and limited light pollution make it the best place to study space from the northern hemisphere. Its dozen enormous telescopes have played a key role in expanding humanity’s understanding of the universe, including taking some of the first pictures of planets outside our solar system. Astronomer Andrea Guez used one of these to prove the existence of a supermassive black hole at the center of our galaxy, for which she shared the 2020 Nobel Prize in Physics.

But the telescopes have also changed the summit’s landscape and increasingly upset the native Hawaiians, who consider the site sacred. Protests in 2019 by people who call themselves “kiai,” or mountain protectors, aimed to stop construction the largest and most advanced observatory: the $2.65 billion Thirty Meter Telescope, or TMT, supported by the University of California and other institutions.

Law enforcement arrested 38 elders, mostly Native Hawaiians, which drew more protesters. The police left months after TMT said it would not proceed with construction immediately. Protesters remained in place but closed the camp in March 2020 due to concerns about COVID-19.

The episode prompted lawmakers to seek a new approach.

The result is a new governing body, the Mauna Kea Management and Oversight Authority, which will have a board of 11 voting members. The governor will appoint eight. Gov. David Ige has not set a date to announce his nominees to the state Senate for confirmation. According to him, more than 30 applications were submitted.

Palakat-Nelsen said the traditional knowledge of native Hawaiians can help authorities determine how large a footprint man-made structures such as telescopes should have on top.

“Are we taking the hard steps? Are we taking easy steps? When do we take steps? In what seasons do we take steps?’ Palakat-Nelsen said. “All of this knowledge is built into most of our stories, our traditional stories that have been passed down.”

The board will have that expertise because one member of the board must be a recognized supporter of Native Hawaiian culture and the other must be a direct descendant of Native Hawaiians who follow the traditions of Mauna Kea.

A central Native Hawaiian belief about Mauna Kea is the idea that the summit is a place where the gods live and humans are forbidden to live. In a centuries-old chant, the mountain is said to be the eldest child of Wakea and Papavalinu’u, the male and female sources of all life. To this day, the mountain attracts clouds and precipitation that feeds forests and fresh water for communities on the Big Island of Hawaii.

Lawmakers drafted the law after a working group of cultural experts from Native Hawaiians, protesters, observatory workers and government officials met to discuss Mauna Kea. Their report, which devoted a large part to the historical and cultural significance of the mountain, formed the basis of the new law.

Several kia’i who served on that task force support the government. The Speaker of the House of Representatives nominated one kiai leader to the council.

But some longtime opponents of the telescope are critical, raising questions about how broad the authorities’ support will be in the community.

Kealoha Pishiota, who has been involved in legal challenges to TMT and other observatory proposals since 1998, said Native Hawaiians should at least have equal standing on the board.

“You have no right to say. It’s designed to create the illusion of consent and representation in a situation where we don’t really have it,” said Pisciotta, a spokesperson for the Mauna Kea Hui and Mauna Kea Aina Hou groups.

Lawmakers said the pressure to fix the problem with the telescope in Hawaii is coming not only from the state, but also from the U.S. astronomy community.

David Tarnas drew attention to a report of committee of astronomers from across the country, who are calling for the development of a new model of shared decision-making with indigenous and local communities.

“It’s not just a Big Island problem, it’s not just a state problem, but I think it’s a global problem,” said state Sen. Donna Mercado Kim. “I think the world is watching how we deal with it.”

The head of the University of Hawaii’s astronomy program said authorities may help his own institution if it “stabilizes the whole situation” for Mauna Kea astronomy.

But Doug Simons said he’s worried the authority might not get up and running in time to renew Summit’s master lease and sublease.

The master lease calls for all existing telescopes to be decommissioned and their sites restored to their original state by 2033, unless the state grants an extension.

Simons said it will take at least five to six years to dismantle the telescopes and related infrastructure. This means that the new lease arrangements must be ready by 2027 or the observatories will have to fold.

“There’s no obvious way around it,” Simons said. He said he was pushing for the authority to be established as soon as possible to maximize time for negotiations and the inevitable legal challenges.

Rich Matsuda, who works at the WM Keck Observatory and was part of the task force, urged future board members not to be “stakeholders with narrow interests just trying to make sure they get their piece of the pie.”

According to him, the tension surrounding the construction of the telescope has caused people to shut down and avoid discussing difficult issues related to Mauna Kea. According to him, the priority of mountain welfare in the new law could change that.

“I hope this gives us a chance, if we do it right, to change that dynamic,” Matsuda said.