Indigenous land defenders protect sacred mountain Mauna Kea
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- Published on Saturday, 04 April 2015 09:51
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Paov -- 
Idle No More
supports and acknowledges the Mauna Kea Hui, protecting the Sacred
Mauna Kea and surrounding water against construction of a Canadian
funded proposal to build a massive 18-story telescope. The structure
will reach 20 feet underground and also include a 21,000 square foot
office building, road and parking lot all on conservation lands on
Mauna Kea’s summit. This mega-telescope is called the Thirty Meter
Telescope (TMT).The Land Defenders known as the Mauna Kea Hui and their supporters are opposed to the desecration of this sacred and ecologically fragile place and will continue to peacefully protest despite 31 arrests as of April 2nd, 2015. The ages of the Mauna Kea Hui land defenders who were arrested on April 2nd range from 26 to 75, several of whom are Elders. A crowdfunding campaign has been created to raise money for bail for those arrested as well as to support for ongoing protests: http://www.gofundme.com/maunakeaohana
As stated by Kealoha Pisciotta, Paul K. Neves, Deborah J. Ward, Kalani Flores, Pua Case, Flores Case Ohana, Clarence Kukauahi Ching and KAHEA: The Hawaiian-Environmental Alliance to one of the key project funders Gordon Moore in an open letter dated April 1st, 2015:
“The summit of Mauna Kea is protected by state and
federal laws that support conservation over development because Mauna
Kea is home to rare plant and animal species found nowhere else on
planet Earth, some on the brink of extinction. Astronomy, including
the search for life on other planets, is a noble endeavor, but it
loses that nobility when its actions threaten life on Earth.
Extinction begins the process of unraveling creation — it is forever,
and it is unacceptable, especially in this day and age.
Mauna Kea is one of the most sacred places in the Pacific. Islanders use the mountain as a place of spiritual contemplation, healing and recreation. National Geographic recently named it as one of the Holiest places on Earth. For Native Hawaiians, Mauna Kea is a temple dedicated to Aloha and peace. It is where our supreme being gave birth to all living things. It was the meeting place of Papa (Earth Mother) and Wakea (Sky Father), the progenitors of the Hawaiian people, and is the burial ground of the most revered of Hawaiian ancestors.
Mauna Kea’s high elevation landscape is used for ceremonies that contain star and other knowledge essential to modern Hawaiian voyaging. Hawaiians used this knowledge millennia before modern astronomy to voyage to hundreds of tiny islands spread over ten million square miles of the Pacific. More than ninety-three astronomical sites are available in the world for doing astronomy, but Mauna Kea is the only place on Earth for conducting these ceremonies.”
Although not an official partner yet, Canada has already poured $35 million dollars into the project. The planners are anticipating an additional $300 million from Canada.
We stand with our Kanaka Maoli Relations in their defense of their Sacred Mountain and the waters that are connected to us all. We demand that the Canadian government NOT fund an additional $300 millions dollars that will devastate the lands of the Kanaka Maoli peoples. We are pleased to read a report that Native Hawaiian leaders have called on Governor David Ige and University of Hawaii President David Lassner to establish a 30-day moratorium on construction for the highly controversial mega-telescope.
We ask you to support the protection of this Sacred site
and sign the online petition. You will find more information,
resources and links on the petition to Hawaiian Governor David Ige, we
urge you to sign here: Stop
TMT Construction and Arrests of Mauna Kea Protectors.
“Kukiaʻimauna, Eo! - Standing for Mauna Kea, We respond for the love of our mountain” Pua Case
Idle No More Info
http://www.idlenomore.ca/ Idle No More · Canada
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