Meet the Mauna Kea Hui - Kealoha Pisciotta
On August 15-18th, the Board of Land and Natural Resources (BLNR) will hear the case against granting a Conservation District Use Permit (CDUP) to build the proposed Thirty-Meter Telescope on Mauna Kea. The hearing itself is open to the public -- we hope you will join us. It will be held at the Hilo State Building. Our own Marti Townsend, will be presenting arguments alongside other long-time advocates for Mauna Kea– Kealoha Pisciotta, Clarence Kükauakahi Ching, Paul Neves, Deborah Ward, and, representing the Kalani-Case ‘Ohana, E. Kalani Flores. We are posting a series of blogs authored by these petitioners themselves. The following is from Kealoha Pisciotta.
My name is Kealoha Pisciotta, I am a practitioner of traditional and customary cultural and religious practices relating to Mauna Kea. My history with Mauna Kea is three fold. I have a history of cultural and religious practice, I worked for the observatories for more than 12 years and I have been advocating for greater protections of Mauna Kea for more than a decade. I am President of Mauna Kea Anaina Hou (MKAH). It is not a formal organization, in that it is not a non-profit organization. We are more of a spiritual organization, for people that have relationships to Mauna Kea and/ or knowledge of the histories and traditions of Mauna Kea. We are a Native Hawaiian Organization (NHO) as defined by the National Historic Preservation Act. We participated as a NHO in the National Historic Preservation Act, Section 106 Consultations with NASA for the NASA-KECK Outrigger Telescopes Project. Many people participate with MKAH to pray and do ceremonies and they come from all walks of life, young and old and from Hawai`i and sometimes for different parts of the United States and the world.
So We Acknowledge The Sacred Nature and Significance Of Mauna Kea
The summit of Mauna Kea represents many things to the Hawaiian People. The upper regions reside in the Wao Akua, the realm of the Akua-Creator. It is also considered the Temple of the Supreme Being and is acknowledged as such in many oral histories throughout Polynesia, which pre-date modern astronomy by millennia.
It is home of Nā Akua (Divine Deities), Nā `Aumākua (Divine Deities) and the meeting place of Papa (earth Mother) and Wākea (Earth Father) who are considered the progenitor’s to the Hawaiian People. Mauna Kea it is said is where the Sky and Earth separated to form the Great-Expanse-of-Space and the Heavenly Realms. Mauna Kea in every respect represents the zenith of the Native Hawaiian people’s ancestral ties to Creation itself.
When we look to Mauna Kea, we look from Mauna Kea and we look within ourselves to find our responsibility to Mauna Kea and hence our place in the world. We move through time and space back to our beginning, to the time when the Pō (darkness of creation) gave birth to the Ao (light of creation). We return to the time when the akua walked the earth with man, and taught him the ways (laws) of aloha and of peace.
When we hear the famous Hawaiian proverb; “Mauna Kea, kuahiwi kū ha`o i ka malie” (Mauna [is the] astonishing mountain that stands in the clam), we are reminded of the great Mauna that sits in the calm—the infinite calm, the infinite peace. We are reminded that the purpose of Mauna Kea is peace. It is Akua’s Aloha alone that can bring such peace. Often people ask us what is the protocol for Mauna Kea, we say it is, Shhhhhh! That is to be silent, as one is overwhelmed by the great calm. It is silence because when you walk you are walking in Akua’s house, walking before the supreme ones, and really there is nothing we could or should be saying, instead we should be listening and feeling. Listening for what they may tell us, the earth and the celestial bodies of the heavens. We are feeling the love, the peace and experiencing the joyousness of the great love and compassion that is Akua. We feel honored that we are allowed to be there, humbled by the majesty and greatness of Mauna Kea.
To ascend Mauna Kea, is to ascend through the lewa lani (the levels of the heavens). As you ascend, it is as if you are peeling away layers of yourself, so that when you reach the high levels, you approach in humility as your heart lays open before the Akua, and they see you. Their eyes upon you, their lessons learned, their requests fulfilled, their blessing given.
But, when the land, the waters, the life forms suffer, we feel this suffering, the process of creation begins to un-ravel and de-creation begins. The law, the kanawai is broken. We loose our place in time and space and then we are lost. This is why we stand for Mauna Kea. It is our kuleana to stand, our collective kulena, it is our honor to stand, our collective honor, it is our blessing to stand, our collective blessings…today however, there is sorrow, collective sorrow because we know not how else to live, not in destruction, not in the absence of its nature, the sacred nature. In Aloha all are blessed and that is all we know. Aloha Ke Akua, Nā Akua, Nā `Aumākua.
Basic Respect, Civility and Decorum Needed
Astronomy Is Interesting But What Are Its Real Benefits?
University has accused us (the Petitioners) of being backward-looking extremists, while simultaneously staking out large claims on how astronomy and in particular the TMT Project will be “benefiting all the people of the state.”(The University’s Opening Brief and Pre Hearing Conference Statement at p. 1 and 2, and p. 1 respectively).
There are a number of problems with such assertions and they are as follows:
These assertions attempt to debase Hawaiian values and practices and also let the University claim more than the science allows them to claim. One of the key values of Hawaiian culture is humility. We are not encouraged to speak in haughty ways or to put others down for our own selfish purposes. But I am going to speak a little outside my values in this case, because I must challenge the University’s overarching assertions on the value of astronomy as well as their unfounded accusations made against us (Petitioners) and by extension against other Hawaiian cultural and religious practitioners.
I have always supported astronomy…however, I do not believe it is of so much importance that it should be allowed to overtake and destroy everything else in its wake. I am for protecting the cultural and natural resources of Mauna Kea, which unlike astronomy facilities, are actually threatened. Large scale astronomy is being conducted at over 93 sites around the world, but here on Mauna Kea many of the plant and animal species can only be found on Mauna Kea.
Data collected about the far and distant universe is contributing to the knowledge base of mankind in one sense but what the University is not discussing is the quality of that knowledge. For example, when you see on the front page of the newspaper KECK Observatory discovers a new black hole so many light years away? The question is what does information mean for people, what does it do for the people really? From a science perspective it means we discovered something we believe is a black hole event that may have existed millions of years ago and may not exist today. So I would have to say it’s a bit much to claim all of the people of Hawai`i will somehow benefit directly from these kinds of discoveries.
Astronomy in context reveals that it is not changing or helping solve the problems mankind is facing on earth right now. It is not solving the cure for hunger, cancer or HIV, protecting our biodiversity by protecting rare, threatened or endangered species, providing people with clean water, reducing our energy consumption or inventing new forms of energy. Some astronomers have accused me of not being fair because I know astronomers aren’t seeking to do those things, they are just doing astronomy. But this is my point science (all science) should be honest about their real contributions to mankind and not let their lawyers or press people keep hyping it up by making astronomy seem bigger than it is.
The irony is, backward looking is a part of the astronomy paradox, in that the farther out into space we look the further back in time we are looking, so making bigger telescopes to see farther in time, means we are moving farther and farther away from modern relevancy, actually. So I submit their accusations are not fair and the University is taking unto itself more credit than it should or that it deserves.
What does Astronomy have against me? Please check out the youth at risk music video titled “As One” about Mauna Kea at http://kahea.org/blog/as-one
Debasing Hawaiian Practices Is Offensive
When the University makes accusations against us as Petitioners, by referring to us as backward thinking, the messages they are also conveying is that what the Hawaiians are doing, including our traditional practices, are antiquated and hence irrelevant. These comments combined with their assertions that modern astronomers are just doing what our people did in the past are offensive as well, and add further insult to the injury. These assertions insult both modern astronomy and traditional astronomy all in the same breath. The two disciplines in no way can be compared because they are like apples and oranges.
For example, thousands of years ago our navigators and star people developed a system that allowed our ancient people to circumnavigate the globe and to people the tiniest islands scattered across the largest ocean on earth, the Pacific Ocean. We did this before the birth of Christ and at a time when no one on earth was doing a similar method of ocean voyaging. These feats are still to be considered one of the greatest feats of mankind. Modern science on the other hand would come about thousands of years later; and while it’s true our people did not do what Pythagoras did, or what modern astronomers do today with technology - they did develop a system of advanced mathematics that allowed them to understand and determine that the earth was round and to a concept of a celestial equator. If this were not the case they could not have found the tiny little islands across a vast ocean. If your measurements are off by only a few degrees you will get lost at sea, because even tiny discrepancies in measurement on the sky translate to hundreds of miles on the ocean.
Our teachings are storied but they also meet the criteria of science, in that they are based on observation and are measurable and repeatable. Our modern Navigator’s and their many accomplishments are evidence of this. Our oral traditions are not mere mythical stories, and they are dependent on the landscape and that is why the landscape of Mauna Kea needs to be protected and preserved.
Hawaiian Cultural and Traditional Practices Not Protected
View Sheds and View Planes
The University claims the view planes or viewsheds will not be affected. This is not true. Most of our practices rely on some kind of view plane, because they are about the relationship between Papa and Wākea (our relationship with and to the earth and the celestial bodies and heavens). For example, we have repeatedly included concerns for the impacts on various ceremonies exercised on Mauna Kea, such as the solstice and equinox ceremonies that we along with many other Hawaiian groups collectively participate in throughout the year on Mauna Kea and other sacred sites around the islands. Mauna Kea is actually the fulcrum of such ceremonies, because the Mauna sets the ultimate relationship to all other sacred sites for such ceremonies, as Mauna Kea is the highest point and from there you can see all else.
These ceremonies are about tracking the motion of the sun across the sky throughout the year and were used by our people and most of the ancient people around the world to keep track of the year. The Hawaiian people are not alone in these ceremonies for keeping track of the motions of the celestial bodies and their relationship to the observers on earth. The Celtic Shaman, Egyptian Priests, Mayan Priests, Chinese, Arab and Middle Eastern astronomers and holy people all performed the ceremonies similar to those we perform on Mauna Kea.
Tracking the sun is for growing and harvesting. But more important is the needed to track the annual time in the context of a much greater time frame known as the precession, which is the 26,000 year cycle (although some used slightly different time frames). This cycle is the measure of the wobble of the earth’s axis, and the time it takes for the wobble to make a complete cycle. The wobble was important to keep track of because relative to earth the pole stars appear to change over time. If the pole stars change it drastically impacts navigation. If the poles are changing then over time our knowledge must change to reflect these changes or we will get lost, and for us especially that means getting lost at sea.
The ceremonies I just described are specifically dependent upon our ability to observe and track the motion of the sun and other celestial bodies in order to find our way and to determine when and how to perform certain things for the care of the land and sea. Our traditional resource management models are dependent on these ceremonies. Our ancient knowledge relating to our relationship to other Pacific peoples are also a part of this knowledge. And lastly our sacred prophesies are based in this knowledge.
Map of traditional viewsheds from summit of Mauna Kea. Click here for larger version.
About this Exhibit (C-5), this is a map that describes traditional cultural view planes. It was created by Community By Design, a planning group from University of California at Berkeley. They created this map out of the University documents and also testimony on the view sheds. It is not a complete map but it does help provide a visual representation of some of the view planes including some of the solstice and equinox view planes and those in relation to other the sites and also to the other islands.On this view plan map, you can see that the TMT will be in direct line of sight of Maui and the NW plane which is used for ke ala ao (solstice and equinox) ceremonies. There are also lines that represent the relationship between Mauna Kea and Poli`ahu Heiau on Kaua`i, Ahu a Umi Heiau situated between the three great mountains (Hualālai, Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea) on Hawai`i Island, the Pu`u Koholā Heiau in Kawaihae, Hawai`i Island, and Motu Manamana (Necker Island) of the North Western Hawaiian Island which marks the great turnaround of the sun during the ke ala polohiwa time. The shrines on this tiny island are related to this relationship too. This map also describes some of the nighttime view planes used by cultural practitioners. For example, the map shows the views of the rising and setting of important stars and constellations. It records views of the Pleiades (related to Makahiki Ceremonies), The Southern Cross (Pe`a), and the North Star (Hōkū Pa`a). We already have to move around the observatories to get unobstructed views of the sun setting (NE-NW) direction, the great shadow of Mauna Kea and other night time view planes. For example, the constellation known as the Southern Cross which is an important navigational constellation and used for time keeping on the sea, is obstructed from the summit region by the existing telescopes, so the TMT view plane impacts will add to the existing cumulative impacts to the traditional and cultural view planes. (See Exhibit E-2).
University Has Created a Hostile Environment for Contemporary Cultural Practices
To be clear, many people, including myself have been practicing traditional and customary cultural and religious practices since the eighties and long before the University even created the Office of Mauna Kea Management in their 2000 Master Plan. Many of our ceremonial things such as our ahu (shrines) and lele (ceremonial platforms) - areas used by many other practitioners and people that come to offer prayers and give offerings - have been desecrated and destroyed by the University’s own personnel. The University maintains that they have right to determine what of modern practice is appropriate or not. What the University is not addressing is the “reasonable exercise” of our traditional cultural practices. Affirming the continuation of traditional and cultural practice is useless if there are no actual protections provided for practitioners to continue their practices. University obstructs our practice regularly, and the BLNR has taken no affirmative stand to correct this problem.
Historical Treatment Of Family ahu
For example, in the case of my family ahu it was one thing to have it destroyed once, but since that time it has continued to be desecrated and destroyed on at least seven separate occasions and I can prove at least three of the incidents directly involved University personnel.
Summit Lele Destroyed
The same problem exists for the summit lele (ceremonial platform) erected many years ago. The members of the Royal Order of Kamehameha I (ROOK I) Mr. Paul K. Neves, Mr. Kaliko Kanaele and Mr. Kahu o Te Rani, asked me to help them set the lele up on pu`u wēkiu, in alignment with the ke ala ao (solstice and equinox and star alignments). We had to adjust the alignments because the telescopes on the summit ridge were where it was most appropriate to conduct solstice and equinox ceremonies from originally. I agreed to help. The lele is a place for all people to place offerings, not only us. The Chiefs of the ROOK I, were making space for sacred things to occur for our people—that is what was traditionally done.
It has been destroyed and all the offerings scattered all over the place many times (including the time the legs of the platform were hacked down with an axe). I think five times now. In one incident the rock platform that was created below the lele was completely destroyed with all of the rocks being literally thrown down the back face of the pu`u. What was desecrated also, where the personal effects of some Hawaiian solders that died in the Iraq war had been placed inside the rock plate form by their fathers. Uncle Kū (Clarence Kūkauakahi Ching) had been asked by their fathers to help them do this to honor their sons. (See Exhibits C-8 and C-9, examples of lele destruction).
The University claims the lele is problematic because it attracts tourists, which further impacts Wekiu bug habitat. Their explanation is problematic for a few reasons, first it is the University that is attracting tourist to Mauna Kea, and if the Wēkiu bug habitat is being impacted by tourists (not to mention building telescopes), why are practitioners to blame? The University should be addressing development activities and tourism as their problem not ours. What we are doing is for all intents and purposes an innocuous, reasonable, and a protected activity.
From a cultural perspective, in a temple like Mauna Kea, you don’t regulate people unless they are doing something really outlandish or destructive. Mauna Kea belongs to the Akua, the land, and the people. The destructive impacts are not being caused by people going to the summit to lay offerings and give prayers, the impacts without question are the result of the astronomy industries’ large land altering activities, as the University admits in their CDUA.
Leave The Landscape As You Found It
The University has placed large signs all over the summit and HP areas, that read, “Leave the Landscape as you found it…” Now what does that message convey to Hawaiian people and others that build small ahu when they go and take snow or to do prayers and ceremonies. They are telling us, that building small stone (i.e. stacking three rocks or so) is somehow more damaging to the landscape then ripping 45 cubic feet off the tops or the pu`u to build the KECKs and Subaru. The argument is traditional and customary practice is not good, but building giant telescopes out in the middle of the ring of shrines that surround Kūkahau`ula, as the TMT is proposing is good.
What these signs are conveying is that science and even highly destructive science is okay but what Hawaiians and some of the public do is not good and forbidden. These are the kinds of inconsistent and illogical arguments that are so shocking to us and are offensive, as it places us outside of our own practice in our own temple. We have a right to practice in the environment of our belief, and the landscape of Mauna Kea is the environment of our belief. (See Exhibit C-10, Picture of the landscape sign).
History Is Protected For The Future
The University may attempt to argue that they put up these signs in order to protect the historic shrines, from being confused with the modern ones. This is reflected in their arguments contained in their CMP that they have a right to determine the cultural appropriateness of new shrines. Whether those shrines are to be dismantled depends on “protocols, the conditions imposed by guidance provided by Kahu Kū Mauna, MKMB, and/or the MKMB Hawaiian Cultural Committee or administrative rules, if/or when adopted” (CMP, p. 7-9).
There are a number of problems with this argument:
- The University has no authority over the conservation district, the historic preservation district or the NAR of Mauna Kea. The state carries the legal authority over these areas.
- If the historic mapping of the shrines had been done years ago, as it should have been there would be less confusion as to what is historic and what is new.
- The Historic District of Mauna Kea is designated as a historic district because of the interconnected relationships that exist between the shrines (including those that ring the summit) and pu`u and historical uses and practices of Mauna Kea, which includes building shrines.
- The construction of observatories negatively impacts the historic district by literally destroying the landscape and henceforth the continuity and interconnectedness that makes the area eligible for listing on the State and National Historic Register.
- If the University is so worried about historic preservation of the area, why are they proposing to build the TMT in the middle of the historic district (on the plateau where the ring of shrines are located)?
- While we support protecting our historic sites, we must point out that, that history belongs to living. What I mean by this is that building shrines is a traditional and customary practice and therefore modern shrines are an extension of the practices of the past. And even if the modern practices were being conducted in the historic areas (which is usually not the case) as long as those practices where not negatively impacting the historic properties—no issue arise. For example, the adz quarry is an amazing area that reflects the amazing history of our people’s quarrying and craving skills. Is it impossible to imagine that modern people could work out a plan with historic preservation to be able to continue to quarry and restore the knowledge and methodology of the ancient adz makers without negatively impacting historic quarry’s value? No, it is not impossible to imagine this, since there are virtually miles of veins of good quality blue stone that could be used to make adze, that do not sit directly in the most important historic areas.
- It makes little sense to say, we must save this historic sites, for future generations but never to allow the living to continue their traditional practice or to restore the very practices preservation is meant to preserve. Furthermore, it does not comport with what the Supreme Court has affirmed as the states obligation to protect the reasonable exercise of traditional and customary practice.
- How can this be achieved if Hawaiians are not in fact allowed to really continue their traditional and customary practice?
- Here in this instant case, it is clear building shrines was an ancient practice, and therefore the current practice of building shrines is a continuation of that. It is also clear that the University believes it has right to decide what of these practices are allowed or not allowed. But again the University has no jurisdiction over the conservation district or the NAR, and their claims simply do not comport with PASH and or Kapa`akai insofar as our practice is “reasonable” and it is not impacting anything (including historic areas).
By allowing the University to destroy our cultural and ceremonial things, the BLNR is not affirmatively protecting our rights. BLNR is not taking a hard look to identify, assess and to reasonably protect our traditional and customary practices means BLNR is violating the Supreme Court directives provided under PASH and Kapa`akai.
We are advocating for protection of access for all people not just Native Hawaiians, because it is pono (righteous) to do so. It is correct from a spiritual perspective, as Mauna Kea is a temple that is open to all. There could conceivably be conflicts that arise, but that is why BLNR has a duty to prepare and adopt management plans that address multiple land uses. This is also why the University’s claims that they are taking care of these multiple land use considerations simply cannot be sustained. They are in a conflict and are regulating to support their interests and against the public and Hawaiians interests. That is what the evidence demonstrates.
The Mitigation Measures The TMT And University Propose Do Not Reduce The Actual Impacts To Less Then Significant.
The concerns many Hawaiian people have over more and more development of Mauna Kea is not hard to understand when you place Mauna Kea in the context of other religious places. Even if other sacred sites around the world were good sites for astronomy it is not likely that astronomy proponents would consider proposing what they are for Mauna Kea. For example, observatories are not being proposed or built on top of Mount Fuji, because it is a place of national importance and because it is held in spiritual reverence by the people of Japan. No one has proposed to level Mecca or Mount Sinai either. Would not the worshippers of Islam be upset if the dome of the rock was being leveled to put observatories on it? Or would not the Catholic people be upset if the Vatican was going to be taken down so a McDonalds or a bunch of unrelated developments could sit there instead? I believe the respective worshipper of those various religions would be very upset at the proposition of destruction of their holy sites. It is no different for Hawaiians.
Digging into the sacred landscape not only impacts us directly by changing the landscape that our practices rely on but it impacts us indirectly as well, because our house of prayer and worship is being destroyed for a purpose not related to our practice. The burial ground of our most sacred ancestors is being destroyed and desecrated.
BLNR Instead Accepts Mitigation Measures That Are Nothing Short Of Nonsensical And Insulting
For example, the University and the TMT are proposing to place “furnishings” in the observatories that are meant to instill a “sense of place.” I am not sure what kind of furnishings those would be. In the final analysis such measures are not mitigation measures because they do nothing to change any impact the TMT project will have on the cultural and natural resources or landscape Mauna Kea. Attachment to land (landscape) or what is often referred to as a sense of place is an important part of the Hawaiian people relationship with the land (landscape). The very suggestion that furnishings somehow will preserve that sense of place while the Project construction is destroying the very same place (the land) is not only nonsensical, it is insulting.
The University and the TMT Corporations claims that giving money to the OMKM and an educational or workforce pipeline project somehow offset the adverse and significant impacts to the cultural and natural resources to less than significant. This is simply not true. I and other practitioners, are impacted by the infringements of our ability to practice and our attachment to the land (a landscape un-destroyed and un-desecrated) not by the lack money. Money is not able to offset damage to the water or to species if they are damaged (or pushed to a point of no return). For the record, we are not opposed to them giving money to needy communities and for educational purposes but they should do that because it is the right thing to do and not as a way of claiming to offset impacts to the spiritual nature of Mauna Kea and its importance to the people of Hawai`i. The TMT funding what projects they are interested in funding will not reduce any actual impacts to the cultural and natural resources of the Mauna Kea Conservation District. Money does not and never will offset the impact to the cultural and natural resources of Mauna Kea. Therefore, money is not a valid mitigation measure.
Lastly, the TMT has also suggested that they will pay some kind of “rent” (although they have yet to come up with an actual figure for that “rent”), but that it will be given to the some organization called THINK. This violates the law because the rent is required by law (HRS 171) to be based on 1) a “fair-market value” standard and 2) deposited in to the State’s General Fund and not into some special organizational fund the University and others have created.
Laws Are Meant To Be Followed
The University has suggested that our religious uses should not be used to deny them the CDUA permit. However, it is not our religious practices alone that would be stopping anything. Specifically our rights are tied to our relationship to the land both culturally and legally which is provided under the Admissions Act and the State Constitution. The State of Hawai`i must hold the lands in trust for the betterment of the Native Hawaiians and the general public and that was a condition of Statehood.
The state therefore has a responsibility to protect Hawaiian rights along with many other rights that the people of the State of Hawai`i via their representative government, have decided are important to protect and preserve; such as open space characteristics, natural beauty, protection of cultural and natural resources and conservation. The people have decided that these resources are important to our state and its economic welfare (i.e. tourist come to see and enjoy these things and clean water is a lifeline for all people etc.) Residents also want to enjoy these important resources, including Native Hawaiians who wish to continue the reasonably practice of their traditional cultural spirituality.
Mauna Kea is a vast community resource and many people use it for various purposes (i.e. hunting, hiking, exploring the natural landscape and geological features, observing wildlife, being in the natural beauty and open spaces etc.). That is why it is designated a conservation district, and why the laws of our state say to protect these things. The foreign/international observatories have been allowed to use these resources and to actually take them away from the people by making it hard for the rest of the public to fully enjoy the other important aspects of Mauna Kea.
Regulatory agencies such as BLNR are supposed to act on behalf of the greater public to protest their rights. That means that they may say “no” to projects that do not protect these things the laws require protected. If this were not the case then there would be no need for a permitting process. The BLNR should have said no to the TMT CDUA, because neither the University nor the TMT Corporation can show these important resources will be preserved or protected. BLNR failed to protect our rights (Native Hawaiian rights) and those of the general public.
I’ve presented the preceding information contained in my written statement to this court in pursuit of justice and in furtherance of the protection, preservation and conservation of the sacred mountain, known as Mauna Kea. While I, in no way would take claim for the brilliance of my Kupuna and/or my Kumu's (ancestors and/or teachers or masters) the information shared herein is information that has been adapted to reflect my own personal knowledge and information (as is traditionally done in Hawaiian practice, when composing new songs, chants, dances etc. with traditional origins) and therefore is to be considered my intellectual property and may not be used outside of the legal system without my express written consent. I and others feel the need to include such a disclaimer because in the past our personal knowledge and information has been used by the University and others without our consent.
Pau!
