Over a decade ago, native Hawaiians began protesting the construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) on Maunakea on the Island of Hawai‘i, also known as Big Island. However, the TMT has not moved forward with construction in 2025 though negotiations are ongoing according to the TMT website. From its base to the peak, Hawai‘i’s Maunakea is the tallest mountain in the world, said senior Hawaiian studies major Lihau Thielk from Maui, and for native Hawaiians, it holds significance of being the “piko” or center of Hawai‘i.
According to Environment Hawaii, over a decade ago 11 year old native Hawaiian Kapulei Flores submitted a written testimony, saying she had spoken with the nature spirit of Mo‘oinanea, a lizard-like goddess said to live on Maunakea. Though it was not received into evidence, Kapulei Flores, her mother Pua Case and her sister Hawane Rios have continued to help lead the Maunakea movement and speak for native Hawaiian ancestors and divine beings as documented in the 2024 documentary "Standing Above the Clouds".
At BYU–Hawaii, faculty and students use their religious background to understand the issue differently. Thielk said as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, he thinks it is important to “trust the wisdom of previous Hawaiian monarchs” who ended the kapu system and destroyed native Hawaiian temples in favor of Christianity. He said “when we take upon us the name of Jesus Christ,” Christian native Hawaiians should abandon concerns about preserving stone shrines and keeping Maunakea free from development. He explained various native Hawaiian gods are in his family tree on FamilySearch, and he thinks deifying them, when they were imperfect and mortal, is similar to idol worship.
Tevita Ka‘ili, a professor in the Faculty of Culture, Language & Performing Arts, said members of the Church of Jesus Christ “are asked to do family history.” He said spirits are manifestations of Hawaiian ancestors and referring to these spirits as “gods” can be a metaphorical way to show respect rather than worship them like Jesus Christ, Heavenly Father and Heavenly Mother.
Ka'ili also said, “Ancestors manifest themselves to us in various forms and God can manifest Themselves to us in many ways.”
He referenced how in the Bible, birds would come to the people as a manifestation of God, and he said believing a spirit can appear in an animal form does not conflict with Christianity.
Ka‘ili, who has been to Maunakea about three times during the protests, said primarily framing the conflict as science versus indigenous culture, “really muddies the water … because that’s not really what it is.” Though people simplify it as being the scientific community against native Hawaiians, he said there are many scientists who support Maunakea movement, such as those in the field of environmental sciences who are concerned about the impact of telescopes on the land.
Ka‘ili said he believes astronomers “are caught up in the corporate elements [of this] because astronomy is a very expensive kind of science.” Since astronomers depend on large donations for research, he said they might be less concerned with conservation issues. “It’s to do with corporations and money involved in this particular project,” he said.
photo of the camp of Maunakea telescope protestors provided by Tevita Ka 'ili
Natali Segovia at the Water Protector Legal Collective, an indigenous-led legal organization, said the tension between wealthy corporations and the native Hawaiian community, who has less economic and political power, is a fight seen among indigenous communities all over the world. Though she is Quechua, an indigenous group of South America, rather than Hawaiian, she shared, “We are Maunakea … protecting the sacred is a vital part of who we are.”
Because Maunakea touches the sea floor, she explained that the “mauna” connects to all of planet Earth. “What Maunakea shows us daily is that all of our struggles are connected.” In 2023, 196 environmental protectors were killed, 43 percent being indigenous, said Segovia. “We have to stand. It’s not an option … This is a fight for all indigenous peoples.”
Even though the term “science” usually makes people think of Western scientific epistemology, Ka‘ili explained science at its core is about using observations of the material world to notice relationships and draw conclusions. Both Western science and indigenous science rely on observing and understanding the world because these insights are essential for survival. “[Indigenous people] observed their nature” before making decisions, he said. “Native Hawaiians would observe the stars and the moon. [Then] they would know if it was the best season to plant taro because it was the most likely to grow successfully. Or they would know when would be the perfect time to go sailing.” He also explained Aboriginal Australians would prevent destructive wildfires by using smaller, controlled fires to clear brush.
Addison Arlint, a junior political science major from Montana, said she thinks indigenous communities from an outsider’s perspective are often judged as not being modern enough. Outsiders might think Indigenous communities should support projects like the TMT to help society move forward, she explained. “It is framed almost one or the other. Culture or modernization,” but she said there are ways for people to not sacrifice their heritage while still promoting modernization. With Chinese embroidery, artisans “maintained the meaning behind the pattern but enhanced the process of making it … by using modernization to their benefit.”
Thielk said he “was in opposition to [telescopes on Maui’s mountains] … What the military has done is literally nothing that benefits anyone.” However, he explained he is not against the Maunkea TMT because he thinks the management of Maunakea’s telescopes compared to those on Maui and the potential benefits of building the TMT make it something worth considering. “When we have an opportunity to be on top, [Hawaiians] should seize the moment.”
Great discoveries have been made from Hawai'i, including, “galaxies millions of lightyears away [that] have Hawaiian names. The first black hole ever seen with the naked eye has a Hawaiian name,” he said. “We are losing the opportunity to conquer space.” He said if humanity ever populates those galaxies, it would be amazing for them to trace those names back to the Hawaiian nation.
Although he and other Native Hawaiians are supportive of the telescope's construction and view it as a great opportunity, he believes it should not be built. He said, “It is the responsibility of the government to respect the will of the people when there is such an overwhelming negative response” Even if the majority of native Hawaiians support building the TMT, he said since those who have been the most vocal are against it, “it is irresponsible for the government to prioritize money in a land where we have had to surrender so much.”
A supporter of the Maunakea movement, Arlint shared, “I feel like seeing others gain wins shows everyone can, especially when it comes from a marginalized and oppressed group.” She said it is important to find things to be inspired by, and Maunakea can be a beautiful example to indigenous communities around the world of advocating for their cultural heritage.