- Statement on Maunakea from Hui Mālama i ke Ala 'Ūlili
Lāʻaukūkahi, Hinaiaʻeleʻele
July 20, 2019
Hui Mālama i ke Ala 'Ūlili (huiMAU) stands in solidarity with the kia'i mauna who are standing peacefully, in kapu aloha, at Pu'uhonua o Pu'uhuluhulu for the protection of Maunakea against the further desecration proposed by the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) project. We know Maunakea to be a source of ola, life and well-being, for all of us in Hāmākua, on Hawai'i island, throughout the Pae 'Āina, and the world, and thus we honor the kia'i mauna as kia'i ola, protectors of life for present and future generations.
As 'Ōiwi and kama'āina of Hāmākua, we know the summit region of Maunakea is the central piko of our moku (district) of Hāmākua and the ahupua'a of Ka'ohe, and that together with the summit of Maunaloa, this mauna forms the 'ohe wai (bamboo water container) and hā mākua (parent stalk) of our island. As our living traditions teach us, it is a foundational kuleana of mākua (parents) to mālama (care for) and hānai (feed, nurture) their keiki. In order for our 'ohana to thrive, our mākua must be able to fulfill this kuleana. The proposed TMT project represents a future trajectory for the summit of Maunakea in which our makua mountain will be hindered in fulfilling this life-giving kuleana to our 'ohana—this entire island. We teach our keiki the values of 'ohana and mālama, and thus we, as descendants of this mauna, oppose such irresponsible treatment of our mākua—the source of the water we drink, the soil we plant in, sea we gather from, and the air we breathe—our birthplace and final resting place. We are, indeed, Maunakea.
As a Hui committed to reestablishing the systems that sustain our community, we also recognize the summit of Maunakea as the piko of the ecological systems that sustain life for our 'āina (land), kai (sea), wai (waters), and kānaka (people). We stand with and support the efforts and sacrifices of the kia'i mauna at Pu'uhonua o Pu'uhuluhulu, and all around Maunakea's vast sacred landscape to bring about a future in which Maunakea and her life-giving functions are fully protected and maintained in perpetuity. We are inspired by the kūpuna, mākua, and keiki, wāhine, māhū, and kāne—mothers, fathers, aunties, uncles, sisters, and brothers, like you and I—who have sacrificed greatly and dedicated their lives to ensuring the [End Page 552] long-term well-being of Maunakea with utmost integrity, discipline, and aloha. Like the mo'olelo (story) of our great ali'i, 'Umi-a-Līloa, the mo'olelo of these kia'i mauna will be shared with our keiki and mo'opuna for generations to come as models of aloha 'āina—models of humanity standing up for what is pono—that we will celebrate and honor for as long as aloha 'āina shall live.
As caretakers of 'āina and kīpuka (safe, regenerative spaces) in our community, we are humbled and inspired by the ways in which kia'i mauna have organized, managed, and governed the Pu'uhonua at the kīpuka of Pu'uhuluhulu in strict adherence to kapu aloha. As an organization we envision a Hāmākua in which 'ohana are empowered with the capacity to live and thrive in Hāmākua for generations—with deep aloha and kuleana for the 'āina and 'ohana to whom we belong, and with great expertise in regenerating and maintaining the systems that feed us physically, intellectually, and spiritually. We see the actions of our 'ohana standing to mālama Maunakea—from Pa'auilo, to Pu'uhuluhulu, from Kumukahi to Lehua—as courageous steps along the ala 'ūlili (steep trail) towards this shared vision for the pono of our 'āina and lāhui. Mahalo nui iā 'oukou. As our celebration of Lā Ho'iho'i Ea, Hawai'i's first national holiday, approaches, we are inspired by the ea that continues to emerge...