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Date:
To:
From:
Subject:

October 9, 2016
Governor David Ige
Representative of Hawaii
Erik Fergerstrom
Recommendation Report for the TMT project on Mauna Kea

Purpose
The purpose of this research is to evaluate and illustrate the rift between the Native
Hawaiian and western culture in a context that is pertinent and significant to
contemporary society specifically the construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope
(TMT) on Mauna Kea. This recommendation memo will show the progress made
regarding the research that pertains to this statement, as well as possible solutions
created thus far.

Summary
Attached is the report for the study, TMT project on Mauna Kea: A
Recommendation Report. My team has completed the tasks described in our
proposal of October 2, 2016: Acquire a basic understanding of the deep seeded
bitterness regarding the West in Hawaii and the impact it has had on the Native
Hawaiian culture, as well as analysis of the TMT proposition, and the Native
Hawaiian counter argument.
To carry out these tasks, the team carried out secondary and primary research. We
studied multiple sources of literature that were neutral and biased claims for each
argument. The analysis of these sources produced a detailed illustration of past
events, the current tension, and the future of what needs to occur in order for the
West and Native Hawaiian sects to collaborate.

Introduction
In June of 2003, the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) Observatory Corporation was
founded by a conglomerate of astronomical organizations from America, Canada,
and Japan in order to establish one of the most remarkable pieces of tech of our
time the thirty meter across TMT would sit on the summit of Mauna Kea, the tallest
mountain in the world. The planning and construction of this telescope has spread
widespread controversy on the islands of Hawaii due to conflicting interests over the
land on which the telescope would reside. According to Hawaiian belief, culture, and
practice, the summit of Mauna Kea, also known as Mauna o Wakea, is the
connection (or peko) that links the earth to the sky in ancient Hawaiian lore, making
this area sacred to those who still believe and practice these ancient beliefs.

Adding to the pre-existing tension of the past, escalating tensions between the
Native Hawaiian people and the TMT project staff is an issue which stems from deep
historical bitterness dating back to the overthrow of the Hawaiian Monarchy - a
direct result of US imperialism in the 1800s which pushed for privatization of land,
the displacement of the Hawaiian people, as well as racial discrimination and
segregation. This key event in Hawaiian history is indicative of the ongoing problem
that has altered and destroyed the relations between foreigners and natives.
The ongoing social conflict between the Native Hawaiian people and Western
civilization is one that stems from a deep-rooted sense of betrayal. The distrust
associated with what happened then will not reconcile overnight. The construction
of a giant telescope on sanctified Hawaiian land would not ease any preexisting
tension and is a project that will require many years to accomplish. With regard to
the telescope being built on the summit of Mauna Kea, it is without question that
the dedication and fervor the Native Hawaiian people demonstrate is exemplary.
Such a unique and resilient culture should be respected by all who call Hawaii their
home. It is acknowledgeable that in the face of much adversity over the last one
hundred years: they are a strong and proud community fighting for what they
believe in.
At the same time, focusing on the past should not hinder the answers the present
day and future holds for us. With time and Hawaiian cooperation, the collaboration
of native people with the TMT telescope would accomplish more than they ever
could individually. Western and Hawaiian culture have much to offer one another
when integrity and respect are maintained. Together, we too can leave a legacy that
lasts among the stars.

Research Methods
The team began doing research with a strong emphasis on acquiring primary
sources of information that were only neutral with regard to the TMT project. This
quickly became difficult considering most primary documents were written with a
bias when coming directly from someone affiliated with the TMT staff or the Native
Hawaiian movement. Information was quickly divided into two separate categories:
primary biased documents, and secondary neutral documents. Looking at the
information from both sides, the following issues can be addressed:
1. Acquire a basic understanding of deep seeded bitterness regarding the West
in Hawaii and the impact it has had on the Native Hawaiian culture
2. Look at the proposition of the Mauna Kea TMT project and analyze the Native
Hawaiian counter argument as to why it should be built elsewhere
3. Bring to light options that allow for the TMT to be built and satisfies
conditional demands of the Hawaiian people
The following discussion addresses the subject areas outlined above.

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Task 1. Acquire a basic understanding of deep seeded bitterness
regarding the West in Hawaii and the impact it has had on the Native
Hawaiian culture.
The idea of this section is to understand the context regarding some of the hostility
between Hawaiian people and the TMT staff. The better one can understand the
past conflict, the more we can learn about the future and formulate potential
mitigation strategies if any exist. These ideas are subject but not limited to:

imperialism of the west the illegal overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy

land division and privatization
development of industry
spread of infectious diseases

Issues regarding racial discrimination of today very rarely are new topics in history.
These problems develop over time and are well documented, making this
information easy to access and relevant to todays issue.
Task 2. Look at the proposition of the Mauna Kea TMT project and analyze
the Native Hawaiian counter argument as to why it should be built
elsewhere.
Having a clear understanding of the past, we can hopefully understand the existing
stigma using contextual background information that has been gathered in Task 1.
Information about the construction of the TMT telescope and the concern of the
Hawaiian people are properly documented and should be analyzed into separate
categories: what problems are issues that can be resolved through
compromise/compensation and what issues are impossible to fix. For arguments
that are valid, analysis of its validity and potential counter arguments should be
made. Why does the TMT need to be built on Mauna Kea in the first place? Research
should also include other potential locations of the TMT if negotiations fail.
Task 3. Bring to light options that allow for the TMT to be built and
satisfies conditional demands of the Hawaiian people.
People who are excellent candidates to interview for this would be UH professor and
Native Hawaiian John Coney, a close family friend who is readily involved in
astronomy atop Mauna Kea. Questions include potential solutions that he has
already heard from others, intuitive solutions he has thought of himself, and
potential solutions I can scheme using the background and contextual information I
have gathered in the research sections of Task 1 and Task 2.

Results
In this section, the results of my teams research is presented for each task we set
forth to address. Thus far, this is the information we have acquired:

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Task 1. Acquire a basic understanding of deep seeded bitterness
regarding the West in Hawaii and the impact it has had on the Native
Hawaiian culture
Under the government of the Hawaiian Monarchy, the chiefdom civilization of the
Hawaiian people benefitted under the idea of reciprocity. The king would allow
several chiefs to oversee areas of land in what was considered ahupuaa: a
system that represented a semi-feudal type of hierarchy where people payed tribute
to the king in exchange for political and military provision. The belief that Mauna
Kea, also known as Mauna o Wakea, was the connection (or peko) that links the
earth to the sky in ancient Hawaiian lore (Tom, 2014). Native Hawaiians at this time
believed Mauna Kea held special spiritual significance because there were powers
that connected the people to their deities.
This way of life changed as the introduction of Western influence, beginning with
Captain James Cook in 1778. Preexisting the overthrow of the Hawaiian Monarchy in
1893, the slow westernization of the Hawaiian Islands began to attract missionaries
and wealthy businessmen in lough of the fact that Hawaii was increasingly
recognized as a fundamental crux in the trade routes between Asia and Western
Civilization. The means by which encroachment of Western influence began followed
suit using the:

Privatization of Land

This privatization of land allowed for native independent land owners to make a
claim and use the land as they pleased. Private land ownership, it was argued,
would lead to higher self-esteem, better habits, and housing better fitted for the
preservation of good morals(Herman, 2001). While this may be true, this was
primarily a ploy by Westerners to begin attaining plots of land from commoners who
were willing to sell.

Developing Industry

Privatized industry and land ownership in Hawaii preluded the slow displacement of
the Hawaiian people. This was inevitable due to the influx of how many affluent
white businessmen were interested in the prospect of being a land owner. By 1890,
whites had equal footing in Hawaii. Foreigner ideology was entirely different from
that of the Hawaiian people. The difference in cultures had created a barrier that
put natives at a disadvantage and unable to associate with whites easily. Only a few
natives understood English due to their lack of education, access to healthcare, and
economic potential(Stauffer, 2004).

Illegal overthrow of the Hawaiian Monarchy

This was the final obstacle to white control, and the perpetuation of the dying
Hawaiian discourse can be understood as pushing for the end of Hawaiian rule by
making it seem inevitable that whites Americans would come into
power(Herman, 2001). The displacement of the Hawaiian people would assist in
the establishment of white dominance amongst those who resided locally. The
privatization of land and displacement of the Hawaiian people was a means to
isolate and control the native population.

Segregation disguised as disease control

Worldwide, native groups have been susceptible to Western diseases such as

leprosy, measles, mumps, and influenza. While Hawaiians experienced all of these
ailments over the course of the 19th and 20th centuries, none were as prevalent as
the leprosy outbreak of the late 1800s. The difference in language and opportunity
inhibited the native population from receiving the necessary healthcare needed in
order to treat the epidemic (Trask, 1993). This posed as a benefit to the foreigner
population because Hawaiians were soon no longer the majority.
Task 2. Look at the proposition of the Mauna Kea TMT project and analyze
the Native Hawaiian counter argument as to why it should be built
elsewhere
Engineers have speculated that the TMT will able to see images that are 10 times
better than the Hubble Telescope (Sanders, 2005), which is a feat of science
considering the Hubble Telescope remains in low orbit above the earths
atmosphere. This is the same Hubble Telescope that has provided numerous
advances in the fields of astrophysics and space exploration. Space exploration has
been one of the most profound means of fostering good international relations with
other first world countries contemporarily and in the future (Witze, 2015).
Despite what is broadcasted on television, much of Hawaiis educational
infrastructure is not up to spec considering Hawaii has one of the lowest educational
and future job opportunities in the country. TMT plans to counter this statistic by
making annual primary contributions of 1 million dollars to Hawaiis education
system (Todd, 2016). In addition, TMT has already made donations to the states
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematic (STEM) programs. A secondary
source of income will result from the development of the telescope as well tourism.
With the increased tourism from an influx of scientific figureheads flocking to the
islands, it is safe to say that the telescope will indirectly benefit the states
economy.
The scientific community is pushing for the development of the TMT on the island of
Hawaii due to its optimal observing conditions. According to its altitude, proximity to
the earths upper and lower hemispheres, low light pollution, as well as perfect
weather conditions, Mauna Kea is explicitly the most ideal place for an observatory
in the world (Loomis, 2015). The TMT organization has proposed another option in
Chiles Atacama Desert, but this option shadows in comparison to the environment
that Mauna Kea provides.
The Hawaiian people are not so much against science as much as they are opposing
control. Hawaiians have a long and illustrious tradition of adopting Western
technologies. King Kalakaua had electricity in his palace before the White House
had it.(Herman, 2015). The argument is not that the Hawaiian community oppose
science, but rather they oppose the Western influence that has taken what they
hold most dear their islands. In understanding the deep resentment of the
Hawaiian people with regard to the past, this is more a fight for control over what
little claim they have left.

Task 3. Bring to light options that allow for the TMT to be built and
satisfies conditional demands of the Hawaiian people
It is to my understanding that you, Governor Ige, have already proposed a
compromise for the Hawaiian people in lough of past events. Your idea to dismantle
old some of the preexisting telescopes to make way for the TMT has initiated
widespread discourse among the Hawaiians due to their emotional vulnerability at
said time. In staking this claim, it is safe to assume conflict will not be able to be
resolved in a compromise. It is clear that because the masses have gathered in
opposition, it is time for you to make a choice as a representative of both the state
and of the Hawaiian people.

Conclusions
In this section, we present conclusions based on the research done related to the
three tasks we were asked to answer. While they were not all written from a neutral
stance, the information presented consists of primary and secondary pieces of
evidence were used to arrive to this deduction.

Argument against the TMT project

The argument against the TMT project revolves around the following notions:

A lack of respect for the sacredness of the mountain

The belief that Mauna Kea, also known as Mauna o Wakea, is the connection (or
peko) that links the earth to the sky in ancient Hawaiian lore. Native Hawaiians who
still believe this push for the dismissal and removal of the TMT cooperation to
preserve the spiritual and intangible forces that connect the Hawaiian people to Ke
Akua (God/Gods).

Control

The Hawaiian people seek to reclaim control in the only means they know possible,
yet what they do not understand is that it would be impossible to return to the
olden ways in the contemporary society we know today.
Argument for the TMT project
The argument for the TMT project concentrates on the following:

Scientific development
Regarding space exploration and astrophysics alike, the development of science
helps humanity as a whole to better understand the fundamental questions of
life.

International relations
The TMT organization is collaborative with several world powers Japan, Russia,
China, and the US. Efforts to strengthen international relations today, even in
times of massive socio-political and economic strain, may help mold a brighter
tomorrow globally.

Economic and Educational stimulation

TMT brings in revenue directly as well as indirectly. It has been documented that
some of these proceeds will be used to help the STEM programs across Hawaii.

Recommendation
We recommend that you pursue one of the following actions:
Option 1: Build the TMT with little regard for the Hawaiian movement
The construction of the telescope on the summit of Mauna Kea would spur the
progress of international relations and the development of the scientific community.
This option benefits humanity on a wider scale, while a fraction of Native Hawaiian
people would be outraged. The TMT organization would help to bring in additional
tourism and support STEM internships and programs on the islands. Revenue
brought in from grants and funding would directly benefit the TMT organization and
indirectly stimulate economic growth on the island.
In order to do this, the building permits that were denied in December of 2015
would need to be reissued to the organization and progress to start as soon as
possible, ideally, without protest interference.
Option 2: Do not build the TMT in order to satisfy the Hawaiian people
Denying the TMT building permits would force the TMT organization to shift
operations to another building site such as Chile or Mexico. The sacred mountain
remains a spiritual place to those who believe it to have connection to old ideals.
The Hawaiian people would rejoice for a time, but eventually realize that there are
still observatories in use on the mountain top.
In order to do this, the building permits would need to continue to be denied and a
motion set by the Supreme Court of Hawaii issued ordering the removal of the TMT
organization from the island of Hawaii.

References
Callis, Tom. TMT Groundbreaking Disrupted. Hawaii Tribune Herald. October 9, 2014.
Herman, Doug. The Heart of the Hawaiian Peoples Arguments Against the Telescope on Mauna
Kea. Smithsonian, April 23, 2015.
Herman, Rdk. Out of Sight, out of Mind, out of Power: Leprosy, Race and Colonization in Hawaii.
Academic Press, Journal of Historical Geography, 27 (July 2001): 319.
Loomis, Ilima, and Adrian Cho. Telescope Clash Deeply Rooted in Hawaiis Past. American
Association for the Advancement of Science - Science Magazine 348, no. 6235 (May 8, 2015):
61415.
Sanders, Gary. The Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) Project. Powerpoint presented at the AAS 205th
Meeting, San Diego, January 11, 2005. http://www.tmt.org/whats-new/G-Sanders-Jan05AAS.pdf.
Stauffer, Robert H. Kahana: How the Land Was Lost. Honolulu, HI: University of Hawaii Press,
2004.
Todd, Ben. Big Island Has Too Much to Lose If TMT Leaves. Honolulu Civil Beat. September 21,
2016. http://www.civilbeat.org/2016/09/big-island-has-too-much-to-lose-if-tmt-leaves/.
Trask, Haunani-Kay. From a Native Daughter: Colonialism and Sovereignty in Hawaii. Monroe,
Maine: Common Courage Press, 1993.
Witze, Alexandra. The Mountain-Top Battle over the Thirty Meter Telescope. Nature 526, no. 7571
(September 29, 2015). http://www.nature.com/news/the-mountain-top-battle-over-the-thirtymeter-telescope-1.18446.