Paving A Path For Hawaiʻi’s Future
Monday, July 15, 2019 will be a day our people will never forget. It was the day the State announced that construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) would start. A cold morning that began with raw images of our people being chained to the cattleguard and kūpuna sitting in the road to physically deter vehicles from making headway up the mauna.
“Before you give your statement about what is going on here, you really should be here first so that you can provide accurate information,” opponent Pua Case said.
“I can tell you I feel completely safe. Many members of my family are actually here, so I feel safe and loved. This is my community. I came here today to listen and to respect people.” – Lt. Governor Josh Green
“This is about our right to exist. The way our kūpuna existed. This our right to be our kūpuna. So I ask my people: what kind of kūpuna will you be?” “Now is the time. We need to do it. We have no other choice. We fight, we resist. We stand, or we disappear forever.” “We will stand. And we will stand in Kapu Aloha. We are commited. We are absolutely committed.” – Kahookahi Kanuha
Peaceful demonstrations of Kapu Aloha continued throughout the day, after 33 kūpuna were arrested, and over the last week to protect the desecration of Mauna Kea. The kāhea was heard far and wide as thousands of kia‘i showed up on the mauna and thousands of others rallied together to sign wave, march, and hold separate events at UH Mānoa and the State Capitol.
Regardless of where you stand, there is an undeniable uprising of aloha ‘āina warriors and it’s impossible not to feel the mana. When the thought of losing something forever activates people to fight for what they love most, there is mana in numbers. The lāhui is only getting stronger as kānaka fight for their connection ‘āina. This mana‘o is core to our work every day at DTL. The land gives people life and without this pilina between ʻāina and kānaka, we are lost.
