The summit of Mauna Kea is sacred to Native Hawaiians and is one of the best places in the world to look at the night sky.
A new state law says that science needs to be balanced with culture and the environment in order to protect future generations. The summit's managers will no longer have to rely on Native Hawaiian cultural experts to advise them.
The status quo had to change after thousands of protesters camped on the mountain to block the construction of an observatory.
Native Hawaiian advocates want to protect a site that is important to them. Astronomers hope they'll be able to keep making discoveries after the state land lease expires in 11 years. Business and political leaders in a state that has long struggled to make up for its tourism-dependence want astronomy to help them.
It is possible that the new authority will offer a first-in-the-world test case for whether the universe can be respectfully studied from Indigenous and culturally important lands.
We have been here for a long time. We are here, we are not gone. A Native Hawaiian who helped draft a report that laid the groundwork for the new law said that they have knowledge that would produce a feasible management solution that would be more inclusive.
The summit of the mountain is 13,803 feet above sea level. The state gave the University of Hawaii a 65-year lease for land in exchange for a share of observation time.
It is the best place to study space from the Northern Hemisphere due to its clear skies, dry air and limited light pollution. Some of the first images of planets outside our solar system were made using the telescopes. One was used by an astronomer to prove the existence of a black hole at the center of our universe.
Native Hawaiians view the summit as sacred and have become upset by the telescope changes.
More protesters were attracted by the 38 elders who were arrested. The police withdrew after the company said it wouldn't start construction immediately. Protesters decided to close their camp in March 2020 due to concerns about COVID-19.
Lawmakers were pushed to look at a different approach.
There will be a board of 11 voting members for the new governing body. Eight will be appointed by the governor. The governor doesn't have a date for announcing his nominees, who will go before the state Senate for confirmation. More than 30 people have applied, according to him.
The authority could use traditional Native Hawaiian knowledge to figure out how large a footprint telescopes should have.
Is it possible that we take heavy steps. Light steps are taken by us. When do we make a change? What seasons do we follow? Palacat-Nelsen made the statement. The majority of our stories contain all that type of knowledge.
One of the members of the authority must be a Native Hawaiian and the other must be related to a Native Hawaiian.
The Native Hawaiian view of Mauna Kea is that the summit is where gods and humans can't live. The mountain is said to be the oldest child of Wakea and Papawalinu'u, the male and female sources of all life. The mountain draws clouds and rain that feeds the forests and fresh water in Hawaii.
The law was drafted after a group of Native Hawaiian cultural experts, protesters, observatory workers and state officials met. A large chunk of the report was dedicated to the historical and cultural significance of the mountain.
The authority is supported by several people who served on that working group. One kia'i leader has been nominated by the speaker of the house.
Questions about how broad the authority's community support will be are created by some longstanding telescope opponents.
Native Hawaiians should have an equal say on the board, according to Kealoha Pisciotta, who has been part of legal challenges against the observatory proposals.
You don't have a voice. "It's designed to create an illusion of having consent and representation in a situation where we really don't."
Pressure to address Hawaii's telescope standoff isn't just coming from within the state but also from the U.S. astronomy community, according to lawmakers.
There is a need to develop a new model of collaborative decision-making with Indigenous and local communities according to a report by a committee of astronomy.
"This is not just the Big Island issue, it's not just a state issue, but I believe it's a global issue," said state Sen. The world is watching to see how we handle this.
The backers of the project still want to build on Mauna Kea, but have decided to use a site in Spain's Canary Islands.
The head of the University of Hawaii's astronomy program said that the authority could help his institution if itstabilizes the whole situation for Mauna Kea astronomy.
The authority may not be up and running in time for the summit master lease and subleases to be renewed.
If the state does not authorize an extension, the master lease requires that all existing telescopes be dismantled and their sites restored to their original state by 2033
It will take at least five or six years for the telescopes to be dismantled. New lease arrangements have to be ready by the year 2027 or the observatory will have to end.
There isn't an obvious way to get around this. He wants the authority to be established quickly to maximize time for negotiations and legal challenges.
The eventual board members should not be stakeholders with narrow interests just trying to ensure that they get their piece of the pie according to Rich Matsuda.
He said that people locked down and avoided discussing difficult issues because of the telescope construction tensions. He said that the new law may change that.
Matsuda hopes that this will give them a chance to change the dynamic.
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