FYI: Scientific research conducted at #MaunaKea and #MaunaLoa is NOT conflict free. At this time, it is unethical and as such, unsustainable, no matter how amazing the results. Those results are obtained by colonialist exploitation, against will of Hawaiian people.

I love astronomy. I used to research philosophy of space exploration. But what is being done in Hawaii in name of science is just wrong. Scientific community's failure to respect Hawaiians and their ancestral land is shameful.

Both of these volcanos are sacred to native Hawaiians. They have protested peacefully against colonialist exploitation conducted in name of science for a long time -and been consistently ignored.

The way Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea are being exploited in name of science *is* deeply hurtful to people who have already suffered much in hands of American colonialism.

It is not enough to do tokenistic nods to Hawaiian culture when it is convenient while at the same time blatantly ignoring what Hawaiian people would truly want.

Dismissing indigenous faiths as "backwards and primitive"- as etymology of the word "heathen" suggests- is an old colonialist tactic. It is not based on objective thinking but on Western sense of supremacy and belief that Europeans know what is best for everyone. One can not form an objective opinion about something they can not begin to understand...and sense of supremacy and self-absorbedness are destructive to people's ability to understand anything.

Personally speaking: as much as I love astronomy and science, I think that it would be best if scientists packed their bags and left sacred lands to be until Hawaiians tell otherwise.

What scientific community could learn about humility, decency and basic respect for those unlike them, would be more valuable to our species than the most amazing discoveries.

#Hawaii #AlohaAina

Stumbled into this on YouTube... forest management.... with goats! Us West Coast Yanks think we have fires bad; the Aussies have it worse... but the goats seem to work much more efficiently than stinky machines or even worse pesticides or burning... Maybe we can do that here? @seattle #TikkunOlam #AlohaAina

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g9yiclBCxMo

New episode on “Land & People”: Penny Rawlins Martin from Molokai on the stewardship lessons that voyaging on the 1976 Hōkūle‘a sailing canoe can teach us as one of the first two Hawaiian women to make the 2500 mile journey from Hawai’i to Tahiti. Available now everywhere you listen to podcasts❤️🌸🤙

https://www.podbean.com/ei/pb-24vj3-137602c

#hokulea #hawaii #conservation #alohaaina