The Sacred Volcano and the Extremely Large Telescope; Structural Violence and Conflicting Notions of Pollution at Mauna a Wakea, Hawai'i

Mauna a Wakea is a dormant volcano on the Island of Hawai'i that is named after the "sky father". It
is considered to be a sacred place and living relative to the native Hawaiians. The mountain is also a
piko (umbilical cord, spiritual centre) of the land and therefore a powerful place that acts as the cord
that ties the ancestors to the living and the heavens to the earth. The native Hawaiians are not the
only people who have an interest in the mountain however. It also happens to be the best place for
ground-based astronomy in the Northern Hemisphere because it is the highest point in the Pacific
and, as scientists like to put it, it has exceptionally low levels of 'atmospheric-, electronic- and light pollution' (Morrison, 1973). For this reason, 13 telescopes are already on the mountain and plans are
in the works for the biggest one yet, the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT). The kia'i mauna (native
Hawaiian protectors of the mountain) see it as their duty to ensure no more construction is ever
carried out on the mountain, which has resulted in an ongoing conflict at Mauna a Wakea. I propose
to conduct ethnographic research at both Caltech (in Pasadena, California) and on Hawaii. Caltech is
one of the organisations behind the TMT and I want to conduct interviews with the astronomers to
collect qualitative data on how they position themselves within this conflict. I want to examine in
how far astronomers are aware of the cultural context connected to astronomy, how they consider
the native Hawaiians' connection to Mauna a Wakea, and why they feel that scientific astronomy
should be prioritised over local beliefs. In Hawaii I want to interview people from organisations who
fight against the building of the TMT and for the preservation of Hawaiian cultural beliefs. One of the
topics I want to explore through these interviews is how the astronomy practices are experienced as
a form of cultural pollution by the natives. I want to examine how the obstruction of the Hawaiian
people's connection to their land, spirits, and ancestors can pollute their societal awareness of
themselves. I also propose a link between this pollution and structural violence, meaning injustices
produced by systems that, among other outcomes, prevent the people it marginalises from gaining
self-actualisation. Astronomy is generally considered to be non-polluting and non-violent, but that is
greatly dependent upon who gets to decide what is considered as violence or pollution. I will be
taking lessons to gain an elementary proficiency in the Hawaiian language as the language is an
essential part of the Hawaiian culture and cosmologies. Although I expect English to be the driving
lan-guage in the interviews, I think it is important that the interviewees feel free to use terms and
sayings best expressed in Hawaiian, and that I can understand them. I also feel that, as an outsider,
having knowledge of the 'Olelo Hawai'i shows I take the Hawaiian culture and its suppression
seriously and want to do my best at portraying their stories as authentically as possible. Where
astronomy is generally considered to be an equalising science, showing us where our collective
history and place in the cosmos is, this research aims to show the divide it can likewise create. It
could change the way the general public considers astronomy and help give rise to an
anthropological understanding of the field. It also has potential to be a contribution to the discourse
surrounding land ownership in colonised spaces. Public consciousness about colonial histories and
the questions surrounding land rights are increasing in public discourse and politics. I consider the
story of Mauna a Wakea to be a key example of this kind of topic and believe it has the potential to
impact how these questions are considered