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Page: Profile: Wren's Nest News Local
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Article: 15781
[Culture]
Date Posted:
7/9/2006
6:22:26 pm EDT
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Comments: 7
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Cultures Clash Atop Mauna Kea
Author: Michael Tsai Source: Honolulu Advertiser (HI)
Title: CULTURES CLASH ATOP MAUNA KEA
Her heart dropped.
It was 1998 and Kealoha Pisciotta, then employed as a systems specialist by the joint British-Dutch-Canadian telescope facility at Mauna Kea, had come with her aunt to a special spot at the 11,000-foot level of the volcano. Pisciotta had erected a stone family shrine there eight years earlier for her grandmother and other relatives.
Pisciotta's aunt, who struggled with diabetes, wanted to visit the site while she was still able, to teach Pisciotta about her native Hawaiian traditions of astronomy.
But when they got there, the shrine was gone.
"I found it days later," Pisciotta recalls. "At the dump."
The shrine had been dismantled by a tour guide working for the University of Hawai'i's Institute for Astronomy, which oversees the sprawling 500-acre Observatory Precinct.
The question of what does and does not belong on the white-capped volcano lies at the heart of the documentary "Mauna Kea — Temple Under Siege," which focuses on the tug of war between those who use it for astronomy and those who see it as a cultural landscape. It airs Thursday on PBS Hawaii's "Pacific Showcase."
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Community Thoughts: There are 7 comments posted | Reverse Sort |
| Could Get Interesting. | Jul 10th. at 2:07:12 am EDT
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Amtehuti (Queens, Florida) - Email Me
Pele may govern forces of destruction. But much like Set or Hekate, from destruction comes a resurgence of life. So has Pele always cared for her people, as from the volcanoes come fertile land on which to grow food. She is gentle even if others don't see it.
The people of Hawai'i have kept their faith for countless generations. That mountain is a spiritual site. Yes, a telescope could feasably be useful there, though it is true the volcano could erupt any day now so the money spent sees rather idiotic. But building a telescope doesn't mean you own the mountain.
This is the usual battle of science vs religion. Science, aka the "academics" here, look down upon plebian local superstition and toss out an altar. Religion views science as destroying their right to worship. At least religion here wants a middle ground and science, well, they aren't ones to play fair.
Too much faith has been lost on these islands. Pele has every right to be angry, and if Her anger comes full circle after Her most basic aspects of worship are denied, I would hate to see what will happen to Hawai'i. That's one eruption that locals, academics, and anyone on the islands will heavily suffer from.
Eh, well. Piss of the local deities and, not meant as a cliche here, you're playing with fire.
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