Of course Mauna Kea is sacred. So is Mauna Loa, so is Haleakala, so is the iwi-saturated land under the forest of Kakaako condos, so is Publics, so is Pipeline, so is the moon, and so are the stars that astronomers and wayfinders study. The leaders of many faith traditions remind us that all of creation is sacred. To say that advances in astronomy should not be performed on Mauna Kea because the mountain is sacred is tantamount to saying that nothing should be done anywhere.

I think that the laudable energies and efforts of the protectors should be harnessed for Mauna Kea, for astronomy, and for validating Hawaii’s historic leadership in this noble human endeavor. Let’s focus this righteous Hawaiian energy on leading the worldwide community of stargazers in advancing the study of the sky on this sacred mountain.

Henry Trapido-Rosenthal

Manoa

Click here to read more Letters to the Editor.