The biggest drama in decades is playing itself out on Mauna Kea, and it’s drawing international attention. As popular culture icons jump on the anti-Thirty Meter Telescope bandwagon, it seems uncool to support the $1.4 billion scientific endeavor. Some protesters have gone so far as to say that they are on the “right side of history.”
Not everyone feels that way. Chad Kalepa Baybayan, a former captain on the Hokule‘a and navigator in residence at the ‘Imiloa Astronomy Center of Hawai‘i, has a different perspective.
Born and raised in Lahaina, at age 19 he first sailed on the Hokule‘a in 1975 and has been on the crew of all major Hokule‘a voyages. In 2007 he was one of five Hawaiian men initiated into the order of Pwo, a 3,000-year-old society of deep-sea navigators in Micronesia.
My co-writer, Rob Kay, recently interviewed Kalepa for our column.
Question: If there’s one point you want to get across to the public as a reason to support TMT, what would it be?
Answer: As a Hawaiian I recognize that I am a descendant of some of the best oceanic astronomers and navigators the earth has ever produced. However, astronomy is the providence of humanity; it belongs to all mankind. As a citizen of the human race, I am committed to humanity’s progress and quest for knowledge. It is important to me to be on the right side of humanity, on the right side of enlightenment and knowledge, and on the right side of education that is inspiring a whole new generation of explorers.
Q: Do you see a direct link between your lineage as a Hawaiian navigator and the construction of TMT?
A: As a Native Hawaiian, I support TMT because it continues our oceanic tradition and legacy of exploration. My perspective of Mauna Kea is based on a tradition of oceanic exploration and the legacy of a people who left the safety of the coastline, sailed away and, in so doing, discovered the stars. As a Hawaiian, I recognize that I am a descendant of some of the best naked-eye astronomers the world has ever known. It is culturally consistent to advocate for Hawaiian participation in a field of science that continues to enable that tradition and a field of work in which we ought to lead.
Q: TMT opponents say the project will desecrate sacred land. How would you address their concerns?
A: The argument that telescopes or any structure on the summit desecrates the mountain is a matter of opinion. To date, there has never been a court case challenging structures on the summit as a form of desecration. There is no heiau on the summit and very little archaeological evidence of human use.
Q: Some have described TMT as pitting science against culture. You’ve turned this statement on its head and said it’s better to ask, How can culture engage scientific research? Can you explain what you mean?
A: Today, through the organizations I am privileged to work with, we are seeking ways for culture and scientific research to collaborate. One is a creative Hawaiian naming project called A Hua He Inoa, whereby students from local high schools and the university collaborate with astronomers to provide Hawaiian names for objects discovered on Mauna Kea and Haleakala. The names are provided to the International Astronomy Union to become official. Larry Kimura, associate professor of Ka Haka ‘Ula o Ke‘elikolani College of Hawaiian Language, and Doug Simmons, executive director of Canada-France-Hawai’i Telescope, collaborate through a presentation called “The Physics of Po and the Po of Physics.” The collaborative presentation focuses on the first 11 lines of the Kumulipo, the most significant and historic Hawaiian creation chant that has survived to modern times. The presentation incorporates modern astronomy theories on the origins of the universe.
Q: The opponents of TMT seem adamant about never allowing the construction of TMT. How would you respond to that?
A: There is more than enough room on the mauna for everyone to have their own space to conduct cultural practice and scientific research. There just needs to be the collective will to make that happen. We must be a better community by all of us learning how to share the mauna.
Mike Meyer is chief information officer for Honolulu Community College. Reach him at mmeyer@hawaii.edu. Rob Kay is a freelance writer and can be reached at robertfredkay@gmail.com.
