With Gov. David Ige’s weeklong halt in construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope slated to end early next week, project opponents have begun speculating via Facebook and other social media about when to expect additional arrests atop Hawaii’s tallest peak.
Kealoha Pisciotta, a TMT opponent and protest organizer, said Friday that her understanding was TMT crews would ascend the mountain to resume work Monday morning, two days after the annual Merrie Monarch hula festival draws to a close.
As they have for nearly two weeks now, opponents have every intention of standing their ground on Mauna Kea.
“I think everyone acknowledges they have to do what they have to do,” Pisciotta said.
TMT spokeswoman Sandra Dawson was unavailable for an interview Friday, but said in a statement that the restart of construction has not yet been scheduled.
“We are having ongoing discussions with various stakeholders,” she said.
On Wednesday, one day after announcing that the nonprofit corporation behind TMT had agreed to his request for a timeout, Ige visited Mauna Kea, where Pisciotta said he prayed and talked story with a number of protesters, who have taken to referring to themselves as protectors of the mountain they consider sacred.
“I think it was important for everyone to put a face to the name, and to shake his hand and say ‘aloha,’” Pisciotta said. “I know that sounds strange, but sometimes you have to actually see each other as human.”
Pisciotta said the governor’s staff called protest organizers to ask if it would be OK for Ige to travel to the mountain, and requested no photos be taken while he was there. She said her group was happy to honor the request and felt it was appropriate for him to get a feel for the environment of the controversy.
“It was great because he came and he actually stood in the prayer circle with all the protectors,” she said.
Pisciotta said despite the weeklong timeout, there have been strong daily turnouts of supporters on the mountain, including visits from several kumu hula in town for the festival.
TMT officials did not respond to questions Friday about whether they have met personally with Ige since the construction halt.
Ige’s announcement Tuesday of a stand down came five days after law enforcement officials arrested 31 people who participated in an ongoing protest of the $1.4 billion project. He said in a statement the week off would allow time for him to “evaluate the situation from multiple perspectives.”
Ige’s office has declined to comment on whether Merrie Monarch, a celebration of Hawaiian culture that draws thousands of visitors — many of whom are Native Hawaiian — from around the world to the Big Island, factored into Ige’s request. His office also did not respond to the Hawaii Tribune-Herald’s questions Friday about when exactly the weeklong construction halt ends or about details of his visit to Mauna Kea.
Construction of the telescope has been met with resistance from protesters who twice have staged roadblocks on Mauna Kea Access Road to prevent crews from proceeding with site-clearing. The protesters say they are opposed to additional telescope construction on Mauna Kea, considered sacred by Native Hawaiians.
Astronomers say the 180-foot-tall telescope will allow them to observe the first stars and galaxies formed after the Big Bang.
In addition to halting construction, the stand down has kept the state Department of Land and Natural Resources from commenting on the project.
Asked Friday for clarity on when the Land Board gave TMT a notice to proceed and information on a “find spot” (two upright stones) mentioned in a letter from the Historic Preservation Division that is attached to TMT’s grubbing and grading permit, DLNR spokeswoman Deborah Ward said she was trying to get that information but didn’t believe it would be available this week because of the ongoing break, which applies to DLNR.
“This is all considered part of the timeout, at least as far as the state is concerned,” she said.
The HPD letter states the find spot is believed to be a modern shrine.
Email Chris D’Angelo at cdangelo@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
