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Hawaii Controversy Essay

1675 Words7 Pages

The Island of Hawaii, known to be the most beautiful and peaceful land in the world, has its challenges and controversy between culture, values, and race. The native Hawaiians have been discriminated and taken advantage of by the “outsiders” - the ones disrespecting the land. The Hawaiian culture and heritage have been forcefully utilized to become a tool in exploring the new world of science, leading to unfixable disunity and controversy. Due to Hawaii's beauty in unique nature and position on the pacific, the ambition to exploration from the scientists and astronomers have destroyed the sacred lands and the heart of the natives. A major example of these actions can be shown through the construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope on Mauna Kea. This issue has become one of the most concerning controversy to the different races in Hawaii. This long going issue did not become a controversy until the supporter of the TMT decided to disrespect the ancestor's lands of the island. This disrespect of the sacred lands by the …show more content…

It is equipped with the newest technologies to observe the outside universe. Why is this great telescope opening doors to a new age of exploration a controversy? Since 1964, 13 telescopes have been built on Mauna Kea, and construction of these telescopes has been a trigger of controversy to the native Hawaiians. The telescopes were being built upon the sacred and holy lands of the native Hawaiians. Along with multiple cries of protests from the locals, astronomers and scientists have decided to ignore the strong values of the land and continued to seek the ambition of exploration. It dishonored the Hawaiian culture and the meaning behind the “aina”, means land in the Hawaiian language. The native Hawaiians could not tolerate these action of disrespect to their ancestors and gods of the land, actions resulted in protests and disconnection of the people in

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