Aloha for TMT
Aloha for TMT
I’m for building the Thirty Meter Telescope on Mauna Kea. I do not agree with the protesters. If they say that Mauna Kea is sacred, then why are they up there protesting on sacred ground? They all have different agendas that have nothing to do with the sacredness of Mauna Kea.
Let’s use the comparison that Mauna Kea is sacred as a heiau. Looking at the oracle tower (lananu‘u mamao) in a heiau, the base, or lana, was for the common people, the nu‘u, or second floor, was sacred, and the top was the mamao, where the kahuna nui pule.
At the base of the mountain, the common people congregate. At the mid-mountain, the kahuna and alii could gather, and at the top, the kahuna nui and alii nui met. All the protesters were kauwa, and in the old days would have been speared to death.
My written genealogy goes all the way back to the Incas. The Inca populated the islands and became Polynesians. They were the explorers and navigators, using the stars to find their way across the oceans. In this age, there is no place else to explore except the heavens. Hokule‘a traveled around the world, showing the world what Polynesians could do just by using the stars with no navigational instruments.
With TMT, we would be able to explore the universe and navigate the stars. Other telescopes have discovered other planets outside our solar system. With TMT, we might be able to discover other life forms. Besides exploring the universe, TMT will bring jobs, scholarships and knowledge of the outer worlds.
Kelli Kanakaole
Hilo
A legend
Kudos to the Tribune-Herald for such a beautiful story on the life and passing of the late, great Bobo Brown.
Last November, I heard that Bobo wasn’t doing too good, so I went up to visit him at his home. We had a wonderful time, talking about the good ol’ days. He gave me a signed CD, which I will cherish for the rest of my life.
I must make mention of another legacy of the Brown family of musicians. During the ’60s and early ’70s, the Browns were at the forefront of the changeover from a “group” to a “band.” Hundreds of us next-generation musicians on the Big Island totally emulated them. We wanted to be in a band and perform in some hotel just like them. So we did.
And look what happened in the ’70s. An explosion of musicians and bands like never before. From Huiohana to Da Blahlas, from Oliver Kelly to Ernie Cruz, Waimanu, John Keawe, Kona Blend, Bamboo, Naturally Debbie Gima, The Longakits — the list is endless. But all this would not have come to pass without the foundation built by the Browns. What a foundation.
Thousands of us singers, writers, musicians through the past 50 years owe a debt of gratitude to the work of the Browns. Perhaps a hotel can name a room after them. What a legacy. What a legend.
Kawika Crowley
Hilo