On the other side, spread out over two tables, sat the opposition - Native Hawaiians and their allies. Six groups and individuals have been given official
"standing" by the court to oppose the U.H. application. They came to the front to talk of their love of Mauna Kea, its natural environment, and its cultural and spiritual significance as a temple. Sadness tinged their testimony, sometimes a brief flash of muted anger. They asserted that their "traditional and customary practices have been marginalized or ignored and threatened."
Supporting the opposition to the U.H. application sat dark-suited, silent members of the Royal Order of Kamehameha I. Though most of them did not say a word during the official hearing inside the courtroom, following the day's proceedings they could sometimes be seen outside in the parking lot, circling up to pray, as they and their ancestors have long done on the mountain. They evoked their ancestors for guidance and prayed for the well-being of both sides in the dispute, other living creatures and all the elements that combine to make the magical, mysterious mountain that pre-dates humanity.
Though the energy in the courtroom was controlled and contained, beneath it ran other currents. This commentator wondered if the rumblings below the surface might erupt, as Mauna Kea's neighboring Kilauea volcano currently does.
"standing" by the court to oppose the U.H. application. They came to the front to talk of their love of Mauna Kea, its natural environment, and its cultural and spiritual significance as a temple. Sadness tinged their testimony, sometimes a brief flash of muted anger. They asserted that their "traditional and customary practices have been marginalized or ignored and threatened."
Supporting the opposition to the U.H. application sat dark-suited, silent members of the Royal Order of Kamehameha I. Though most of them did not say a word during the official hearing inside the courtroom, following the day's proceedings they could sometimes be seen outside in the parking lot, circling up to pray, as they and their ancestors have long done on the mountain. They evoked their ancestors for guidance and prayed for the well-being of both sides in the dispute, other living creatures and all the elements that combine to make the magical, mysterious mountain that pre-dates humanity.
Though the energy in the courtroom was controlled and contained, beneath it ran other currents. This commentator wondered if the rumblings below the surface might erupt, as Mauna Kea's neighboring Kilauea volcano currently does.