Mauna Kea is also known as the White Mountain, since it is often snow-clad. It reaches nearly 14,000 feet, slightly higher than the nearby Mauna Loa, and is the Earth's largest mountain, measured from its origin at the base of the deep sea. Together they dominate the physical and spiritual landscape of Hawai'i. Polynesians across the Pacific consider Mauna Kea the world's most revered location and call it the "realm of the Gods."
Hawaiians consider Mauna Kea to be the place of their origin and the higher elevation as too sacred for human-made constructions. To scientists it offers height, clear, dry air and steady temperatures, ideal for infrared and visual observing. The site offers atmospheric stability and excellent seeing conditions.
"We are a motley crew," admits University of Hawai'i Professor Dr. Manu Aluli Meyer. "But we are protecting our most sacred place. This is a perfect example of clashing cosmologies. It is the newest installment of colonial priorities that have nothing to do with the continuity of place and culture. We are connected to this place and will not go away. We do not come and go, as do the scientists."
Hawaiians consider Mauna Kea to be the place of their origin and the higher elevation as too sacred for human-made constructions. To scientists it offers height, clear, dry air and steady temperatures, ideal for infrared and visual observing. The site offers atmospheric stability and excellent seeing conditions.
"We are a motley crew," admits University of Hawai'i Professor Dr. Manu Aluli Meyer. "But we are protecting our most sacred place. This is a perfect example of clashing cosmologies. It is the newest installment of colonial priorities that have nothing to do with the continuity of place and culture. We are connected to this place and will not go away. We do not come and go, as do the scientists."