The Sacred Volcano and the Extremely Large Telescope; Structural Violence and Conflicting Notions of Pollution at Mauna a Wakea, Hawai'i

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Mauna a Wakea is a dormant volcano on the Island of Hawai'i that is named after the "sky father". Itis considered to be a sacred place and living relative to the native Hawaiians. The mountain is also apiko (umbilical cord, spiritual centre) of the land and therefore a powerful place that acts as the cordthat ties the ancestors to the living and the heavens to the earth. The native Hawaiians are not theonly people who have an interest in the mountain however. It also happens to be the best place forground-based astronomy in the Northern Hemisphere because it is the highest point in the Pacificand, as scientists like to put it, it has exceptionally low levels of 'atmospheric-, electronic- and light pollution' (Morrison, 1973). For this reason, 13 telescopes are already on the mountain and plans arein the works for the biggest one yet, the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT). The kia'i mauna (nativeHawaiian protectors of the mountain) see it as their duty to ensure no more construction is evercarried out on the mountain, which has resulted in an ongoing conflict at Mauna a Wakea. I proposeto conduct ethnographic research at both Caltech (in Pasadena, California) and on Hawaii. Caltech isone of the organisations behind the TMT and I want to conduct interviews with the astronomers tocollect qualitative data on how they position themselves within this conflict. I want to examine inhow far astronomers are aware of the cultural context connected to astronomy, how they considerthe native Hawaiians' connection to Mauna a Wakea, and why they feel that scientific astronomyshould be prioritised over local beliefs. In Hawaii I want to interview people from organisations whofight against the building of the TMT and for the preservation of Hawaiian cultural beliefs. One of thetopics I want to explore through these interviews is how the astronomy practices are experienced asa form of cultural pollution by the natives. I want to examine how the obstruction of the Hawaiianpeople's connection to their land, spirits, and ancestors can pollute their societal awareness ofthemselves. I also propose a link between this pollution and structural violence, meaning injusticesproduced by systems that, among other outcomes, prevent the people it marginalises from gainingself-actualisation. Astronomy is generally considered to be non-polluting and non-violent, but that isgreatly dependent upon who gets to decide what is considered as violence or pollution. I will betaking lessons to gain an elementary proficiency in the Hawaiian language as the language is anessential part of the Hawaiian culture and cosmologies. Although I expect English to be the drivinglan-guage in the interviews, I think it is important that the interviewees feel free to use terms andsayings best expressed in Hawaiian, and that I can understand them. I also feel that, as an outsider,having knowledge of the 'Olelo Hawai'i shows I take the Hawaiian culture and its suppressionseriously and want to do my best at portraying their stories as authentically as possible. Whereastronomy is generally considered to be an equalising science, showing us where our collectivehistory and place in the cosmos is, this research aims to show the divide it can likewise create. Itcould change the way the general public considers astronomy and help give rise to ananthropological understanding of the field. It also has potential to be a contribution to the discoursesurrounding land ownership in colonised spaces. Public consciousness about colonial histories andthe questions surrounding land rights are increasing in public discourse and politics. I consider thestory of Mauna a Wakea to be a key example of this kind of topic and believe it has the potential toimpact how these questions are considered