July 23, 2019
Support for Mauna Kea
There was hula and haka at Aotea Square last night as Aucklanders turned out in solidarity with native Hawaiians trying to stop a giant telescope being built on top of their scared mountain.
One of those attending, Louisa Tipene Opetaia, says the blockade of the road leading up Mauna Kea on the Big Island is galvanising people around the Pacific.
She says it should not be seen as a battle between indigenous knowledge and science.
"It's a battle between big business and indigenous people. Those people on the front lines are not going to move and let this happen because we want our sacred spaces to be protected. There's people up there who are obviously Hawaiian but there are Māori up there, the Samoans have gone up there to show their support, there's Japanese, people from all around the world," Ms Opetaia says.
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