Statement of OHA Trustee Keli’i Akina on the TMT at Mauna Kea
News release from Keli‘i Akina Campaign Committee
HONOLULU, HAWAII--July 1, 2020 -- Office of Hawaiian Affairs Trustee-at-Large Keli’i Akina, who is runnIng for re-election, participated in Koho Pono 2020, the candidate questionnaire sponsored by Ka Lāhui Hawaiʻi Political Action Committee (KPAC). While responses to all questions required a Yes or No choice, Trustee Akina is grateful to Ka Lāhui Hawaiʻi for posting on its website his written explanations of his responses. See: "2020/oha-candidate-responses"
Since a Yes or No answer may not fully explain a response, Trustee Akina is providing here his complete written response to Question 4: “Do you support the building of the Thirty Meter Telescope on Mauna Kea?”
Trustee Akina answered: “My answer is Yes, if we practice the value of Mālama ‘Āina by ensuring pono management of the Mauna. And, my answer is No, if we fail to ensure pono management. Like many Hawaiians, I believe there is room on the Mauna for both science and the sacred. But we must protect the environment and honor the culture. With pono management, the presence of world class scientific equipment will benefit Hawaiians and all people through advances in education, jobs, economic opportunity, and global competitiveness.”
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