Ruination of Sacred Space in Hawaii

Mauna Kea and the Thirty Meter Telescope

Abstract

The planned construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope on Mauna Kea in Hawaii reflects the island’s long and historical struggle with colonialism, particularly within the astronomy industry. This paper seeks to investigate the relationship between colonialism and Indigenous space in Hawaii by framing Mauna Kea as a site of colonial ruination. Rather than mere defunct “memorialized monuments”, Ann Stoler defines ruination as the physical and psychological debris left over from periods of colonization and how they seep into the present social and political present of those subject to colonialism. Manifested through the discourse, ideology, and violence behind the construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope, this paper posits that Mauna Kea is an example of an active site of ruination of Indigenous space as a result of Hawaii’s past with colonialism and empire.