Good morning. I'm Nyla Budu. We're here with you on a Saturday with the latest

episode in our special monthly series called Hard Truths, examining systemic

racism in the U.S. Today, inside the fight to build a 2.4 billion dollar telescope

on the highest mountain in Hawaii. For astronomers, it would mean the chance to

answer deep questions about the universe. Scientists see this site as a perfect

scientific place for them to be. For indigenous Hawaiians, it would mean the

desecration of sacred land. Building a massive structure and monarchy is not

something that aligns with my beliefs. More than a thousand years ago,

Polynesians looked to the sky in the stars to find their way. Without any

instruments or maps, those stars eventually led them to Mount Akeia on the

islands of Hawaii. At almost 14,000 feet above sea level, the dormant volcano is

the highest point in the state of Hawaii, which makes it a coveted place for

astronomers. But it's also a deeply sacred place for native Hawaiians. They see

the mountain as the place where the earth meets the sky and the point where

the islands of Hawaii formed. There are also already 13 telescopes on

Mount Akeia, three of which are in the process of being decommissioned. Astronomers

have been trying to build this new 30-meter telescope on the mountain since

2014. The opposition from indigenous Hawaiians isn't just spiritual. It's also

about what they see as the continued disrespect of their lands and their

concerns. In this case, in the name of a massive telescope that they say won't

benefit them in any tangible way. And many native Hawaiians take issue with the

way the debate over building the telescope has been framed as science versus

...