As many of us know by now, Hawaiʻi is facing an extremely stressful situation with the government involving the construction of the 14th telescope on Mauna Kea. For years the local community of Kanaka Maoli and others have been fighting against this outrageous decision. Knowing quite well the fatal consequences the telescope will have on the land and the people. Already people have been greatly divided since the official decision and those opposed weren't giving much of an impact in the very beginning. But this past Summer the message started to spread like wildfire in not just the local media but around the entire world. Thanks to the help of social media, the message the Hawaiian people wish to share can be heard with much more open ears.
The protest began in October 2014 initially after the state government decided to officially proceed the planning process of the telescope. Protesters from across the islands gathered on the road to Mauna Kea to peacefully share their message in hopes to stop the desecration of such a sacred landmark. Unfortunately the rally at the time wasn't as wildly supported as it is now which resulted in many arrests that totaled up to 31 kanaka maoli. The activist movement received a great start in the beginning but the movement began to go down hill throughout the years. But in July 2019 when the official construction was ready to begin, the movement had one last chance to get their voices heard and stop this ludicrous situation. And luckily for them their prayers have been heard.
Thanks to the power of social media, the movement was able to inspire a great number of people from across the islands to join them on Mauna Kea and stand against the oppression of their sacred land. Media outlets such as Instagram, Facebook and Twitter helped spread the cause very quickly since the current generation of natives are constantly involved with social media. And media companies and creators decided to take matters into their own hands by taking it a step further.
Content Creator Valen Ahlo takes advantage of his social media presence to share the powerful message of Mauna Kea.
The Media completely exploded when content creators began sharing inspiring content about the movement in hopes to rally more people for support. Then shortly after the news began to recognize. News outlets like CNN and the NY Times started to share the stories to those far in the mainland. And it doesn't even stop there. Many celebrities such as Dwayne Johnson, Bruno Mars and Jason Mamoa began to take notice and decide to share the message through their own networks as well. Sparking a growth in the movement around the world. Before we knew it people from not only the mainland began to help but people internationally started to gather such as Samoa, Aotearora, Japan and so on.
The movement wouldn't be where it is if it weren't for the powerful utilization of social media. Without the strong presence of many specific groups and people, who knows if the movement would've failed. It has gathered much mana to pursue this righteous path of theirs and soon the group may become successful in making one of the biggest changes in the history of Hawaiʻi. Kū Kiʻai Mauna!
If you wish to support the cause you can learn more and donate here on their website: https://www.protectmaunakea.net/