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TMT Supreme Court Ruling on Native Hawaiian Issues
The Hawaii State Supreme Court affirmed the Board of Land and Natural Resource's issuance of a Conservation District Use Permit for the Thirty Meter Telescope project in October 2018. In the
75-page ruling, many important rulings were upheld.
The Hawaii Supreme Court dismissed many arguments by the appellants, noting that, "The BLNR found no evidence, however, of Native Hawaiian cultural resources, including traditional and customary practices, within the TMT Observatory site area and the Access Way, which it characterized as the relevant area."
"There was no physical evidence that the TMT Observatory site was used for storing piko, iwi (bones of the dead), placenta or other artifacts. There was no evidence of ahu (shrine of altar), lele (sacrificial altar), or other historic properties therein. There was also no evidence of mele (song, anthem, or chant) or hula being performed in the area. After extensive surveying, no archaeological or historic sites or burials were found in any of the TMT Observatory site or Access Way areas."
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