1) Many of my in laws live on the Islands, we've visited many times, including Mauna Kea 4x.
2) It seems odd that some islanders are treating this like a nuclear power plant, when an Astronomical complex would be almost universally welcome in most places. As such, it is kind of "barking up the wrong volcano", though I can understand that if Mauna Kea has religious significance, this becomes more complex.
3) These projects may be a kind of proxy for previous wrongs against indigenous people. But what's ironic/funny/weird about the islands is its often Filipinos/Japanese/Chinese/Portuguese intermingled with about 5% native Polynesians, some claiming historic oppression that perhaps marginally affected their people. That said, I guess sugarcane workers of 100 yrs ago (our case) didn't have it so great, but it generally ended well and...what's that have to do with telescopes?
4) I suppose a kind of "telescope tax" is in order here, a bunch of apologies, memorials, and money to compensate the locals, hopefully building better infrastructure and schools. My boys (with "Island blood" and CS degrees) could probably even cop great jobs at Mauna Kea w all that, but they're probably too proud to buy into the handout.
5) With indigenous reparations in general, I suppose specific wrongs should be addressed first (like compensation for the families directly affected). They already have the Hawaiian Home Land Lease and many other things that favor the original people.
6) This possibly plasters over the fact that the "native people" were possibly killing or oppressing other people before the Whites arrived, but hey...if you want your telescope just shut up, apologize, and pay the tax!
7) In general, the whole reparation thing seems to breed a "1/3 people succeeding & too proud for handout", "1/3 people taking/benefiting from education/land ownership handout", "1/3 people eternally complaining & dependent w vague notions of oppression".
8) Most don't think about this, but leadership in Astronomy may be linked to National Security in many ways (think "Star Wars" defense here, along w other critical tech begat by Astrophysics etc too numerous to mention). A cynical irony is insensitive oppressions aside, our Nation has protected everyone from having to speak Japanese, German, or Russian. I'm trying not to equate telescopes with hypersonic missiles here, but still...
Meanwhile after all this, they start building better telescopes in places like Chile, S Africa, and China?
