Coalition’s letter to the federal and Hawaiʻi state governments charges United States’ militarism with the perpetuation of violence and oppression across the Pacific.

Pōhakuloa, like other important places across the Asia-Pacific region, is home to a military base with live fire training.

“We the undersigned firmly oppose the continued destruction of Hawaiʻi and all First Nations lands at the hands of governments, corporations and militaries which prioritize money over the health and well-being of people and the environment.”

In a statement released today, Governor David Ige accuses the Mauna Kea protectors of vandalism and violating corporate rights to access the summit.

For Native Hawaiians, the protection of Mauna Kea is an ancestral responsibility to responsible land stewardship and a means of ensuring Mauli Ola, or a holistic sense of health and wellbeing.

A bill that would have given the state broader authority to preempt county ordinances it finds inconvenient, such as those restricting biotech, failed to find enough support to pass through the senate agriculture committee.