Aloha ʻāina

Aloha 'Aina Zine

in Solidarity with Mauna KeaCollaboratively Produced at Aloha 'Aina Zine Workshop

May 29, 2015

No'u Revilla, Jamaica Heolimeleikalani Osorio, Grace Teuila Taylor,

Darae Lomani Tamatoa Ipolito Kamali, Hali'a Osorio, Kelsey Amos,

Chloe Amos, Akta Kaushal, Jessi DeVera, Billie Lee, Jennifer Wheeler,

Jordan Ragasa, Joy Enomoto, Kim Compoc, Aiko Yamashiro, Noelani

Goodyear-Ka'opua, 'Imokuika'ilikai Ka'opua-Winchester, Bryan

Kamaoli Kuwada, Donovan Kuhio Colleps, Anjoli Roy, 'Ilima Long,

Terri Keko'olani, Shelley Muneoka, Logan Narikawa, Dawn Mahi,

Marion Cadora, Edgar Heap of Feathers, Rajiv Mohabir,Tagi Qolouvaki, and Lee Kava.

With Support from Hulili Student Professional Development Program

Note on 'Olelo: We apologize for the absence of proper diacritical marks.

'Okina and Kahako are not supported by this software.

OBSERVING DA OBSERVATORY

Joe Balaz

Da defense of Mauna Kea as sacred land

and da building of anadah telescope on da mountaintop.

Dey looking at us through wun microscope

while some of us stay looking foa dem

through wun telescope.

It's da strangest ting

being someone else's paramecium.

Makes you wonder

if dey can see

da clash of science

and spirituality

in da cosmic petri dish.

We stay so tiny

dat our intellectual concepts

no show up.

Foa da guys wit big eyes

it's impossible to know

wat da micro creatures

are actually tinking.

Sacred or sacrilegious

progression or regression

it doesn't register

to dem

dat da observed life forms

dat dey stay looking at

are at odds

on wun island teardrop.

Dey no can hear

da pahu drum

way out deah beyond

beating like wun heartbeat.

Mauna Kea is just wun locale.

Part of da environment

foa da little bugs

to splash around in.

Big eye scientist

small eye scientist

looking up

or looking down

da buggahs are all da same.

Dey sticking

wit da analytical observations

failing to see

wun intuitive approach.

Protecting da sanctity of da land

or da realm of da supernatural

is so incomprehensible

to even consider or explore.

It's way moa foreign to dem

den da understanding of da universe.