THE VARSITY The University of Toronto’s Student Newspaper Since 1880
September 9, 2019
Vol. CXL, No. 2
jjjj
“Wrong side of history”
Science
U of T criticized for involvement in Hawaiian telescope project
Old habits dye hard — engineering tradition linked to cancer
16
U of T faculty, students in solidarity with Native Hawaiian protests to protect sacred site Mauna Kea is an ancestral mountain that Native Hawaiians regard as their place of origin. VADMIN KURLAND/CC WIKIMEDIA
Haya Sardar Varsity Contributor
Protests in Hawaii against the construction of the Thirty Metre Telescope (TMT) on the Mauna Kea — a sacred mountain that Native Haiiwans, known as Kānaka Maoli, regard as their origin site — have made their way to U of T. The university is a member of the Association of Canadian Universities for Research in Astronomy (ACURA), an organization funding the astronomy project. U of T faculty and students criticized U of T’s involvement in the project, in solidarity with peaceful Kānaka Maoli protesters who have been occupying the site since construction began on July 15.
COU
RTE SY O
F SK ULE
™
Astronomy’s rising star? The TMT is a project over 10 years in the making, with the promise of enabling astronomers to look far into the past of stellar and galactic evolution. With an area nine times bigger than any existing visible-light telescope, the TMT is designed to identify images with unprecedented resolution, surpassing even the Hubble telescope. The profound sensitivity of the TMT boasts the potential for observational data to answer questions about “first-light” objects, exoplanets, and black holes in the centre of galaxies. This potential for furthering astronomy and astrophysics is what makes the TMT astronomy’s rising star.
News New legal support hotline: if CSIS knocks on the door, know who to call
3
Why is the TMT being protested? In July 2009, the Board of Governors for the TMT chose the Mauna Kea as its location. Mauna Kea has long been an astronomical hotspot, serving as the location for 13 observatories. The TMT would be the 14th, standing as the biggest telescope on the mountain. Mauna Kea is a sacred ancestral mountain, a place imbued with both natural and cultural resources. It is the location of many religious rituals conducted by the Kānaka Maoli, as well as a burial ground of sacred ancestors. Additionally, its ecological value is profound, housing esoteric ecosystems and providing water to the residents of Hawaii. For these reasons, native kia’i (guardians) and kūpuna (elders) have resisted industrialization on Mauna Kea ever since the first telescope was built in 1968. Subsequently, the TMT has attracted significant protests, serving as the Leviathan of telescopes. Dr. Uahikea Maile, Assistant Professor of Indigenous Politics at U of T, describes the TMT as a “unique beast” because of its size and location. The project requires eight acres on the northern plateau of the mauna, which is currently untouched. Maile asserts that the corporation backing the TMT tempts the State of Hawaii into “valuing techno-scientific advances and alleged economic benefits over Native Hawaiian rights and the environment.” Hence, ever since 2014, kia’i have attempted to halt the construction of the TMT by forming blockades at the base of the summit.
A brief space-time log of events On July 10, Hawaiian Governor David Ige announced that construction of the TMT would begin on July 15, 2019. Five days later, hundreds of peaceful protestors stood together to form a blockade that would prevent construction crews from ascending Mauna Kea to begin constructing the TMT. Located at an elevation of 6,000 feet, the blockade is logistically supported by the Pu‘uhonua o Pu‘uhuluhulu, a place of refuge providing resources and infrastructure to sustain all those involved in the blockade. All people at the pu‘uhonua have access to free housing, food, health care, child care, and transportation. Maile, who is of Kānaka Maoli descent, spent two and a half weeks at the protests. He recounted that the kia’i were “constantly prepared for the risk of police force and violence.” On the second day of protests, Governor Ige deployed the National Guard, militarizing the once peaceful site of protest. On July 17, police arrived at the scene carrying riot batons, tear gas, guns, and a Long Range Acoustic Device. The elder kūpuna, many of whom were in their 70s or 80s, formed the central blockade, while they requested the kia’i to stand at the sides of the road. Thirty-eight people were arrested at the scene, most of whom were kūpuna, but after hours of negotiations “a deal was struck and all police left.” Telescope, page 15
Business
Comment
Are you a campus capitalist? Find incubators and accelerators nearby
Mental health task force — substantive or performative?
6
Feature
Arts & Culture
Sports
Election 2019: Will the real Canadian left please stand up?
Goodbye summer, ”I would not do it over, but I know I will live it again.”
A fresh start — Varsity Blues football ends 15game losing streak!
10
12
7 17