Peek loved working at the telescopes, "But once the huge Keck telescopes went in, the mood on Mauna Kea changed. The astronomers got more proprietary, as if they owned the mountain. When the University of California and Caltech got involved and technology advanced, things changed." Various locals describe the "astronomical arrogance" of the scientists and "the abuse of power" by government agencies and universities as being at the core of the conflict over the mountain and its best and most
appropriate use.
Peek complains about the scientists' "broken promises," similar to those the U.S. government has broken with other native peoples. He explains how Hawaiian elders have sat with the astronomers to explain their religious and other concerns, "But the university has not made any significant changes in their Master Plan. I originally felt that a bridge between the astronomers and the local community could be built. But the astronomers have refused to address the Hawaiians' concerns and to compromise. So now I do not favor any expansion of the telescopes."
The elder Ed Stevens of the Hawaiian cultural group Kahu Ku Mauna is quoted by Leslie Lang in "The Honolulu Weekly" as saying, "They're steam-rolling the mountain. They're like a bulldozer in their zeal to be first with the best and the most. They don't seem to have the concern for preservation, for the sacredness of the mountain."
appropriate use.
Peek complains about the scientists' "broken promises," similar to those the U.S. government has broken with other native peoples. He explains how Hawaiian elders have sat with the astronomers to explain their religious and other concerns, "But the university has not made any significant changes in their Master Plan. I originally felt that a bridge between the astronomers and the local community could be built. But the astronomers have refused to address the Hawaiians' concerns and to compromise. So now I do not favor any expansion of the telescopes."
The elder Ed Stevens of the Hawaiian cultural group Kahu Ku Mauna is quoted by Leslie Lang in "The Honolulu Weekly" as saying, "They're steam-rolling the mountain. They're like a bulldozer in their zeal to be first with the best and the most. They don't seem to have the concern for preservation, for the sacredness of the mountain."