Mauna Kea is a key part of the Kanaka Maoli origin story, thought to be the place where Wākea, the sky god, and Papahānaumoku, the earth mother, joined together to create the world. Kanaka Maoli believe this is where their spirits live to this day. Traditionally, the summit was a place of great spiritual power and only ali’i (chiefs) were allowed to go up there to commune with the gods. Mauna Kea is also home to a very delicate ecosystem with a wide diversity of plants and animals that are endemic to that area, as well as an aquifer that supplies a lot of the island’s water.
