Mauna Kea is a dormant volcano on the island of Hawaii, the highest point on the island at 13,800 feet. In addition to the rich diversity of wildlife on the mountain, it is an ancient sacred site for the Kanaka Maoli, or Native Hawaiian islanders. Over the past several decades, the peak of Mauna Kea has been a desired spot for astronomers because of the clear view of the night sky it affords at such elevation. There are already a dozen telescopes on Mauna Kea, and another one, called the Thirty Meter Telescope, was slated to begin construction in 2019. Construction never actually began because Kanaka Maoli people have physically blockaded the access road since then. There have been numerous court cases and police actions to try to remove the protestors and clear the way for construction vehicles, but the defenders of Mauna Kea have stood firm. They are there to this day, refusing to give up another inch of their sacred mountain.
