The Future of TMT in Hawaiʻi

For the past two years, the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) Project has been meeting regularly with Native Hawaiian people and communities who are opposed to the project. These small group conversations have been critical to helping us understand and repair the divisions that exist within Hawaiʻi communities in regards to Maunakea. TMT recognizes that in order to build an enduring community-based observatory, the focus must be on creating meaningful long-term partnerships based on respect, trust, and the protection of nature. Respecting indigenous culture encompasses many aspects, including people, history, traditional knowledge and view of science, and the ancestral connection to land and nature.

Another important result of these community dialogues and the building of new relationships within Hawaiʻi is TMT’s integrated program of Education, Outreach, and Broader Impacts (EOBI). Themed “Community Partnership in Education,” the program is built on the principles of true partnership with Native Hawaiians and local communities and consistent with Astro2020’s vision of community astronomy. Learn more about the four themes of our EOBI program (Educational Opportunities for All, Culture-based Learning, Environment Protection and Conservation, and Community-led Reviews) and current pilot projects in this presentation.