#protectmaunakea

By Greg Butterfield

Plymouth, Mass., Nov. 28 — On the fourth Thursday of November, for the 50th year on the U.S. “Thanksgiving” holiday, Indigenous people and their supporters gathered on Cole’s Hill to remember the brutal reality behind white nationalist mythology — and the heroic history of Native resistance.

In lashing wind and cold rain, an estimated 1,500 people gathered at the call of the United American Indians of New England (UAINE). They came from not only from Baltimore, Boston, Maine and New York, but from as far away as Louisiana, Manitoba, Mexico and Mauna Kea in Hawai’i. This reporter traveled on a bus organized by the Haitian community from Brooklyn, N.Y., for the 12th consecutive year.

I stand in solidarity with Mauna Kea Kia’i. 私はマウナケアのプロテクターと連帯しています。 Me solidarizo con los protectores de Mauna Kea. Sou solidário com os protetores do Mauna Kea. As Shimanchu, the indigenous peoples of the Ryukyu Islands (Amami, Okinawa, Miyako, and Yaeyama), we stand in solidarity with the protectors of Mauna Kea and all who seek to defend their rights as first people in their native land.

Mauna Kea:  Lā 168, Oura Bay: Day 2000

Today - December 27, 2019 - is Lā 168 for the Mauna Kea Kia'i here in Hawai'i & the 2000th day of continuous sit-ins for protectors of Henoko's Oura Bay, back in the Ryukyu islands (what is known today as “Okinawa”) - my place of birth and maternal ancestral homeland. 

To pause and reflect on what this means and the parallels of the histories of these islands and our resilience in the face of both physical and cultural genocide is something I find to be bittersweet... 

Together, we rise!

I created this image as I reflected upon the continuous work being done and sacrifices being made by brave and fiercely loving Kia'i / protectors - day in and out - embracing their ancestral sukubun / kuleana to protect our precious land, water, and all life. It breaks my heart that we must do so; in fact, this was quickly pulled together earlier this week when Kia'i at Mauna Kea were bracing under threat of impending arrests, before the current moratorium was negotiated. And yet, despite the twinge of sorrow in why we must fight for our indigenous rights, for our right to self-determination, and for the protection of our lands and waters, there is so much beauty to see how we still rise and rise! 

This image is a small offering but made with immense gratitude to honor the beautiful way in which Mauna Kea is bringing together kanaka as a nation while simultaneously building transpacific solidarity and ultimately inspiring and uniting people all over the world as we (re)dedicate ourselves to protect all our precious land and water. It has been truly humbling and transformative to stand together with the Lāhui here in O’ahu as well as up on the Mauna and to find ways each day, however small they may be, to support this indigenous led movement. By sharing this image, I am inviting you to do the same. As Norman shinshii so beautifully said, "Although we stand on separate shores, distant valleys, or even separate mountain tops, we are emboldened and ultimately liberated in knowing that we stand together."

Aloha from Amami • Miyako • Okinawa • Yaeyama

The hands you see here are based on a photograph of my own hands with  traditional Ryukyu hajichi, specifically from where my maternal grandfather’s family is from in Shuri, the royal capital of the Ryukyu Kingdom. The main text in this image is from the solidarity statement Norman Kaneshiro shinshii wrote on behalf of Shimanchu (people of #Okinawan/#Ryukyuan descent) to the Mauna Kea Kia'i.

The complete solidarity statement, written in English, Español,  Português, and 日本語 is available here: http://bit.ly/MaunaKeaRentaiSeimei

A Note to Fellow Shimanchu/ Uchinaanchu / Okinawans:

If the sentiment of this image resonates with you: 

Please share and/or use this image to raise visibility. It’s sized so you can use it as your Facebook cover photo. 🙏 (I'll try to make twitter-sized version shortly... Feel free to message me if you’re interested.) 

Please donate to the KAHEA Mauna Kea Legal Defense Team and support current and future legal action taken to protect sacred Mauna Kea