Ho‘opono Mauna KeaHo‘opono Mauna Kea

Office of Mauna Kea ManagementUniversity of Hawai‘i at Hilo200 W. Käwili StreetHilo, Hawai‘i 96720

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PAIDHilo, Hawaii

Permit No. 20

NEWSLETTER

8 Ho‘opono Mauna Kea – Winter 2001-Spring 2002

Mauna Kea UpdatesISSUE NO. 6, Winter 2001–Spring 2002

Office of Mauna Kea Management and the Mauna Kea Management Board

Hawaiian Protocol on Mauna Kea

See “Protocol” on page 7

By Moses K. Crabbe

Moses K. Crabbe is a member of the Mauna Kea Man-agement Board’s Hawaiian Culture Committee. In col-laboration with Kahu Kü Mauna, this group is workingto develop educational materials on the cultural signifi-cance of Mauna Kea, including protocol. Crabbe, a Ha-waiian cultural practitioner and educator, shares his per-sonal views on protocol on Mauna Kea in this article.

Ho‘olilo 2002Native Hawaiians have always had a close associa-

tion to the ‘äina upon which we live. As do other indig-enous peoples of the world, Hawaiians view ourselvesas kahu, caretakers of the land. And, as kahu, we have apersonal responsibility to maintain the very essence andlife of the land on which we live.

Mauna Kea, the highest mountain in the Hawaiianarchipelago and Pu‘u Kükahau‘ula (now generally iden-tified as Pu‘u Wëkiu), its highest peak, are directly con-nected to our feeling for the ‘äina. Ascending the sum-mit of Mauna Kea takes one closer to the spiritual andthe supernatural realm.

In Hawaiian thinking, a visit toMauna Kea has personal mean-ing because in the eyes of someHawaiians Mauna Kea iskupuna to them – it was herelong before us, and thereforeit is our “elder.”

Equally important forHawaiians is the fact thatMauna Kea also serves asthe final resting place of theiwi, or bones, of kupuna. So,with respect and reverencefor the spirits of those ances-tors and kupuna who reside

Hawaiian Culture WorkshopsThe entire staff of the W.M. Keck Observatory attended

Hawaiian culture orientation sessions led by Kepa Maly ofKumu Pono Associates. The first workshop was held onFebruary 28 at Hale Pohaku with two more sessions held onMarch 1 in Waimea, each with approximately 50 people inattendance.

Maly covered both historical and contemporary perspec-tives on the cultural significance of Mauna Kea. He drewheavily from his extensive research on the topic and ongoingoral history interviews with older Hawaiian people whosefamilies were connected to the mountain in various ways.

A candid question and answer period followed Maly’spresentation.

UH Regents Tour Mauna KeaOn March 15, following its regular meeting at the

University of Hawaii at Hilo, the University of Hawai‘iBoard of Regents toured the summit of Mauna Kea.Coordinated by the Office of Mauna Kea Managment,the Regents’ group included administrative staff,members from President Dobelle’s staff, and UH-Hilovice chancellor Chris Lu. Several members of theMauna Kea Management Board, Kahu Kü MaunaCouncil and the Institute for Astronomy also attended.

The group was briefed at the Hale Pohaku facility,including a talk by ranger Kimo Pihana, before drivingto the summit. At the summit, the group was given atour of the Keck Observatory and inspected first-handthe area to be affected by the proposed Keck outriggertelescope project.

(Left-right): MKMB Chair Arthur Hoke, BOR Chair AllanIkawa, and Regent Kapson Poe listen respectfully asKahu Kü Mauna member Hannah Kihalani Springeroffered a chant and comments on the sacredness ofMauna Kea.

there, appropriate behavior is asked of anyone visitingMauna Kea.

Protocol — a code of correct conduct, particularlywithin ceremonies — is a strong word.

The purpose and function of Hawaiian protocol aredeeply rooted in the cultural and spiritual belief of mana— supernatural or divine power. Belief in akua,‘aumakua and kupuna helped our ancestors to maintaina vital relationship with the natural and supernaturalworld. Hawaiians drew strength from their culturalprotocol practices. This spiritual relationship has

transcended time and continues to be taught,perpetuated and appreciated by a growing number ofnative Hawaiians today who want to learn, rediscoverand identify with the cultural heritage of their ancestors.

Two general principles help to guide the practice ofHawaiian protocol. First, a clear purpose must be es-tablished and the purpose of each part of the ceremony

understood. Anyone who practices Hawaiian ceremo-nial protocol should know why he or she is involvedin a particular ceremony and what they are expectedto do.

Second, there is an order or sequence in howone proceeds. For example, one suggestion for theprotocol elements of presenting ho‘okupu, or of-

fering, could include the sounding of the pü kani,the conch shell, which would be followed by

an oli wehe, or opening chant. A processionwould follow, which could be accompa-nied by additional oli, followed by the

bearers of the ho‘okupu to apre-designated site in orderof their rank or status. Thesesteps are consistent in anyHawaiian protocol.

Selection of oli is de-

Hawaiian protocol is deeply rooted inthe cultural and spiritual belief of mana

— supernatural or divine power.

Photo (right) captures KahuKü Mauna member ReynoldsKamakawiwo‘ole presentinga ho‘okupu, or offering,before Pu‘u Poli‘ahu.

Ethnographer and cultural historian Kepa Malyused historical maps to punctuate his “talk story”with Keck observatory employees.

Ho‘opono Mauna Kea – Winter 2001-Spring 2002 7

Patience, Coordination areNecessary for Success

2 Ho‘opono Mauna Kea – Winter 2001-Spring 2002

Chancellor’s Column

By Dr. Rose Tseng, ChancellorUniversity of Hawai‘i at Hilo

Hawaiian Protocol, Continued from page 1Ho‘opono Mauna Kea is a

quarterly publication of the Office ofMauna Kea Management (OMKM).It is produced in close cooperationwith Mauna Kea ManagementBoard (MKMB) and Kahu Ku MaunaCouncil.

The opinions contained in thispublication do not necessarily reflectthe views of OMKM, MKMB, Kahu KuMauna Council or the University ofHawai‘i.

Suggestions, submissions andopinions are welcomed. We reservethe right to edit all submissions forlength and appropriateness ofcontent.

To receive a free subscription tothe Ho‘opono Mauna Keanewsletter, send your name andaddress to:

Office of Mauna Kea ManagementUniversity of Hawai‘i, Hilo

200 W. Käwili StreetHilo, Hawai‘i 96720

You may also fax your name andaddress to the OMKM at: (808) 933-3208, or e-mail the Office at:omkm@maunakea.hawaii.edu

Mauna Kea Management Board(MKMB) Members:Heather Cole Rob PachecoHarry Yada Barbara RobertsonArthur Hoke Barry TaniguchiJim Kennedy

Kahu Ku Mauna Council Members:Reynolds Kamakawiwo‘oleLarry Kimura Ululani SherlockPua Kanahele Ed StevensMikahala Roy Kihalani Springer

Mission Statement:“Achieve harmony, balance andtrust in the sustainable managementand stewardship of the Mauna KeaScience Reserve through communityinvolvement and programs thatprotect, preserve and enhance thenatural, cultural and recreationalresources of Mauna Kea whileproviding a world-class centerdedicated to education, researchand astronomy.”

termined by the type of ceremony to be conducted atMauna Kea. Today, it is common practice to select olithat are appropriate for the occasion. Different oli applyto different purposes, so a chanter should be familiarwith the text of the chant and its function. To requestpermission to enter a sacred place such as Mauna Kea isconsistent with Hawaiian thinking. Some oli kähea,chants of request to enter, have been taught and learnedfor generations in the hälau hula. 0li could also be puleakua, prayer chants, mele mo‘okü‘auhau, genealogychants, or mele wahipana, place name chants.

The rank or status of a person and the nature of theirvisit to Mauna Kea determines how formal or informal aho‘okipa, or welcoming ceremony, should be. A meaha‘i‘ölelo, or speaker, from the visiting group should statethe purpose of the group’s visit. An official greeter shouldwelcome and receive the visitor.

L ike so many others, we at the Uni-versity of Hawai‘i at Hilo (UHH) findourselves with so much to do – but

limited time and resources with which to ac-complish them all. With so much at stake for our community, however, Ihave strongly encouraged that everyone involved thoughtfully integrate theirplanning whenever possible.

The many needs and demands that swirl around the sacred mountain,Mauna Kea, are a good example. I am pleased to report that a significant

effort is being made by people and programs throughout the University sys-tem in Hilo to coordinate their planning and to make the most with what wehave.

I applaud, for example, the cooperation exhibited between the Office ofMauna Kea Management (OMKM) and the Hawai‘i Community College(HCC) to develop and implement a comprehensive training curriculum forthe rangers soon to be positioned on Mauna Kea. As demonstrated through-out the trial program, these rangers will play a crucial role in UHH’s over-sight of activities on the mountain. Ensuring that the rangers receive thehighly specialized training that they need would not have been possiblewithout full cooperation between the OMKM and HCC.

Fueled by encouragement from observatories on Mauna Kea, HCC isalso preparing to reintroduce its machinist program. This program will helpto prepare local students to fill some of the highly skilled functions neces-sary to conduct the cutting edge astronomy practiced on Mauna Kea. AtUHH, we are working to see if it would be possible for these students totransfer their two-year credits from HCC to UHH, where they might con-tinue to acquire the theory and management skills needed to earn a four-year Bachelor of Sciences degree. In the long run, our vision would be toensure that the two-year machinist program and four-year B.S. program workseamlessly together.

As a longer-term goal, UHH has also met with the administrators of theUH Institute for Astronomy (IFA) and observatory representatives to discussthe feasibility of establishing an engineering program at UHH. Again, the

The following are suggested cultural behaviors that can be considered byindividuals or groups planning to visit Mauna Kea. They are described here

to help educate the community to the cultural sensitivity with which nativeHawaiian cultural practitioners regard Mauna Kea as a sacred Hawaiian site.Visitors are encouraged to seek the advice of a kupuna or cultural practitio-ner of the makua generation in planning a cultural visit to Mauna Kea. KahuKü Mauna is one such source that can be contacted for assistance.

• Members of a visiting group could be briefed on culturally appropriate behavior at Mauna Keabefore ascending the mountain.

• If the purpose of the visit is a cultural one, the group may want to form a circle of prayer or begintheir own group protocol before proceeding to the summit. The group may select a kupuna ormakua to offer a prayer or it might be done in silence. Prayer requests to enter the area free fromrestriction are appropriate.

• If there is a chanter in the group, he or she may want to oli kähea on behalf of everyone.Permission chants seeking admittance to an area, genealogy chants of the family and of thecreation of the islands are appropriate.

• Show respect for the land and the heavens. Please be mindful of where you are. There should beno loud talking or unnecessary shouting, profanity or yelling. Smoking and the consumption ofalcohol are prohibited.

• Ho‘okupu, möhai and ‘älana should be placed on appropriate ahu or lele, or they can be givento officials at the place one is visiting. Remember, ho‘okupu is a gift or offering and may beintended for the living as well as those who have passed on.

• Be considerate of the sanctity of the area. Any questions or concerns should be addressed to thekupuna and the ‘alaka‘i, leader, in the group.

• Remove all ‘opala – trash and litter – everything that goes up to the summit should come downwith you except the ho‘okupu.

Mauna Kea provides a venue for native Hawaiians and the broader community to practice Hawaiian proto-col in a cultural context as our kupuna did before us.See “Chancellor” on page 5

“A significant effort is being made by people andprograms throughout the University system inHilo to coordinate their planning and to make

the most with what we have.”

Understanding and practicing proper protocol en-sures that a ceremony is pono, or done correctly. If aceremony is conducted with good intentions at all lev-els of the process, all parts of the ceremony will flowtogether. Confirmation may occur at a personal or a broadlevel. Hö‘ailona, or signs, will reveal themselves eitherthrough natural phenomena, a person’s behavior, or aspoken word either prior to, during, or even after a cer-emony has been conducted.

As a final note: anyone planning to visit Mauna Keashould also be mindful of the health and safetyhazards of traveling to high altitudes. TheOffice of Mauna Kea Management andthe Visitor Information Station are goodsources to obtain apersonal safetychecklist.

6 Ho‘opono Mauna Kea – Winter 2001-Spring 2002 Ho‘opono Mauna Kea – Winter 2001-Spring 2002 3

Mauna Kea Updates Director’s Report

By Bill Stormont, DirectorOffice of Mauna Kea Management

Accepting the Challenges of OMKM

A loha! With equal help-ings of honor, humilityand fear, I have assumed

the duties as the first permanentdirector of the Office of MaunaKea Management.

Honor, because caring for allof the resources of the Mauna Kea Science Reserve – bethey physical or spiritual, natural or man-made, tangibleor intangible – is a responsibility of tremendous magni-tude. Humility, because the work ahead is as daunting atask as I’ve faced. And, yes, fear, because of the expecta-tions being placed on the Office here in this island com-munity of ours by the various constituencies we’ll beworking with to properly care for this irreplaceable com-munity resource.

Placing these helpings on the same platter, however,makes for an exciting and nourishing meal. I look for-ward to sharing this feast with all of you, sharing in whatyou may have to offer, learning from and growing witheach other to nurture the sanctity and vitality of MaunaKea.

With this column, I hope to keep readers abreast ofcurrent issues and activities at the Office of Mauna KeaManagement. If the current workload is any indication, itshould prove to be a broad array of issues and activities.For example, I am happy to report that we are nearingcompletion of the process of selecting four permanent,full-time, Mauna Kea rangers. Equally exciting is the on-going development of a comprehensive Ranger TrainingCurriculum we are developing in partnership with theHawai‘i Community College.

We’ve managed to maintain an ambitious timetablein this hiring process. New rangers should all be on boardin early April, and components of the training programshould begin as early as mid-April. This represents thekeeping of a promise made to the community many yearsago by the University of Hawai‘i – one I’m proud to helpthe University keep. I look forward to reporting on moreof these milestones as time goes by.

I’d like to close this installment with a word of thanksand appreciation. Thanks go to those who felt I have whatit takes to do the important work of the Office of MaunaKea Management. Thanks to the Mauna Kea ManagementBoard and Kahu Kü Mauna for their vote of confidence.

Thanks to UHH Chancellor Tseng, the UH Board of Re-gents, the Institute for Astronomy, and the staff and fac-ulty at this fine University for the warm welcome. Thanksto Interim Director Judge Walter Heen and Associate Di-rector Stephanie Nagata for their tireless commitment togetting this Office off the ground and setting the stan-dards of operation and respect very high. Thanks to themany community members I’ve already met who havedisplayed their passion and caring for this great mountain.

I look forward to working with each of you to carryon this important work and to ensure that the tenets ofthe OMKM Mission Statement ring true:

Achieve harmony, balance and trust in the sustain-able management and stewardship of the Mauna KeaScience Reserve through community involvement andprograms that protect, preserve and enhance the natu-ral, cultural and recreational resources of Mauna Keawhile providing a world-class center dedicated to edu-cation, research and astronomy.

This will only happen if all of you remain engagedand involved. I look forward to it. Aloha.

Members of the Mauna Kea Management Board andKahu Kü Mauna Council were selected on the basis

of their knowledge, past involvement, and their willingness tocommit to the process of managing the range of issues sur-rounding Mauna Kea. Each represents a particular commu-nity interest and come from all parts of the island. The MKMBand Kahu Kü Mauna, in close cooperation with the Office ofMauna Kea Management, also seeks the advice from its sub-ject area committees on:

Hawaiian Culture CommitteeMoses K. Crabbe, Hawaiian language and cultural specialist,

Kamehameha Schools, Hawai‘i CampusKepa Maly, ethnologist and cultural historian, president,

Kumu Pono AssociatesLarry Kimura, Kahu Kü Mauna member, assistant professor,

Hawaiian Language, UH-HiloUlulani Sherlock, Kahu Kü Mauna member, East Hawai‘i rep-

resentative, Office of Hawaiian AffairsArthur Hoke, chair, Mauna Kea Management Board, former

president, National Association of Hawaiian Civic ClubsBarbara Robertson, Mauna Kea Management Board member,

principal, Kamehameha Schools, Hawai‘i Campus

Environment CommitteeReggie David, ornithologist, President, RANA ProductionsDr. Jim Juvik, chair, Geography &Environmental Studies, UHHDr. Jim Kauahikaua, geologist, Hawaiian Volcano Observa-

tory, U. S. Geological SurveyJulie Leialoha, Palili Habitat Restoration Coordinator, Biologi-

cal Resources Division (USGS)Debbie Ward, Hawai‘i County extension agent, Cooperative

Extension ServiceJulie Williams, director, Keakealani Outdoor Education Cen-

ter, Department of EducationHannah Kihalani Springer, Kahu Kü Mauna member , former

trustee, Office of Hawaiian AffairsHeather Cole, Mauna Kea Management Board member,

Hawai‘i Island representative, The Nature ConservancyRobert Pacheco, Mauna Kea Management Board member,

President, Hawaii Forest and Trail

Public Safety and Conduct CommitteeJon Giffin, branch manager, Division of Forestry and Wildlife,DLNRRon Koehler, general manager, Mauna Kea Support ServicesDoug Lentz, ranger, concession manager, Hawai‘i VolcanoesNational ParkArthur Hoke, MKMBHarry Yada, Mauna Kea Management Board member, Hawai‘i

District Land Agent, DLNR

Astronomy Education CommitteeHeather Cole, MKMBDr. Jim Kennedy, Mauna Kea Management Board member,associate director, Gemini ObservatoryBarbara Robertson, MKMBA meeting attended by 11 members of the education commu-nity was convened to help identify existing programs and toassess where priorities should be placed.

“Caring for all of the resources ofthe Mauna Kea Science Reserve –

be they physical or spiritual, naturalor man-made – is a responsibility of

tremendous magnitude.”

NASA-Keck ‘Outrigger’ Project Receives Public Input

Bill Stormont welcomes members of the UH Board ofof Regents and other guests at Hale Pohaku prior to anorientation trip up to the summit.

Members of the Royal Order of Kamehameha I wereamongst the participants in two days of discussionswith key NASA staff members regarding the Memoran-dum of Agreement for the proposed outrigger tele-scope project. OHA and the Hawai‘i Island BurialCouncil were also amongst the participants.

The Keck “outrigger” telescope project remained thesubject of public testimony in an ongoing series of

public meetings and hearings.The National Aeronautics and Space Administration

(NASA) held “town meetings” on the status of the project backon Oct. 1, 2001 in Kailua-Kona, Oct. 2, 2001 in Waimea, andOct. 3 and 4, 2001 in Hilo.

At the request of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA),NASA hosted a meeting of the “concurring parties” to discussthe details of the project’s Memorandum of Agreement (MOA)on Jan. 16 and 17, 2002 at the UH-Hilo Campus Center. Aftera morning of opening statements, all parties settled in for theremainder of the two days clarifying the content and wordingof the MOA.

Most recently, the state Board of Land and Natural Re-sources (BLNR) held public hearings on the Conservation Dis-trict Use Application (CDUA) for the proposed outrigger tele-scopes on March 20 in Kona and March 21 in Hilo. Thesehearings again offered the public an opportunity to presenttestimony on the CDUA. The earliest BLNR will take up theissue of the Keck outrigger CDUA is April 26.

.

Committees Provide Valuable Community Input

4 Ho‘opono Mauna Kea – Winter 2001-Spring 2002 Ho‘opono Mauna Kea – Winter 2001-Spring 2002 5

The Environment:Wëkiu Bug Monitoring on Mauna Kea

See “Wëkiu,” continued on next page

Wëkiu, Continued from Page 4

By Greg Brenner, Ph.D.

Dr. Gregory Brenner of Pacific Analytics, a naturalresource consulting firm, has spent several yearsstudying the Wëkiu bug and was one of the principalinvestigators during the 1997/98 Arthropod Assessmentof the Mauna Kea Science Reserve. He began workingon the current Wëkiu Bug Mitigation Plan in January2002, using special live trapping methods, and releas-ing the bugs after counting them.

M ost people know thatMauna Kea is home to thelargest observatory complex

in the world. At its summit, dark, transpar-ent night skies provide some of the best as-tronomical observing conditions in theworld. Fewer people may appreciate, how-ever, that Mauna Kea is also one of themost unusual natural habitats in theworld. Living beneath the bleak lavalandscape near the summit are plantsand animals found nowhere else in theworld. Among these unique life formsis the Wëkiu (Hawaiian for “top” or“summit”) bug – a “true bug” of the orderHeteroptera.

First identified as a separate species in1983, this small insect, 3.5 to 5 mm in length(about 1/4 inch), has made a remarkable ad-aptation that allows it to survive the harshconditions at the summit ofMauna Kea. Many true bugs,including most of those foundelsewhere in Hawai‘i, are her-bivores that feed on seeds andplant juices. The Wëkiu bug,on the other hand, is a preda-tor. It has presumably madethis evolutionary adaptation because of the lack of suit-able plants at the summit.

Utilizing straw-like features of its mouth, Wëkiu bugsfeed on aeolian, or wind-carried, insects blown up themountain from the surrounding lowlands. These insectsfrom lower elevations accumulate in protected pocketson the high-elevation cinder cones and are not adaptedto the cold temperatures at the summit. They quickly be-come moribund and are thus easy prey for foraging Wëkiu

cies. Special precautions would also be taken tolimit dust and trash contamination of Wëkiu bughabitat. In addition, funding is being providedto the University of Hawai‘i for a graduate stu-dent to study the Wëkiu bug life cycle and habi-tat requirements. It is hoped that this will lead tobetter methods for habitat restoration and pro-tection, and enhancing Wëkiu bug populations.

A population survey is part of the Wëkiu BugMitigation Plan. This writer began the currentsampling process in January 2002, using speciallive trapping methods and releasing the bugs af-ter counting them. In total, this writer has spentseveral years studying the Wëkiu bug and servedas one of the principal investigators during the1997-1998 Arthropod Assessment of the MaunaKea Science Reserve.

The live traps have been set on Pu‘u Hau Oki nearthe proposed construction site and on Pu‘u Wëkiu as acontrol site. The information gathered before the proposedconstruction begins will be used to establish a baselineestimate of Wëkiu bugs and detect trends in their popu-lation. The information will also be used to determinethe effectiveness of habitat protection and restoration, andimpacts, if any, of the construction of the outrigger tele-scopes.

After the first week of monitoring, several Wëkiu bugs

goal is to better enable our students to be fully engagedin the many rewarding career opportunities provided byMauna Kea.

Cooperation within UHH is demonstrated in variousother ways. For example, noted Hawaiian language ex-pert and cultural resource person Larry Kimura has beenreleased from his teaching responsibilities in order to workas a full-time cultural consultant with the Mauna Kea As-tronomy Education Center (MKAEC). MKAEC might alsobenefit from the expertise of UHH astronomy professorMichael West to help it develop practical astronomy con-tent for the Center. Faculty from our Communications andEducation departments are likely to be involved as well.

As a UHH initiative, we are deeply involved inMKAEC’s efforts to create an exciting and saleable prod-

Chancellor, Continued from Page 2

Mauna Kea is one of the most unusualnatural habitats in the world. Livingbeneath the bleak lava landscapenear the summit are plants and ani-

mals found nowhere else in the world.

bugs. Ladybugs are especially abundant. Winds blowthem up the mountain, where they hide in the cinderand under rocks to survive the cold. It is believed thatladybugs are one of the many insects eaten by Wëkiubugs, along with small flies, butterflies and moths thatend up at the summit.

“Outrigger” telescopes have been proposed as anaddition to the W.M. Keck Observatory (WMKO) as ameans of greatly enhancing the scientific capability of

the Keck interferometer. Recogniz-ing the responsibility of all users

of Mauna Kea to be good stewardsof its special natural environment, the

WMKO has begun a monitoring programfor Wëkiu bugs, a candidate for listingas an endangered species.

In order to reduce the possibility ofimpacts to the natural environment, andespecially to Wëkiu bugs, during the pro-posed outrigger telescope construction,the WMKO has developed a WëkiuBug Mitigation Plan. The plan providesguidance for protecting and enhanc-ing the Wëkiu bug population and

habitat.Wëkiu bug protection was a major

consideration during the design phase ofthe outrigger telescopes, and several com-promises were made by telescope design-

ers to minimize disturbance to Wëkiubugs. Outrigger telescopes were repo-

sitioned away from nearbyWëkiu bug habitat to re-duce disturbance, and spe-cial barriers will be used toprotect habitat from inad-vertent disturbance duringconstruction. The plan alsoincludes habitat restorationat the bottom of Pu‘u Hau

Oki. As a result of the outrigger telescope project, therewill be more Wëkiu bug habitat, and hopefully moreWëkiu bugs.

For further protection, all construction equipmentwould be washed before use at the construction site,and construction materials inspected for alien arthro-pod predators that could harm native Hawaiian spe-

were detected on the inner slopes of Pu‘u Hau Oki,below the WMKO, a sign that the Wëkiu bugs had sur-vived the cold winter and snow and are out hunting forfood.

Visitors to the summit are asked to not disturb themonitoring traps or foraging Wëkiu bugs. Wëkiu bugsare very sensitive to heat and will die within minutes ifheld in one’s hand. To learn more about these fascinat-ing Wëkiu bugs, check out: http://www.statpros.com/Wëkiu_Bug.html on the World Wide Web.

uct, while fulfilling its charge to attract the general pub-lic, respectfully present Hawaiian culture, and promoteastronomy education. MKAEC is presently engaged in avery complex process of preparing proposals and se-curing funding, while dealing with architects, engineersand designers. We are creating projects that will, in turn,attract funding to create something truly beautiful andunique for Hilo. We ask for the community’s patienceand positive input during this process. At stake are jobsand unique educational opportunities for our students.

We must take as broad a coordinated approach aspossible, if the end product will better serve our com-munity. We have been provided an opportunity to solveinterpretive issues that have plagued us for years – freefrom outside influences. With so much at stake, we arepleased to report that both the OMKM and MKAEC aremaking steady progress along different, but equally com-plex, paths. We understand that their respective goalsmust be accomplished quickly, but we must be equallycareful that they are done right.

We understand that their respectivegoals must be accomplished quickly,but we must be equally careful that

they are done right.Nysius wekiuicola (C. Sanchez)