Aloha ‘aina in action: Native Hawaiian attitudes towards the building of the thirty meter telescope (TMT) on Maunakea

Abstract

ABSTRACT Indigenous communities’ identities are deeply grounded in connections to sacred land. This paper examines how the value of aloha ‘āina (defined as an expression of Hawaiian Indigeneity through identity, land, and sovereignty) impacts Native Hawaiian public opinion towards land usage and management. We hypothesize that respondents who express aloha ‘āina as a core value correlates to less support for land development. In the 2019 Native Hawaiian Survey, we found that support for Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) increased when respondents felt a deep sense of belonging to the United States of America. In contrast, respondents who considered Hawaiʻi as occupied by the US, or who thought that sacred places should be protected and accessible, were more likely to oppose TMT. This study finds evidence that Native Hawaiian public opinion and policy preferences correlated with expressions of aloha ‘āina.