DWAYNE 'THE ROCK' JOHNSON VISITS MAUNA KEA
Samoan actor Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson has shown his support for the protectors of Mauna Kea, heading up there today to meet with Kaho‘okahi Kanuha, a leader in the Thirty Meter Telescope opposition group and other Hawai'ian elders.
Video above & Cover image via Star Advertiser Hawaii. Photo credit: Jamm Aquino
Video above via Hawaii News Now
He’s the highest-profile celebrity to visit the protector's camp, though other big names have weighed in on the conflict. Johnson spent much of his childhood in the islands, visits Hawaii frequently and has also shot several of his movies in Hawai'i.
At Mauna Kea, he was greeted with lei, chanting and hula performances. He also spoke to several protest leaders and kupuna.
The Rock on what it meant to him to be out at the Mauna today -
"It's beautiful, it's inspiring, you know we always say it's the aloha spirit, there's mana that we have here in the islands. Thats something I carry around the world but you have to come here to experience it.
Coming specifically here to Mauna Kea, what I've realised today and obviously I've been following this for years now more so as everything has been amping up more recently, but when you come here to Mauna Kea you realise that it's bigger than a telescope. It's humanity, it's a culture, it is people, our people, our Polynesian people who are willing to die here to protect this land and to protect this sacred land that they believe in so powerfully.
So, I was really moved, obviously the ceremony is so beautiful, it always moves me, always makes me emotional but as I'm leaving I realise again that it's much more than a telescope. It is people who have so much pride and are willing to sacrifice everything that they have in order to protect something that's so incredibly sacred to them.
Mauna Kea represents all of Hawai'i, all the islands and how sacred our islands are and I've buried my grandfather on the other island and I've personally buried my grandmothers ashes with my own 2 hands and I know what it's like to feel something thats so meaningful and deeply personal to you and so sacred. So, these are beautiful, it's moving and a very, very inspiring day."
The Rock on what he feels needs to happen with Mauna Kea -
Well, a few things, I think that a greater leadership needs to step in and I feel like there needs to be leadership with empathy, progress through humanity because the whole idea behind this is it's not about stopping progress, it's not about stopping science it's about respecting the culture and respecting the people ... doing things the right way.
So, I believe a greater leadership needs to come in and have a greater dialogue, a lateral dialogue, bringing all people to the table and I know it's much easier said than done but I'm here to help in any way that I possibly can and that is with all the sides of our community, all the sides of our elect officials, in any way I can help because again it's much more than a telescope.
It's humanity and when you have people who are willing to sacrifice their lives and when things escalate to that emotional apex, that is a sign that something has to be done and to full charge ahead isn't the way to do it.
As I shared with the crowd today, the world is watching and the world is saying we should take a pause and this is where care and decency and love and respect for not only culture but for humanity really comes in to play."
The Rock on what drew him to Mauna Kea today -
"It was the arrests of the Kupuna and the fact that this continues to grow and the support continues to grow and it was also my hope that a greater dialogue was being had with our leaders and so I was hoping for that. Not that I was wanting to come in and change anything. I wanted to come in here and see our people and stand with them and support them. But yes, the arrests of the kupuna was a sign but also after the arrests it strengthened and became even stronger.
I had the opportunity to come here today and experience this first hand and again I'm proud of my cultures and I'm well aware of how much this has permeated the world and again I think when the world is watching it's important to recognise that the world is watching but it's also important again to lead with compassion and lead with a great leadership and that's always been my message. You know because at the end of the day as polarising as this seems to be and it is in many ways, there's still solutions, there's solutions in everything - you just need to have the right people coming to the table and having those conversations so I'm optimistic.
I've spoken to a lot of people here today who are leaders and who are optimistic as well that we're going to see some sort of change and the beauty of it is, is this is a very steadfast culture - the protests are so peaceful but they're so powerful and no-ones going anywhere so I'm optimistic that something positive is going to come out of this."
.
