We, the undersigned, have participated in the activities at the Puʻuhonua o Puʻuhuluhulu and the Mauna Kea Access Road that have unfolded since July 12, 2019, and affirm the following:

  • We came together at the Puʻuhonua o Puʻuhuluhulu and the Mauna Kea Access Road firmly united in our goal of protecting Mauna Kea.  

  • We gathered in Kapu Aloha–an embodiment of our fierce love for our akua and ʻāina, compassion for one another, and our commitment to peaceful, non-violent resistance.

  • In Kapu Aloha, we have been mindful that appropriate behavior at the Puʻuhonua o Puʻuhuluhulu established by the Royal Order of Kamehameha bars the use of weapons, alcohol, cigarettes, drugs of any kind, and even swearing. 

  • We have engaged in or learned about Hawaiian cultural practices at the Puʻuhonua o Puʻuhuluhulu and the Mauna Kea Access Road, including pule (prayer), oli (chants), mele (songs), hula (dances), pāpāʻōlelo (conversation), and haʻi ʻōlelo (oratory)–connecting us more strongly to Mauna Kea and one another.    

  • We have seen a core team of cohesive, collaborative leaders–including a highly respected kūpuna council–collectively inspiring, guiding, and organizing those gathered. And we have followed their direction.

  • These leaders, along with many others who have shouldered various kuleana (roles and responsibilities), have effectively addressed challenges as they arise, such as the need for more lua and supplies, processes to greet newly arriving participants, and ways to have everyone safely crossing the roadway. 

  • We have marveled at the generosity of one another and the larger community who have donated food, supplies and equipment, and their most valuable time in support of Mauna Kea. 

  • We have seen everyone at the Puʻuhonua o Puʻuhuluhulu respond peacefully, calmly, and in a coordinated manner to the moment-to-moment threats of all of us being forcibly removed from the Puʻuhonua o Puʻuhuluhulu and the Mauna Kea Access Road. 

We invite all others who would join with us to defend Mauna Kea in Kapu Aloha to come to Puʻuhonua o Puʻuhuluhulu and add your name to our participants’ registry.