Standing above the clouds

Te Ihu o Mataoho Indigenous Centre for Learning is hosting a special panel discussion and film screening to connect the Indigenous land movements of Ihumaatao and Mauna Kea. In Aotearoa on a special visit from Hawai'i we will be joined by Kalani and Kapulei Flores of Mauna Kea Education and Awareness who will share koorero about the Mauna Kea movement alongside whaanau of Ihumaatao sharing about the land struggles here. We will then screen Standing above the Clouds, a film about the massive thirty meter telescope proposed to be built on Mauna Kea, an uprising of kiaʻi (protectors) in Hawaiʻi and around the world who dedicate their lives to protecting the sacred mountain from destruction. Through the lens of mothers and daughters in three Native Hawaiian families, Standing above the Clouds explores intergenerational healing and the impacts of safeguarding cultural traditions. Tickets are free but limited, RSVP is required. Kalani and Kapulei are the husband and daughter of Pua Case, one of the most visible and vocal women in the Protect Mauna Kea movement. She is a strong feature in the film as a full time activist and spiritual leader (or kumu hula) responsible for communicating with police, welcoming visitors, being woken up at 4 a.m. to break up disputes and everything in between. Following in her footsteps are her daughters Hāwane Rios, an award winning, queer, singer-songwriter and, Kapulei, a budding photographer who also runs the movement’s social media accounts. Throughout the film both young women step into their own unique power while learning the depths of their mother's strength and influence as an integral pillar in the movement, all while enduring critique from within and outside their community.