8 Kiaʻi

July 15, 2019: The 8 kiaʻi who locked themselves to the cattle guard on the Maunakea Access Road to ensure no construction vehicles could pass were hours into the action. Their ribs ached, they were sore, stiff, hungry and thirsty. They could not get up to use the bathroom. Other kiaʻi gathered around to lomi their backs, feed them sips of water and small bites of food and provide them the comfort of shade and aloha. At one point, longtime aloha ʻāina warrior, Jon Osorio, got up from his chair in the kupuna line down the road and came to his daughter, Jamaica Heolimeleikalani Osorio who had been locked down on the cattle guard for hours and sang to her.

Together we sang songs of aloha ‘āina that joyfully propelled us through!

The pilina that grew from our time on Mauna a Wākea are the most treasured and priceless.

#tmtshutdown #kukiaimauna #aoletmt #alohaaina #landback #tmtshutdown #protectmaunakea #maunakea #hawaii #kapualoha #flashback #throwback

📸 @karaokecomputer @jamaicaosorio