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12 Sunday, December 24, 2017 Photos: HOLLYN JOHNSON/Trbune-Herald ABOVE: Yuko Kakazu, Subaru spokeswoman, gives a tour of the Subaru Telescope during the Kama‘aina Observatory Experience. BELOW: Bill Healey, a former supervisor with the W. M. Keck Observatory, talks with guests in the control room. TOUR From page 10 different outreach efforts with the Hawaii Island community, they have never done anything quite like this. Doug Simons, director of the Canada-France- Hawaii Telescope, and one of the tour organizers, said the idea came about with conversations with Stewart Hunter, the head of the Office of Maunakea Support Services, who noted how it’s important to bring people in your home to create relationships. “In this case, the ‘houses’ are the Maunakea Observatories, and the ‘neighbors’ are the people of Hawaii,” Simons said in an email. Before, tours were rare, with most of the telescopes offering them only to other scientists or important people in their field. “We want them to know we are doing something that has some value,” Healey said. “Because we’ve had some comments like, ‘You guys spend a lot of money on astronomy, why not put it into cancer research?’ Good question. But we can do both.” But the tour is not just about astronomy. Hawaiian culture and perspectives also are weaved into the experience and presented during an orientation. Leilehua Yuen, a cultural practitioner and former space journalist, starts the event off at the Hale Pohaku mid-level facility with an oli komo (welcome chant) and the opening of the Kumulipo, a Hawaiian creation chant, in addition to other mele reflecting love for Maunakea and how the island was born as a child See TOUR Page 13 Hawaii Tribune-Herald


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