Richard Borreca: Already dubious if proposed reconciliation commission will resolve anything, let alone TMT

Just back from a series of trips to Washington, D.C., and Japan, Gov. David Ige is telling officials of his latest plan to resolve the dilemma posed by the state’s failure to build the Thirty Meter Telescope atop Mauna Kea.

After being repeatedly blocked by Native Hawaiian protesters, Ige now has turned to an as-yet-unapproved or -formed reconciliation commission.

Ige told reporters last week that he told Japanese officials that “I wanted to reinforce our commitment to the rule of law and ensuring peaceful and safe access to the (Mauna Kea) project site.”

No specifics, deadlines or timeframes were offered; instead, Ige said he “talked about the ho‘oponopono session we have been engaged in and the reconciliation commission that I will be forming to look at the broader issues so we can develop a roadmap of the issue of reconciliation.”

In government terms, a reconciliation commission is some group that is supposed to point to past wrongdoing in the hope of resolving the conflict. At least 46 countries list reconciliation commissions. Ige in written testimony mentioned commissions from Canada, New Zealand, Australia and South Africa.

Ige’s state government officials were unanimous in saying they thought a reconciliation commission was just what we need.

Native Hawaiians were not so impressed.

“The governor-appointed panel to look into reconciliation is disingenuous,” said Healani Sonoda-Pale, chairwoman of the Ka Lahui Political Action Committee, calling it “a bogus reconciliation process.”

A Honolulu Star-Advertiser report of a legislative hearing on the proposed commission mentioned great mistrust for Ige.

“Makiki resident Ilima Long opposed the measure, telling lawmakers the bill ‘came out of nowhere.’ If lawmakers want to build trust with the Hawaiian community, they should amend the resolution to ‘take the governor out of it, specifically this governor,’” the paper reported.

As usually happens with Ige’s government style, the veteran Democrat is unable to pull the trigger; he just can’t take the lead and declare this is right and this is wrong.

The thing about reconciliation commissions is that they are supposed to explore a government wrongdoing or misdeed, and then with the wound exposed start a healing process.

Instead of saying either “Open the heavens, build that telescope” or “Forget it, we are not in the business of disrespecting Hawaiian culture,” Ige just parries and sidesteps the question.

“The conflict that emerged surrounding Mauna Kea created a unique opportunity to conceptualize a process reflective of and responsive to such a complex moment,” Ige told the legislators in testimony.

At their best, reconciliation commissions deal with a painful history and thorough examination so a way forward can be positively explored. South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission is called one of the most important. Canada’s commission delved into its horrible mistreatment of indigenous peoples, and served as a model for Australia and New Zealand to look at their own treatment of their indigenous peoples.

For Hawaii, TMT and Mauna Kea, Ige’s inability to lead appears only to be matched by the Legislature. In its first revision of the call for reconciliation, lawmakers amended the resolution to remove any mention of Mauna Kea, saying instead that it would be “relating to past, present, and future issues of importance to the Native Hawaiian people, the State of Hawaii, and the United States of America.”

Richard Borreca writes on politics on Sundays. Reach him at 808onpolitics@gmail.com.