Science versus Tradition

It's problematic when commercial considerations clash with traditional cultural beliefs in a particular location. It is, however, still an issue when scientific imperatives run counter to belief systems. The latest example of this is the construction, at a cost of circa $1bn, The Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) on Mauna Kea on Hawaii's Big Island that is being picketed by some native polynesians (https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/jul/18/hawaii-mauna-key-protest-arrests-observatory). The elevated location (it's the island's highest mountain) and the lack of light pollution (it's in the middle of the Pacific) make it a perfect place for observatory (giving, it is believed, spectacular views of our universe). Some native Hawaiians, however, regard the construction as desecrating the Sky Father, Wakea. It might have been easier to resolve if earlier astronomical telescopes were not already based on the mountain and construction of the TMT had not started in 2014.