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Last week, state House Speaker Scott Saiki said the University of Hawaii should be replaced as the entity managing Mauna Kea and that the House “will introduce a resolution to begin the process of reassessing a new governance structure for Mauna Kea.”

Assigning a different group to manage Mauna Kea doesn’t solve anything but merely costs more money and makes the whole situation more complicated.

We have another idea.

Rather than reassigning UH’s governance of our mountain, let’s think bigger.

Right now, if you look at that wahi pana, you see telescopes reigning over the mountain like massive temples. There is no visible Hawaiian presence on Mauna Kea – just some trails and a small Visitor Information Station.

Where is the respect for the Hawaiian culture and tradition?

(our Native Hawaiian organization that uses Hawaiian language, culture, science, and technology to help our children and communities continue exploring and learning about Hawaiian culture) supports creating a “cultural and science center above the clouds” on Mauna Kea.

Not a cultural/science center that we squeeze into the existing Visitor Information Station as an afterthought, but something much bigger and more thoughtful in size and scope. A cultural and science center that is built to truly support present and future generations of Hawaiians who are affiliated with and do their work at that location – including cultural preservation, education, research, science and ecology.

Imagine, too, if instead of selling imported goods there, the cultural and science center had Hawaiian craftspeople selling their own work. The cultural center would benefit our people in so many ways, including culturally, educationally and financially.

It could be ‘Imiloa Mauka to the existing ‘.

We got an educated preliminary estimate that it might cost around $30 million for a road and facility. We can easily raise that.

The center could also hire native guides to lead tours up the mountain, with hefty fees per van seat that support the cultural/science center and also control access to the summit.

As far as I know, there currently aren’t any Native Hawaiians with permits to give tours. I went up the mountain informally with one Hawaiian guy who was frustrated he couldn’t obtain a permit. At the summit, we were the only group that did protocol. Of course, there are limits to how many permits are allowed, but is anyone looking at the big picture?

UH is currently limited in what it can do. The university controls only 20 acres, which includes the Visitor’s Information Station area and Hale Pōhaku. It can only work within those boundaries.

But UH can certainly advocate for a cultural/science center above the clouds at another location.

We have located a good site for a center on land currently controlled by the Department of Land and Natural Resources. It sits across the street and a quarter-mile from the VIS and looks to the west. You cannot see it from Saddle Road, so the facility wouldn’t be jarring as you drive past.

The governor should make an executive directive to give the land to a separate entity for a future cultural/science center above the clouds. Then, when we can get the money together, and it’s the right time to build that center, it will be there. We got an educated preliminary estimate that it might cost around $30 million for a road and facility. We can easily raise that.

If the vision is to show respect to Hawaiians and the culture — and it is — we need to be thinking so much bigger than we are.

First, we need to put aside land for a cultural and science center above the clouds. This is a first step to show we can work together to respect our culture and people.