“Chanting the Mountains”

for Internation Mountain Day, December 11th

 

Say: “Mountains are sacred”

because mountains are born from contracting tectonic plates––  

because mountains live on a quarter of the planet’s surface––

because mountains shape local and global climates

Say: “Mountains are sacred” 

because mountains nourish trees, animals and food crops––

because mountains house native peoples, minorities, and refugees––

because mountains create corridors for migrating species––

because my family lives on a submerged mountain–– 

Say: “Mountains are sacred” 

because mountains capture moisture from the atmosphere–– 

because mountains filter aquifers and source rivers––

because mountains provide freshwater for half of humanity

Say: “Mountains are sacred” 

because what else do you call places that are always being desecrated 

by corporations, armies, and nations––

who clearcut, detonate, drill, mine, extract, and pollute––

who violently remove mountaintops––

who violently remove entire mountains 

Say: “Mountains are sacred”

because we say stop! 

this is our center of creation–––stop! 

this is where we bury and honor our dead––stop! 

this is where we pilgrimage, worship, and make offerings––stop! 

you are hurting our mountain elders

Say: “Mountains are sacred” 

because there once was a mountain here––

because this deep opened wound was once home

Say: “Mountains are sacred” 

because what else do you call places that are always being endangered: 

melting glaciers and ice caps, severe erosion and floods, 

eruptions and earthquakes, diminishing crop yields, water flow, and biodiversity, 

scorched earth wars and border conflicts

Say: “Mountains are sacred”

because my daughter loves playing at Mānoa Valley park, 

surrounded by the Koʻolau mountains––

because one day she’ll ask us “What is the tallest mountain in the world?”––

we’ll tell her, Mauna Kea stands more than 30,000 feet above the ocean floor, 

home of Papa and Wakea, Earth Mother and Sky Father, 

the birthplace of your Hawaiian ancestors” 

Say: “Mountains are sacred”

because we’ll have to tell her about the violent construction 

of massive observatories atop Mauna Kea––

we’ll have to explain why scientists yearn to see 

billions of light years into space yet refuse to see 

the sacredness of this place

Say: “Mountains are sacred”

because we’ll also tell her about the aloha ʻāina protectors––

who stopped the groundbreaking of a Thirty Meter Telescope––

who bravely stood on the access road, held hands, and chanted: 

“ku kiaʻi mauna”––

Say: “Mountains are sacred” 

because 

We are Mauna Kea 

we are Lamlam 

We are Nakauvadra 

We are Popomanaseu 

We are Taranaki 

We are Uluru 

We are Lata 

We are Silisili 

We are Panié 

We are Orohena 

We are Nemangkawi 

We are Terevaka 

We are Tabwemasana 

We are Kao 

We are Enduwa Kombuglu  

We are Ngga Pulu 

We are Giluwe 

We are Haleakala

Say: “Mountains are sacred”

because we’ll teach our children: 

when you feel threatened, 

hold your palms out, touch 

your thumbs and pointers together 

to form a triangle, 

       like this–– 

and remember : when we stand 

to defend the sacred, we will be 

as strong as mountains–– 

remember : when we stand 

to protect the sacred, 

our voices will rise 

to the summit 

of the sky––

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