Mauna Kea Education and Awareness (MKEA) was created in April, 2015 by concerned and committed community members in Waimea, predominantly Native Hawaiian and all women who recognized the immediate and urgent need for all communities to have a deeper knowledge of Mauna a Wākea, also known as Mauna Kea. The organization began in response to the proposed building of an eighteen story Thirty Meter Telescope on the upper slopes of a mountain the native Hawaiians view as sacred, as the water source for the island and landscape utilized by practitioners to maintain and sustain the life ways of their ancestors.

Our mission is to educate and raise the awareness of communities in Hawai’i and beyond on the spiritual, historical, cultural, environmental, and political significance of Mauna Kea and provide cultural learning opportunities to everyone from keiki to kupuna, residents, visitors, and others concerned about native and cultural rights and responsibilities in order to create a platform for the protection of sacred places and for social justice and positive change.