OFFSHORE

Sex abuse within the Catholic church is a well-known issue on the mainland, but this is the first time Guam has had to come to grips with it. And it’s a huge deal. Not just because of the abuse, but because the outpouring of accusations that directly confront the church is a sign of huge societal changes in Guam. An island where, after centuries of colonization, many people view Catholicism as an inextricable part of Chamorro culture.

This is a story about the abuse cases, but it’s also a story about the evolving role of the Catholic Church on Guam. And a reporter who’s struggled for years to explain where she comes from and what it means to be Chamorro, finding answers in some very unexpected places.

Tiki bars became wildly popular in the United States after World War II, and were at the height of their popularity when Hawaii became the 50th state in 1959. Even though Tiki bars bars draw inspiration from many Pacific cultures, when most people think of Tiki bars they think of Hawaii. But the tiki bar is actually a product of Hollywood, and part of a fascinating chapter in pop culture and American history.

Offshore looks at the history of tiki bars, why they’re popping up all over the country and even the world today, and finds out more about the immigrants who served up the first tiki cocktails.

In the final episode of Season Two, Offshore goes back to the beginning to search for answers to the conflict on Mauna Kea. Not the beginning of astronomy in Hawaii, but beginning of the Kumulipo. The Hawaiian chant of creation.

The story of Mauna Kea starts on an island in the Pacific — but it doesn’t end there. There are other sacred mountains. Sacred plains. Sacred forests. Today, the fights over all these places are becoming linked in ways that no one could have anticipated.

Is there an inherent conflict between Western science and indigenous culture? A difference in world views that makes communication between the two sides in this conflict impossible? Or is there something else at play here?

Why do astronomers feel a giant new telescope on top of Mauna Kea is so important? What will Hawaii — and the scientific community — stand to lose if the telescope isn’t built?

What is it about Mauna Kea that makes it so sacred to Hawaiians? So precious that people have pledged their lives, their liberty, to blocking further development on its summit?

Atop one of the world’s most sacred mountains, a battle over science, culture — and the future of Hawaii.

The story of Mauna Kea is a story about science and culture, yes. But it’s also about land and power. About who gets to say what’s sacred and what’s not. About the way Hawaiians, scientists, and humans in general, search for meaning.

It’s also about our changing understanding of the universe. And competing visions for the future of our country — and our planet.

The story of Mauna Kea is also a story that is playing out in many other areas of the country. At Standing Rock where the Sioux tribe is fighting development. In Arizona, where the Apache Indians already fought a telescope battle of their own and now are trying to stop a mining company that wants to operate on their land.

Their mountains — their Mauna Keas — have changed people too.

The Offshore team heads to the Big Island to gather material for Season Two, and author Lois-Ann Yamanaka gives us a humorous glimpse at working class life in Hawaii.