Postcolonial techno-futurism: The challenges of siting telescopes on sacred lands

Postcolonial techno-futurism is the idea of centering Indigenous knowledge systems, sovereignty, and agency in shaping the future of scientific and technological advancements. In astronomy, this idea is particularly relevant through telescope siting controversies, most notably on Mauna Kea in Hawai’i and at the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) in Chile. These sites, while chosen for their exceptional astronomical conditions, are also sacred ancestral lands for the Kānaka Maoli in Hawai’i and the Atacameño peoples in northern Chile. The construction of these large observatories has sparked protests and resistance, raising urgent questions about consent, land rights, and the role of Indigenous cosmologies in shaping scientific inquiry. To better understand the ethics of siting major telescope projects on sacred lands, MIT Science Policy Review spoke with Rodrigo Cordova Rosado, a Puerto Rican astrophysicist and citizen of the Osage Nation whose work integrates Indigenous cosmologies with cutting-edge astrophysics. Rosado studies supermassive black hole feedback in quasars at Princeton University and also collaborates on bilingual educational initiatives that center Indigenous sky knowledge. Through our conversation, we discuss the importance of co-governance; free, prior, and informed consent; and embedding traditional ecological knowledge in every phase of scientific planning. This interview underscores that astronomy—and science broadly—must confront its colonial legacies and actively build equitable, co-governed partnerships with Indigenous communities. By treating consent as an ongoing practice, prioritizing data and environmental sovereignty, and celebrating and educating on diverse scientific traditions, we can transform telescopes on sacred lands into symbols of collaboration rather than contention. Future scientific projects will succeed only if they are born from mutual respect and shared purpose.