A Hawaiian man caused outrage online after posting a video of himself urinating on Mauna Kea, a mountain known to be sacred to native Hawaiians.
The offensive viral video was removed from Travis Upright’s Instagram profile after facing intense backlash over the hack.
It showed him urinating on top of the summit before sticking his middle finger up at the camera and walking off screen.
Upright wrote on Instagram that she had to go to the bathroom after an 11-hour hike.
Travis Upright posted a video of himself urinating on Hawaii’s sacred Mauna Kea
After doing his business, Upright raised his middle finger towards the camera causing more offense.
As many were doing. I (thought) she looked great with the clouds below me so I took a video,” she wrote. “And the last minute flip off was just because of my foolishness.”
His actions sparked anger and abuse from other users. Since then, Upright has posted three video apologies, each more humble than the last, along with a lengthy written note.
He said: ‘I am very sorry for all of you. I was so arrogant and just didn’t get it. I’m just starting and I humbly ask your forgiveness…’
‘I’m so sorry I hurt so many people. I want to understand what it means to sustain life and the land so precious and sacred that I would protect it with my life.
‘But not for me. But so I can teach it to the next generation after me. For the pain to end me. No more.
The video went viral but has now been removed with Upright apologizing three times
Upright posted lengthy written messages of apology along with the video recordings.
“I will do all I can to be more aware each day of the land and the people who have stewarded it,” he wrote. Not just here, but everywhere.
Upright’s triple apologies are now causing more irritation.
“Throughout all of this, you continue to inflate yourself,” read one online response.
‘Just shut up already. True humility is not as loud as this,” another post read.
The state Department of Land and Natural Resources said the video “could certainly be seen as culturally disrespectful,” but Upright will not face any penalties as there are no state laws against urinating on the holy mountains.
His apologies are now angering users online who accuse him of doing it himself.
However, many of those who viewed the original video of Upright relieving himself were upset by what they had witnessed.
“This is very disrespectful to the ‘aina, the land and the cultural practices of Native Hawaiians here, including myself,” said Alfonso Kekuku, a resident of the island of Hawaii and Native Hawaiian activist. KITV.
“It was just the feeling of entitlement and privilege, almost saying, ‘I don’t care about my choices and my actions here’ and ‘I’m going to do whatever I’m going to do. I’m going to do whatever I want,’ Kekuku explained.
However, Kekuku appreciated Upright’s apology.
“I am very grateful that he was able to acknowledge his ignorance and that he was able to come forward to talk about how he was wrong,” Kekuku added.
“A lot of people who move here, tourists, current residents, should really educate themselves on cultural sensitivities,” he suggested.
Mauna Kea is the tallest mountain in the Hawaiian chain at 13,795 feet. The volcano is a “deeply sacred place, considered a sanctuary for worship, a home to the gods, and the piko of the island of Hawaii,” the Hawaiian Affairs Office explains on its website.
In the past, the Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA) has attempted to educate visitors on how to respect Hawaii during their stay, though Upright has lived on the island since birth.
“We will continue to do our part to help encourage better behavior on our islands, in our communities and especially at Wahi pana or holy sites,” the HTA said in a statement.
Mauna Kea is the tallest mountain in the Hawaiian chain at 13,795 feet.
The volcano is a “deeply sacred place, considered a sanctuary for worship, a home to the gods, and the piko of the island of Hawaii,” the Hawaiian Affairs Office explains on its website.
‘Piko’, in turn, is a Hawaiian word meaning ‘the belly button where life begins,’ the National Park Service said.