The political and spiritual symbolism of the historic eruption of Mauna Loa
When Hawaii's Mauna Loa, the world's largest active volcano, erupted this week for the first time in nearly four decades, it wasn't just a major geological event. For many in the Native Hawaiian community, it carried broader cultural and political symbolism and a message of respect for indigenous communities and the land.The eruption, which began Sunday night, coincided Monday with Hawaii's Independence Day, known as Lā Kūʻokoʻa, which commemorates the formal international recognition of the Kingdom of Hawaii's sovereignty nearly two centuries ago.. Many Native Hawaiians draw on their mythology around Pele, the Hawaiian goddess of fire and creator of…
