Do you know the stories of Kilauea: the legends behind boiling lava lakes, eruptions that shook the earth and clouds of sulphurous smoke drifting over the land? The narratives are sure to give you chicken skin.
Oral histories in the form of chants about Pele, her family, and their works, contain wonderfully evocative poetry and stories of volcanic or other natural events, cloaked in metaphor and hyperbole. Bobby Camara and Don Swanson will be holding an interactive discussion about Pele and how oral traditions about her can be interpreted in terms of what we know today about Kilauea.
The presentation, “Reconstructing Kaluapele: Stories and Observations of Lava and Explosions,” will be held 7 p.m. Thursday at Volcano Art Center’s Niaulani Campus in Volcano Village.
Kilauea and Kaluapele are amazing constructs of both imagination and reality. Together Swanson and Camara are able to piece together a history of eruptive and explosive activity using feet-on- the-ground exploration and keen observations of sometimes-subtle differences of rock and ash. They will also share some of their interpretations about the volcanic history of Kilauea by linking geology and cultural traditions.
The event is free, however, a $5 donation is appreciated. It is part of Thursday Nights at the Center, an evening series at the Volcano Art Center, focusing on art, Hawaiian culture and our environment.
Camara was born and raised in Honokaa, retired from Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, and has lived in Volcano for more than three decades. He is a naturalist, geographer, ethnobotanist and researcher, and is passionate about learning and sharing information about his aina.
Swanson is a geologist and former head of the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory. He grew up in the shadows of volcanoes in Washington and studied Mount St. Helens for 10 years before, during, and after its eruption in 1980. He has lived in Hawaii for nearly 20 years.
Info: www.volcanoartcenter.org.