HAWAIIAN VOLCANO CEREMONY 1960s 8mm HOME MOVIE (SILENT) GG45955

Genre: home movie

Year Published: 1960s

Description:

Shot by an unknown American tourist sometime in the 1960s, this silent home movie shows a Hawaiian volcano ceremony. The location is not known but most likely it is the Kilauea volcano on Mauna Loa. The native Hawaiian participants wear traditional clothing including in some cases Hawaiian feather helmets, known as mahiole in the Hawaiian language, with feather cloaks

Traditional Hawaiian ceremonies at volcanoes are a way to honor the volcanoes as living beings and to ask for guidance. These ceremonies are a way to show respect and to acknowledge that the welfare of the people and the balance of the Earth's ecology depend on the relationship between humans and volcanoes.

Here are some ways that Native Hawaiians honor volcanoes:

• Offerings: People make offerings of tobacco, gin, and coins to honor the volcanoes and the natural and spiritual worlds.
• Chanting: People chant to Pele, the Hawaiian goddess of volcanoes and fire.
• Travel: People travel to volcanoes on physical and spiritual trails to communicate with them.
• Leave markings: People leave markings on the landscape, such as paintings, rock peckings, stone cairns, shrines, and incised stones.
• Document: People document their relationship with the volcano through songs.

When a volcano erupts, some people may choose to observe in silence, meditate, or commune with their higher power. Cultural practitioners encourage people to respect those who are chanting, praying, or gathering in ceremonies.