Mauna Loa Erupts to Celebrate Hawaiian Independence Day

November 28th in Hawai’i unofficially recognizes Native Hawaiian (commonly Kanaka Maoli) independence day or Lā Kūʻokoʻa. This event commemorates the signing of Anglo-Franco Proclamation of 1843, which was the official diplomatic recognition of the independence and sovereignty of the kingdom by Great Britain and France.

The event is celebrated today by supporters of the Hawaiian sovereignty movement.

Wikipedia summarizes the observation. In 1839, Captain Cyrille Pierre Théodore Laplace of the French frigate Artémise landed in Honolulu in what became known as the Laplace Affair and forced the Hawaiian government under King Kamehameha III to acknowledge the rights of Catholics in his realm with the Edict of Toleration.

The Hawaiian government had to pay $20,000 in compensation to the French for their brutal torture and abuse of Catholic priests. Anticipating further foreign encroachment on Hawaiian territory following the Laplace Affair, King Kamehameha III dispatched a diplomatic delegation to the United States and Europe to secure the recognition of Hawaiian independence.

British naval captain Lord George Paulet, without the authorization of his superiors, unilaterally occupied the kingdom of Hawaii in the name Queen Victoria despite the protests of the Hawaiian government.

After a five-month occupation, Rear-Admiral Richard Darton Thomas, the Commander-in-Chief of the Pacific Station, restored sovereignty to Kamehameha III. This event on July 31, 1843 was later commemorated as Sovereignty Restoration Day (Lā Hoʻihoʻi Ea).

On November 28, 1843, at the Court of London, the British and French governments formally recognized the independence of the Kingdom of Hawaii in the Anglo-Franco Proclamation, a joint declaration by France and Britain, signed by Lord Aberdeen and the Comte de Saint-Aulaire, representatives of Queen Victoria and King Louis-Philippe, respectively.

The United States declined to join the proclamation stating that for such a recognition to be binding, it would require a formal treaty ratified by the United States Senate.

Lava activity remains confined to the summit. At this time, there is NO indication of lava exiting the summit nor of lava migrating down the southwest rift zone. As a precaution, shelters have been opened at Old Kona Airport in Kailua-Kona and Ka`u Gymnasium in Pahala.

You will be informed of any changes that affect your safety.

Pele, Goddess of Volcanos and Fire, Celebrates Hawaiian Independence

In Hawaiian culture, Pele is the goddess of volcanoes and fire and the creator of the Hawaiian Islands. Often referred to as “Madame Pele” or “Tūtū Pele,” she is a well-known deity within Hawaiian mythology.

According to tradition, Pele is believed born in the far land of Kahiki and voyaged to the Hawaiian Islands searching for a suitable home. They report this journey taking place between 850 AD and 1250 AD. Pele migrated through the islands and eventually found her permanent home in Halemaʻumaʻu crater at the summit of Kilauea.

‘O Pele Laua ‘O Poliahu: Ku Kaua Mea He Wahine (True Qualities of a Hawaiian Woman)

Poliahu’s beauty entranced many handsome chiefs, including some who had attracted Pele’s romantic interest. This resulted in a furious battle between two goddesses on the slopes of Mauna Kea.

Pele began the battle, causing Mauna Kea to erupt with fountains of fire and lava flows, melting the snow and driving Poliahu from the summit. Poliahu counterattacked with a great blizzard, covering the mountain with a blanket of snow and ice. Defeated, Pele was driven back to Mauna Loa, her fires never to burn on Mauna Kea again.

To this day the rivalry still persists with Poliahu, occasionally invading Pele’s domain by casting snow upon the summit of Mauna Loa.

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