Pele

Pele is the goddess of fire and volcanoes. In modern days Pele has become the most visible of all the old god and goddesses. She can take many forms and is often associated with the color white. Hawaiians believe her to be dwelling in the craters of Kilauea, the big island’s volcano that has been continuously active since 1983, adding to the land on the eastern shore. 

For many Hawaiian’s Pele is strength and a representation of the traditional Hawaiian beliefs. In Hawaii’s Story By Hawaii’s Queen,  the book opens with mention of Pele and the moment that she (Liliuokalani) believes, “Broke forever the power of Pele, the fire-goddess, over the hearts of her people. The acceptance of Christianity into the Hawaiian kingdom by Liliuokalani’s great-grandaunt Queen Kapiolani made way for the Hawaiian people to accept Christianity as well. Liliuokalani was Westernized and Christian, this in itself would have brought a separation between Hawaiian’s who have remembered old Hawaiian traditions, rituals, customs, those who continue to honor the gods and goddesses of Hawaii and the monarch. 

Colonized societies struggle with identity and displacement issues and Hawaii is no different. The way that the monarch was overthrown was illegal, the US created the Apology act in November 1993 that only apologized for the illegal overthrow of the Hawaiian Monarchy but this apology act did nothing in attempting to make amends or to resolve the issues of displacement that comes from an action so large as the US overthrow of Hawaii. Pele seems to be the essence of the forgotten Hawaiian way of life. 

-Loren