KOLOA — Rev. Dr. Alan Akana has been watching the news about volcanic activity closely these past few weeks. Lower Puna, where molten lava is flowing through neighborhoods, across roads, and into the ocean, is his ancestral home.
His late parents, who met in Hilo in 1958, eventually retired in Kapoho, a town in Puna that was destroyed when volcanic fissures, similar to the ones in the region today, destroyed the town in 1960. Akana’s great-great-grandparents lived across the street from Kaimu Beach, which was buried under lava in 1990.
He has been visiting the region regularly since he was 11, and has been interested in the lives of his ancestors and their relationship to Kilauea Volcano ever since.
When Akana attended his father’s memorial service in Hilo in 1999, he visited with his father’s aunt, who told him stories about his father, grandparents and great-grandparents, all who had roots in lower Puna. This conversation led him to ask more of his kupuna about the old days and the stories they remembered about their own kupuna.
He wrote all of this information on his computer in order to have a collection of stories to share with his family, but realized after reading the stories and all of the information he researched for over a dozen years about the area and its history that he had a book in the making.
In 2014, his book was published: “The Volcano Is Our Home: Nine Generations of a Hawaiian Family on Kilauea Volcano.” The focus of the book is all about the lives of the people who live on Kilauea and how they relate to the volcano. He tells the story of Hawaii’s history from 1756-2014 through their eyes and from the standpoint of their worldview and experiences.
Since his book was published by Balboa Press, he has rewritten a revised edition.
“I learned so much about the people of Kalapana and lower Puna since the book was originally written; I felt that I had to make some corrections and add some information.”
Akana is constantly learning new things about the region because it is constantly changing.
“The earth is alive there and constantly changing the landscape and the lives of the people who live there,” he said.
The author has no plans to write another revised edition of the book.
“There are new things happening on the slopes of the volcano and the story changes daily. I hope more people will write about their experiences and share them with the rest of us,” he said. “I don’t know of any other place in the world where so many people live in such close proximity to volcanic activity. Just like my ancestors, people today who live there have learned to live in relatively safety but know they may have to move at any moment. They also know that they might lose their homes and nearly every possession they own. It is quite a remarkable way to live, and I think we can all learn something from them.”
Akana has relatives and friends who still live on Kilauea and have been affected by the recent eruptions.
The author will be hosting an open house from 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday, June 3 at Alan Akana Gallery in the Smith Memorial Parsonage at 3281 Waikomo Road in Koloa. He will give a talk at 2 p.m. about life on Kilauea Volcano and in the lower Puna District where the volcano is currently erupting.
With Kilauea Volcano making news nearly every day, Akana thought that this would be an appropriate time to “talk story” with people who are interested in what is going on there.
There will also be entertainment, refreshments, and an opportunity to purchase a signed copy of Akana’s book.
