Kīlauea’s eruption exposes systemic neglect of Indigenous land stewardship and colonial geological risk frameworks

Kīlauea’s eruption is framed through Western seismology, but Hawaiian cosmology (*mo‘olelo*) and traditional ecological knowledge (*‘ike Hawai‘i*) have long guided safe habitation near active volcanoes. Practices like *ho‘oponopono* (restorative justice) and *ahupua‘a* (watershed-based land management) historically reduced volcanic risks by integrating cultural and ecological systems. Indigenous geologists like Dr. Pualani Kanaka‘ole Kanahele have documented these systems, yet their work remains sidelined in favor of colonial risk models.

Kīlauea’s 1790 eruption killed hundreds of Hawaiian warriors, contributing to King Kamehameha’s rise by disrupting rival chiefdoms—a precedent ignored in modern risk narratives. The 1983–2018 eruption cycle was the longest in recorded history, yet USGS funding for Hawaiian volcanoes has never matched that for continental sites like Yellowstone. Colonial land seizures in the 19th century severed Indigenous governance of volcanic zones, replacing it with profit-driven development that now faces recurring hazards.

Māori communities in Aotearoa (New Zealand) use *kaitiakitanga* (guardianship) to manage volcanic risks, integrating Western science with ancestral knowledge—an approach that could inform Hawaiian resilience. In Indonesia, the *Mbah Mariam* tradition of Javanese elders involves ritual offerings to Mount Merapi to prevent eruptions, blending spirituality with practical hazard mitigation. These systems highlight how cultural frameworks can complement scientific monitoring to reduce vulnerability.

USGS’s Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) relies on seismometers and gas measurements, but its budget ($12M/year) is dwarfed by continental programs, limiting real-time data in remote areas. Peer-reviewed studies show that climate change is increasing volcanic activity in the Pacific Ring of Fire due to crustal stress from rising sea levels and glacial melt. Indigenous knowledge could fill gaps in HVO’s monitoring, as traditional Hawaiian observers historically detected subtle shifts in vog (volcanic smog) and seismic patterns.

Hawaiian hula and chant (*oli*) encode volcanic knowledge, with dances like *Hula Pele* narrating the goddess’s movements and warning signs of eruptions. Artists like Solomon Enos and Kapulani Landgraf use visual art to depict volcanic cycles as part of a living landscape, challenging Western notions of nature as inert. These traditions offer spiritual frameworks for coexistence with volcanic forces, framing eruptions as part of a reciprocal relationship with land.

Climate models predict a 30% increase in Pacific volcanic activity by 2100 due to destabilized tectonic plates from melting ice and rising oceans. Scenario planning must integrate Indigenous land-use models, which historically allowed habitation in low-risk zones while avoiding sacred or unstable areas. Tourism-dependent economies must diversify to reduce pressure on volcanic zones, as overdevelopment in Puna District has increased evacuation challenges.

Native Hawaiian scientists like Dr. Noa Lincoln and Dr. Mehana Blaich Vaughan have documented how colonial land tenure systems exacerbate volcanic risks by fragmenting traditional knowledge. Community groups like *Malama O Puna* and *Hawaiian Volcano Observatory’s Indigenous Advisory Council* advocate for land-back policies and culturally grounded disaster preparedness. Their exclusion from mainstream narratives reflects broader erasure of Indigenous expertise in environmental governance.