I ka wā ma mua, i ka wā ma hope

I ka wā ma mua, i ka wā ma hope

     I took this photo as a documentation to record a moment of Kīlauea volcanos history. Prior to this eruption that started in December 2020. There was no surface lava to be seen since September of 2018. Before 2018, Kīlauea had been erupting for 35 years. During the time of 2008-2018, its summit had a lava lake that was a photographers go to shot. In 2018 increased pressure caused the lower east rift zone to open up, allowing magma to drain from the summit to a residential area on the Puna side of Hawai’i Island and eventually in to the sea. This event ended the 35 year eruption. 

     As learned from past events everything is temporary and when it comes to to volcanos, every moment is something new. So when the news got out that Kīlauea started erupting, I knew I had to document this event as no one had knowledge as to when it was going to be over or what would happen next –but nothing goes on forever without change. 

     Mo’olelo or stories helps us preserve the knowledge learned from our ancestors past and in today’s time. Genealogy, history, tradition and so on, are all portrayed in Mo’olelo. By knowing this we can sit anywhere and tie ourselves to the past and see how we will go forward into the future.

     This photo represents a current event that’s happening within a place of old history that went through many changes. The stars ties us to our ancestral past and tell us of our genealogy as the glow from the lava lake is the sign of creation or of something to come. All together we have a moment that puts past, present and future into a single image.

     I ka wā ma mua, i ka wā ma hope

Translates as “in the time before, in the time after,” this ōlelo no‘eau tells us that the future is in the past, or that learning from the past can guide the future.