From 1971-1975 I photographed Kalapana, an ancient Hawaiian village, where people spoke Hawaiian, living subsistence-style-- until Kilauea volcano’s 1990 eruptions buried the region. In 2003, 500 people crowded the Lyman Museum for my retrospective. “A door has been opened,” an elder said. Grieving turned to celebrating all that Kalapana still represented. Someone donated land for a Kalapana museum. In Big Island Journey(2009) Maria wields her machete, Annie weaves lauhala hats, men brave ocean cliffs, hunt wild pigs. . . Hawaiian ways endure. The Hawaiians welcoming me in the 1970s wanted their way of life passed on. Photography continues to serve us well.
