Native Hawaiians believe volcanoes are alive and should be treated like people, with distinct rights and responsibilities
- Written by Richard W Stoffle, Professor of Anthropology, University of Arizona
Hawaii's Mauna Loa's volcano is erupting for the first time in nearly 40 years.Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty ImagesHawaii’s largest and oldest volcano, Mauna Loa, began erupting on Nov. 27, 2022, with lava flowing miles away downhill. The last eruption, which lasted three weeks, was nearly 40 years ago.
It is not clear how long this...

