The daughter of a Hawaiian father and a mother from New England, Kahikahealani Wight grew up conflicted. Loving Hawaiian stories, songs and the language, she felt a connection to its natural world but was discouraged from pursuing it. ADVERTISING The
The daughter of a Hawaiian father and a mother from New England, Kahikahealani Wight grew up conflicted. Loving Hawaiian stories, songs and the language, she felt a connection to its natural world but was discouraged from pursuing it.
This all changed when, in the 1980s, she bought a cottage in Volcano Village, where she lived for five years. It was her awakening. Here, she found puuhonua (sanctuary, refuge) in the endangered Hawaiian rainforest.
Wight’s book, “Rainforest Pu‘uhonua” is a powerful and moving account of those years in Volcano. In it, Wight shares the feeling of being in a landscape alive with ancestral voices singing through mist and fire, native birds and insects, plants and ferns.
Wight’s lyrical writing, along with 62 vibrant paintings and photos by local artists, convey the depth and magic of the Hawaiian rainforest.
The public can meet the author and enjoy Wight’s presentation of her book from 7-9 p.m. Nov. 12 in the Great Room at Volcano Art Center’s Niaulani campus.
The Volcano Art Center’s Niualani campus is at 19-4074 Old Volcano Road. The presentation is free, however donations always are welcome.
