Thurston’s Big Ideas for Hawaii

In preparation for a upcoming trip to Hawaii, I’ve been reading Hawaii (On the Road Histories). In the geology section at the beginning of the book there’s mention of Jagger, the researcher who spent so much time studying volcanic activity at what’s now Volcanoes National Park. There’s also a passing reference to Lorrin Thurston, a politician, business man, and something of an explorer who was instrumental in the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy.

Thurston Lava Tube by C.E. Anderson via Flickr

In the lower rain forested region of Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island, visitors can walk through the Thurston Lava Tube, a dripping geologic wonder named after a guy who wasn’t very nice to the native Hawaiians. He had a great affection for the land, if not for her people; he lobbied for the creation of a National Park to protect and preserve the land where his namesake lava tube stands.

Thurston was born in Hawaii, spoke fluent Hawaiian and had a Hawaiian name, yet he objected to  traditional hula and the native Hawaiian government. He seemed to have been big on nature, but not so much so on culture. I can’t help but feel ambivalent about assigning his name to a natural wonder though I suppose it’s as good a metaphor as any for the complicated tangle that is Hawaii. A driving force behind founding Hawaii’s National Park and for overthrowing her government — I imagine Thurston thought he knew what was best for the land.

It’s hard to argue with the establishment of a National Park, but the annexation of the islands remains a tragic unresolved chapter in Hawaii’s history. The next time I stand on the shiny black lava that bears Thurston’s name, I’ll think of more than geology.