Public Space 3

Growing up on the Island of Maui, a part of the Hawaiian archipelago located deep in the Central Pacific was a unique experience that altered who I am today. My family lived in the small town of Pukulani, upcountry Maui, for seven years, and became deeply identified with island life. As an outsider from the mainland, my family was met with backlash in our majority native Hawaiian community. However over time as we committed and engraved ourselves into the community we were slowly welcomed into the island tribe and became a part of the island family, the island Ohana.

Even though I left the island in elementary school my family is still deeply rooted in too it. Paintings and woodcarvings of the island litter our house. Every pet animal has a historically Hawaiian name from Koa to Kimo, Kukui, and Makana. Good friends from the islands come and stay at our home when traveling through the mainland, and we frequent there when back on the Island. Even though we have left the island, we are still forever a part of its tribe, acting as a far-off outpost still living vicariously and building our identity through the island lifestyle in which we grew up.

The 2023 Hawaiian wildfires put Maui's local and global Ohona to the test. In August of 2023, Hurricane Dorra sent hurricane-force winds into Mauis valleys, downing powerlines and sparking multiple grassland fires throughout the island. Two fires began raging, one in Pulehu upcountry Maui near my childhood home, and another on the opposite side of the island by West Maui above the ancient Hawaiian city of Lahaina. Struck off guard Maui Fire Department attempted to battle both blazes. While the Pulehu blaze burned through the rural upcountry territory, the West Maui fire barreled straight down the grassy hillside until it torched through Lahaina town, straight down to the water. 98 Lahaina residents died in the fire and nearly 2,200 structures were burned. Nearly $5.52 billion was estimated in damage and this event became the worst natural disaster in Hawaiian history. Infuriatingly, national and statewide help was slow. However, the Maui tribe sprung into action to help their Ohona on the west side of the island that was suffering. With roads to the west side burned out and impassable, islanders took the water, taking private boats full of essential items like propane, clothes food, and medical aid into the Lahinia communities affected before anyone from the state or government arrived. Spreading funds that were already thin, Maui residents rallied together and supported their whole island, making sure no one went hungry, unhoused, or unclothed. While locals worked on the island, Mauis global Ohona worked off island to raise mainland funds to help replenish and take the stress off locals who spend their livelihood and the survival of those on Maui. Nearly 30 million was raised and distributed to those making an impact and drastically helped the recovery. My own family raised $7,000 through Venmo which we directly distributed to our friends on the North Shore who were making daily food drops to the westside by Jetski. Further, pressure was put forth by the Maui residents for the government to block and transaction of land in the Lahinia burn area, as many burnt structures were uninsured and surviving owners did not have the financial resources to build new homes. By working together on the island and globally the greater Maui tribe was able to help its people in time of need quicker and more efficiently than government officials, and this Ohona is something every member should be proud to be a part of.