by Hazel Reyes
HONOLULU, the United States, Aug. 24 (Xinhua) -- "We want to build Lahaina as it was -- the old historical Lahaina. It will be hard, it will take time, but people want it that way," Erlinda Ramelb, a resident of the historic town and survivor of the deadliest U.S. wildfire in over a century told Xinhua.
Ramelb made these remarks after U.S. President Joe Biden visited Maui Island early this week and pledged to rebuild Lahaina "the way that the local people want."
As of Thursday, at least 115 deaths were confirmed in the devastating wildfire that occurred on Aug. 8, and around 1,000 people are still unaccounted for.
The survivors so far still barely have time to talk about the rebuilding work which is expected to cost billions of dollars. Leaders in the Native Hawaiian community doubted the promise from Washington due to the long history of colonialism and exploitation in the Hawaiian Islands.
Kaniela Ing, a former member of the Hawaii House of Representatives, wrote after Biden's visit that "political and legislative fights lie ahead to ensure that rebuilding efforts steer clear of the pitfalls of external influences and that resources are channeled to foster local resilience and empowerment."
"Justice is returning control of public resources like land and water to the people. It's about recognizing that for too long the strings of Maui and thousands of communities like it have been pulled by forces indifferent to their soul," he argued.
Community leaders are stepping forward with aspirations for a more balanced and righteous approach to land stewardship and community development in Lahaina, and further, across Maui and throughout Hawaii.
Among Native Hawaiians who talked with Xinhua, the consensus is clear: simply rebuilding is not enough, restoring the land and natural flow of water as well as re-enlivening the ancient Ahupua'a (land management system) in Lahaina must be the foundation of all long-term and sustainable recovery.
Lahaina, like much of Hawaii, has been ecologically compromised since the days of colonial plantations. Unscrupulous settler capitalists diverted the natural flow of water from historically verdant Lahaina for sugarcane irrigation. These same colonizers eventually enacted the illegal overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom in 1898 against the wishes of the Native Hawaiian people.
Kapua'ala Sproat is a Native Hawaiian leader, law professor, and associate director of Ka Huli Ao Center for Excellence in Native Hawaiian Law at the University Of Hawaii Manoa.
Recently, she aired her concerns about a "naked power grab and really a land and water grab that's also underway ... the discussion around this really makes me fear for the future of Lahaina and whether it will be one that includes Native Hawaiians and other local people or whether the build back will focus on outsiders."
In a story published Thursday by U.S.-based news website Common Dreams, Hokuao Pellegrino, a seventh-generation Native Hawaiian farmer, educator, and president of the nonprofit Hui o Nā Wai 'Ehā, called the greedy efforts from land venture to control Rahaina's rebuilding work as a typical "Disaster Capitalism."
Disaster capitalism, as journalist Naomi Klein explained in her 2007 book The Shock Doctrine, is "orchestrated raids on the public sphere in the wake of catastrophic events, combined with the treatment of disasters as exciting market opportunities."
"What's happening in Maui is part of the long and ongoing history of settler colonial resource theft and trickery. While disaster capitalism might have some modern disguises, it's a very old tactic. A tactic that Native Hawaiians have a great deal of experience resisting," she tweeted on Aug. 17.
Many residents in Maui confirmed to Xinhua that the real estate agents had been cold calling Lahaina residents who have lost everything to the fatal wildfire and prodding them to sell their ancestral lands rather than wait for compensation.
This move prompted Hawaii's Governor Josh Green to explore a moratorium on people outside the state trying to buy Lahaina properties. Still, he conceded it would be tough to stop those deals, despite concerns that thousands could be permanently displaced following the tragedy.
"The Governor should ensure that all decisions about the rebuilding of Lahaina are made in the open and with full participation of our Lahaina community," said Tiare Lawrence, a member of the Na Ohana O Lele (The Families of Lele) community coalition. Lele is a traditional name for Lahaina.
Carmen Hulu Lindsey, chairperson of the Office Of Hawaiian Affairs and a native Hawaiian leader, noted that if Lahaina is to be built back with Aloha and respect toward the land and water, it is clear that the Native Hawaiians must lead the way and keep solidarity.
"As Maui is my home island, these events have struck a particularly painful chord. But I have no doubt that the Maui community, and the entire state of Hawaii, will come together to aid in the recovery efforts. We will persist. We are connected through mana (spiritual power) that nothing can break. Our love for land, and for one another, is a model that can change the world," she said. ■
