A statewide vigil, Kīpuni Aloha no Maui (embrace beloved Maui), will be held on Friday, Sept. 1 to bring healing to Maui following the devastating fires.
The vigil will be held by Native Hawaiian cultural practitioners, along with interfaith leaders. It will be streamed live, along with in-person locations on Maui, Molokaʻi, Oʻahu and Hawaiʻi Island.
“What came to mind was the importance for some prayer ritual and ceremony for kino wailua, or those who have perished in the fire, to accompany them with the proper prayer and chants of lamentation to help them transition from this world to the realm of the ancestors, or what we call pō,” said Kamana‘opono Crabbe, co-coordinator of the event.
“And especially in Lāhainā, there's a well known leina, a leaping off point for the souls to ascend into the after world. And usually, that is done with prayer and chants right when the sun is going down in the west," Crabbe said.
“The importance [is] also for those who grieve or mourn, for those who have perished, as well as who may have lost much in the in the fire. And then lastly the importance for healing or cleansing of the land,” he continued.
“While it may take a while for the community to regroup and work with government, it still is important for us to pray for good rain to help replenish the moisture in the land so that there's good plant life, good soil, so that people can rebuild in a safe environment.”
Maui kumu hula Hōkūlani Holt-Padilla explained that while financial assistance and other physical resources are being provided to support Maui families, many respected kῡpuna and Hawaiian cultural practitioners have called out an equally important, intangible need.
“There’s an urgent need for prayer, cleansing and reflection so that together, we can help Maui and Hawai‘i heal,” Holt-Padilla said. “This vigil will help to create a space for grief and healing and the opportunity for Hawai‘i to be united.”
Individuals, businesses and places of worship are encouraged to stream the 6 p.m. to 7:30 a.m. sunrise ceremonies, the 11:30 to 1 p.m. ceremonies, and the 6:30 to 8 p.m. sunset ceremonies, or hold their own vigils during these times.
For more information on how to participate, visit hawaiisoul.org/maui.
