Kaipo Kekona speaks a list of names. They’re people he grew up with. His voice cracks with emotion — they’re also people who died in Lahaina on Aug. 8.
“I [want] to honor them and have us all be able to honor them as well, and all the people that we took a loss to," he said. "Because we have yet to even have an opportunity as a collective community to honor them, and the sacrifices that were made.”
He spoke at the recent Ho’ulu Lahaina Unity Gathering, where thousands from around the state came together in support of the burned town and its residents.
“As we move forward, let us not forget the losses that we took to get to where we are," he continued. "Let us build our foundations once again. Strong, stronger than before. Let us turn to Kamaluuluolele and what it represented."
"Let us have a firm relationship with our ‘āina. Not as a commodity, but as an ‘ohana. Our ‘āina — this town that we talk about today — is a mother for many of us. And she's destroyed. She's in despair. But we're going to make that better.”
Kekona has been a leader at the Napili community hub, which is still operating.
“Let us all get together and understand that so as the dust and the smoke settles, when we start to find a little bit more safe and secure long-term whatever interim housing that we're dealing with now, some of the rooms still get smoke inside, yeah? And I understand the frustrations that our community is expressing. And I'm here for you," he told fellow Lahaina residents.
As Lahaina weathers the storms of recovery, Kekona shared his hope for the future.
“Whatever we deal with, wherever we go from here, I hope that what we're going to do and what we're going to build, gonna bring pride to the people that we lost," he said.
"When they look at us, they can be proud of who we are and proud of what we've done. And when my kids grow older and the kids that are not going see, gonna be present in Lahaina town, they're gonna be proud of what we've done. They can be proud to call Lahaina home.”
