Lahaina's history lost in the flames
As we celebrated World Indigenous Day last week, wildfires swept across Maui Island in Hawaii, destroying everything in its path and taking over ninety lives so far.
The devastation was heart-wrenching, and as we watched from afar the news clips and read the stories, we give prays for those families who have lost loved ones, their homes, businesses and livelihoods.
But at the same time, we also mourn the loss of part of Hawaii's heritage and history.
Our heritage and history define us as Polynesians, and before Hawaii's unification, Lahaina was Maui's royal capital.
It was until the late 1700s that King Kamehameha I conquered the town and established it as the capital of the Kingdom of Hawaii in 1802.
He set about building his capital, a palace, residences and royal buildings that served as the capital for over half a century.
Despite protests from Hawaiians, the town became a bustling whaling and fishing port, marking its prominence on the global trade routes.
A famous banyan tree planted in 1873 where King Kamehameha's first palace was located survived the devastating fires last week but was damaged. It is hoped it will recover over time to continue its legacy.
The Waiola Church, which celebrated its 200th anniversary in May, was destroyed. Initially built in 1832, it was named the Waine'e (moving water) Church, then in 1853, it was renamed Waiola (living water). Its grounds hold the royals graves of Queen Keopuolani (King Kamehameha I's wife), King Kaumuali'i, Queen Kalahua, Princess Mahi'ena'ena, Governor Hoapili and Governess Liliha.
The Wo Hing Museum and Cookhouse, Baldwin House and the cell blocks and gatehouse of the Old Lahaina Prison were reduced to ashes. And all that is left of some of the stone builds are just the rock walls and foundations, flames consuming any wood in the buildings.
Founder of Our Hawaii and seventh-generation Kanaka Maoli (indigenous Hawaiian), Kaniela Ing, told NBC News, "If you start from one end of Front Street and walk to the other end, it's like a physical timeline of history of the Hawaiian Kingdom. You can actually see the flow in the buildings stemming back 150 or more years. It's remarkable and just the thought that that history may have been lost in this fire or any bit of the history is heart-breaking."
It will take months and even years to fully realise the extent of the loss of Lahaina's physical history and landmarks, but the resilience of the Hawaiian people to recover remains strong.
University of Minnesota professor and Native Hawaiian Historian David Aiona Chang told the Washington Post Lahaina was a "place where the past is present. Native Hawaiians were very emphatic that we're not giving up on that – our culture is still alive, our language is still alive, and that makes Lahaina very important to us."
by David Vaeafe.