Isaiah & Lokalia - Lahaina Home Lost

Aloha,

We are Lokalia Farm & Isaiah Kaneakua. We lived together at 249 Front Street for about seven years. I, Lokalia, also lived there for the first few years of my life. It was my Tūtū Gladys “Honey” Kekulanamu Alo Awai-Lennox’s house. She passed earlier this year at the age of 93. Pūehuehukai is the specific place name of where we lived, my one hānau (birth sands). The land was passed down from her grandmother, Kekulanamu. We were one of the last native Hawaiian families to remain on the ocean side of Front Street.

On August 8th, 2023, our lives were forever changed. Our whole town burned down, along with our precious home. The winds were extraordinarily strong that day. Extreme weather conditions that we have never seen before. We left our house at about 6:30pm, not knowing at the time that so many homes and lives had already perished. That people of all ages were in the ocean with nowhere else to go to escape the fire. At that time, we did not know that we’d never return to the beautiful life that we had.

Living at Pūehuehukai, we were blessed to be fed by the ocean. Isaiah would regularly harvest fish to feed us and others. It’s one of the things that I miss the most. It breaks my heart. He was truly a kamaʻāina, knowing so much about our shores and the sea life there. He’d also surf out at Ūhāʻīlio aka Sharkpit. I grieve for everything that lives in the seas of Lahaina. All the debris and ash will cause lasting effects on their wellbeing. It’s terrible.

I am a hula person, a member of Hālau o ka Hanu Lehua under the direction of Kumu Kamaka Kukona. Fortunately, I took much of my hula things with me when we evacuated, as we have been preparing to ʻūniki for about four years. As of 8/26, I am now a new kumu hula that will continue to study under my kumu. I am also proud to be a graduate of Ke Kula Kaiapuni ma Kekaulike, as a fluent Hawaiian speaker. That’s just a little personal info about me.

Through hula, we made lasting relationships with my hula sisters and their families. Some of which we’d regularly spend time with. We used to live just minutes away. Our “Lahaina Compound” is like family to us. They all lost their homes too. Slowly, we’re finding ways to be together again as we all figure out what our lives will look like.

We will remain on Maui. We hope to find a long term home for us and our 11yo son Kazian. We hope to have more kids in the near future and we hope that maybe they’ll be able to know Pūehuehukai for themselves. Unfortunately, they’ll never know Lahaina town as it was, but I hope for them to be able to make memories at my one hānau, my ʻāina kupuna like I did.

Mahalo nui for your time in reading our story. Mahalo nui for all of your kind messages and heartfelt prayers. Mahalo nui for your support and donations.

Me ke aloha nui,

Lokalia & Isaiah