If you are a person who avoids the news, Lahaina is pretty much GONE. The death count is rising. Kihei has been hit as well. The fires are still burning. At least the winds from the hurricane have died down and they can get water dropping helicopters in the air again.
My best friend is safe, but her home is ashes and her cats are probably dead.
All visitors have been asked to get off the island as soon as possible. They will only get in the way of rescue efforts, and there just aren’t the resources to deal with them. Plus the hotels, condos, and other tourist housing are needed to house the mind-blowing number of people who have lost their homes.
It may take MONTHS to uncover the extent of the damage and loss.
The impact of colonization, arrogant military action, and tourism have brought so much harm to the Hawaiian islands. There is an island you may have never heard of, Kahoʻolawe, because no one really gets to go there anymore; the US Navy broke the water table in 1965; this was one of the most sacred places to the Hawaiian people.
When I was on-island in July of this year, I got a very strong message about doing work to heal Kahoʻolawe. This morning, as I was crying in the shower, the Spirit of Space of West Maui asked me to do healing there as well. The residents and the land both need it. I will be dedicating my Tuesday meditations for the foreseeable future to this work. Please feel free to join me.
Additionally, as money is a representation of an exchange of energy, people have been asking how they can support physical aid. Hopefully you know that the Red Cross is suboptimal for things like this – if nothing else, their overhead expenses mean so little of donations actually makes it to its intended destination. The Hawaii Community Foundation has set up a Maui Strong fund for helping out on a local level. I highly recommend donating to them. Kākoʻo Maui is another worthy organization. As is Maui Mutual Aid/Rapid Response.
| Kane, Kanaloa! Kane-ka-uila-nui makeha i ka lani, Kane-ka-wawahi-lani, Elieli kapu, elieli noa! |
Kane, Kanaloa! Kane-of-the-flashing-lightning-of-the-heavens, Kane-render-of-heaven, Kane-of-the-rolling-stone, Kane-of-the-surface-stone, Kane-of-the-whirlwind, Kane-of-the-rainbow, Kane-of-the-atmosphere, Kane-of-the-rain, Kane-of-the-cloud-of-heaven, Kane-of-the-horizon-cloud, Kane-of-the-heavenly-star, Kane-of-the-horizon-cloud, Kane-of-the-floating cloud, Kane-of-the-wind, Kane-of-the-sun, Kane-of-the-star, Kane-of-the-owl, Kane-of-the-drum, Kane-of-the-water-source, Kane-traveling-mountainward, Kane-traveling-seaward, Kane-traveling-the-upper-precipice, Kane-traveling-the-lower-precipice, Kane-sleeping-at-midday, Kane-of-the-coral, Kane-of-the-long-coral, Kane-of-the-short-coral, Kane-of-the-upper-coral, Kane-of-the-lower-coral, Kane-of-the-northwest-wind, Kane-of-the-zephyr, Kane-running, Kane-the-swift-runner, Kane-the-slow-runner, Kane-of-long-Lono, Kane-of-short-Lono, Kane of Lono, oh! You are listening to the murmuring waters! Produce sacredness, produce freedom! |