Hui Mo‘olelo

This recording is part of Hui Mo‘olelo: Lahaina, our 2025–2026 gathering of richly detailed talk-story recordings created to inform future public artwork, support collective healing, and provide trusted, community-informed guidance for the Lahaina Memorial Project. This mo‘olelo explores the life and community contributions of Gracie Delos Reyes, a Texas native who found her permanent home and ancestral-style roots in Lahaina after arriving as a "free spirit" twenty-two years ago. The narrative traces her evolution from a newcomer sleeping on the beach to becoming an integral part of the multigenerational Delos Reyes ohana, emphasizing how the local paddling culture and the mentorship of elders provided her with a sense of identity and belonging. A significant portion of the dialogue focuses on the Kiaulu Initiative, a grassroots reforestation project led by Gracie and her husband to create environmental fire breaks while reclaiming the "thriving ecosystem" that existed before plantation-era land use. 

This recording is part of Hui Mo‘olelo: Lahaina, our 2025–2026 gathering of richly detailed talk-story recordings created to inform future public artwork, support collective healing, and provide trusted, community-informed guidance for the Lahaina Memorial Project. Here, Namea Hoshino reflects on his deep genealogical roots and upbringing in the heart of Lahaina. He describes a childhood defined by a landlocked family parcel hidden behind commercial buildings, where navigating through parking lots and sensing the natural rhythms of the ocean and church bells created a unique sense of place. The conversation transitions from personal nostalgia to Hoshino’s professional commitment to Hawaiian cultural restoration, specifically his expertise in traditional kalo (taro) cultivation and his efforts to verify and preserve ancestral plant varieties. Hoshino advocates for a future centered on agricultural self-sufficiency and reforestation rather than a dependency on tourism, emphasizing the responsibility to pass down indigenous knowledge and a strong work ethic to the next generation.

This recording is part of Hui Mo‘olelo: Lahaina, our 2025–2026 gathering of richly detailed talk-story recordings created to inform future public artwork, support collective healing, and provide trusted, community-informed guidance for the Lahaina Memorial Project. Through a nostalgic lens, Eddie Pamat describes a childhood defined by communal values, hard labor in agricultural fields, and the distinctive sensory details of old Maui, such as the scent of plumeria and the sight of sugar cane ash. The conversation maps the cultural geography of the region, documenting vanished landmarks like Nagasako Supermarket and local hangouts while emphasizing the deeply rooted connections between families. The mo‘olelo serves as a testament to resilience, expressing a profound desire to see displaced families return so that the social fabric and unique charm of Lahaina can be restored.

This recording is part of Hui Mo‘olelo: Lahaina, our 2025–2026 gathering of richly detailed talk-story recordings created to inform future public artwork, support collective healing, and provide trusted, community-informed guidance for the Lahaina Memorial Project. Here, Haunani reflects on her transformative years as a student boarder at Lahainaluna High School, where daily life was defined by strict discipline, manual labor and communal responsibility. Her story captures a unique cultural landscape through vivid descriptions of school traditions and agricultural work that fostered a deep sense of alumni pride. Ultimately, Roback highlights the necessity of preserving these local histories, urging younger generations to learn from their elders to ensure the community’s legacy survives.

This recording is part of Hui Mo‘olelo: Lahaina, our 2025–2026 gathering of richly detailed talk-story recordings created to inform future public artwork, support collective healing, and provide trusted, community-informed guidance for the Lahaina Memorial Project. Here, Emmanuel Borromeo reflects on his transformative years as a student border at Lahainaluna High School during the mid-1990s. He describes a rigorous, military-like routine defined by manual labor on the school farm, where he developed a lifelong work ethic and deep sense of discipline while tending to the swine and crops. Beyond the chores and sports, Borromeo emphasizes the protective bubble of aloha provided by the Lahaina community, recounting fond memories of surfing with local families and the unique sensory details of the town before its recent tragedy. He advocates for a recovery led by local voices, warning that the future of Lahaina must be shaped by those who truly understand its culture rather than by external economic interests.

This recording is part of Hui Mo‘olelo: Lahaina, our 2025–2026 gathering of richly detailed talk-story recordings created to inform future public artwork, support collective healing, and provide trusted, community-informed guidance for the Lahaina Memorial Project. Here, public art administrator Kelly McHugh-White sits down with Lahaina native Rae Kahaialiʻi to reflect on the vision and responsibility of memorializing the devastating Maui wildfires. Grounded in an initial consultation with Nā Kūpuna o Lahaina, who have emphasized that the Memorial must be a place of remembering and not recreation, and must be led by the land and informed by direct engagement with families, the dialogue explores how a memorial can honor those who perished while acknowledging the unrecorded grief carried by the wider community. Together, they consider how a memorial might move beyond monumentality to become a space of humility, inclusion, and shared healing that resists division and supports Lahaina’s collective identity as the community shapes the next chapter of its history with care for future generations.

This talk-story is a contribution to Hui Mo‘olelo: Lahaina, a foundational archive supporting the town’s rebuild following the 2023 wildfires. These sessions serve as living resources of community knowledge, helping to ensure that Lahaina’s heritage and traditions directly inform future projects like the Lahaina Memorial, the Royal Complex, and the Commercial Core. Through nostalgic reflections on daily routines and shared local haunts, this group of friends defines the authentic spirit of aloha as a protective, interconnected culture that stands in contrast to modernization and displacement. By listening, you are engaging with the seeds of collective healing and future public art, ensuring the Lahaina of tomorrow remains rooted in the memories and resilience of its people. If these stories move you or spark a memory of your own, we invite you to be a part of this living history by visiting mauipublicart.org.

This conversation between Noelle Storer and her Papa, Cornelio Bancaco Jr., is a vital contribution to Hui Mo‘olelo: Lahaina. This collection of talk-story sessions serves as a living well of knowledge and intention, ensuring that the community’s shared heritage and favorite traditions directly inform the town’s future. The voices in this cohort, led by Kaliko Storer and guided by cultural practitioners, are a primary resource for the Lahaina Memorial Project. These recordings provide essential community-rooted insights that artists, planners, and decision-makers may use to design permanent County memorials and shape the long-term vision for the Royal Complex and Commercial Core. By listening, you are engaging with the seeds of future public art, planning and collective healing, ensuring that the Lahaina of tomorrow remains deeply rooted in the memories and hopes of those who have always called it home. If these stories move you or spark a memory of your own, we invite you to be a part of this living history. Please visit mauipublicart.org to learn more about the Hui Mo‘olelo program, view the evolving gallery of public art, and find out how you can contribute your own voice to the stories that will shape the future of Lahaina.

This conversation between Hokuani Delatori, Kanoelani Kenolio, and interviewer Noelle Storer is a vital contribution to Hui Mo‘olelo: Lahaina, a foundational archive supporting the town’s rebuild following the 2023 wildfires. These talk-story sessions serve as a living resource of community knowledge, helping to ensure that Lahaina’s heritage and traditions inform future projects like the Lahaina Memorial, the Royal Complex, the Commercial Core and countywide public art projects. Reflecting on a community-raised upbringing and deep geographical roots, the speakers issue a powerful plea for future generations to preserve Lahaina’s unique legacy against displacement. By listening, you are engaging with the seeds of collective healing and future public art, ensuring the Lahaina of tomorrow remains rooted in the hopes of its people. If these stories move you or spark a memory of your own, we invite you to be a part of this living history by visiting mauipublicart.org.

This conversation between Makalapua Kanuha Bancaco and Noelle Storer is a vital contribution to Hui Mo‘olelo: Lahaina, a foundational archive supporting the town’s rebuild following the 2023 wildfires. These talk-story sessions serve as a living resource of community knowledge, helping to ensure that Lahaina’s heritage and traditions inform future projects like the Lahaina Memorial, the Royal Complex, and the Commercial Core. Reflecting on Lahaina’s sacred history and plantation past, Bancaco offers a call to stewardship and urges the younger generation to remain rooted in their land and ancestral wisdom. By listening, you are engaging with the seeds of collective healing and future public art, ensuring the Lahaina of tomorrow remains rooted in the hopes of its people. If these stories move you or spark a memory of your own, we invite you to be a part of this living history by visiting mauipublicart.org.