My youngest brother Caleb has lived in Lahaina for 15 years. This is me and him at a Milky Chance concert a few months ago in Lewiston. (Isn’t he so handsome??!)
Every year I say that I’ll visit him on Maui and every year I don’t.
The first I heard of the fires in Lahaina was when I got a text from my mom last week. “Just heard from Caleb. The fires have taken everything in Lahaina. They have escaped with only their lives.”
I abandoned my bean chili on the kitchen counter and flipped open my Apple News app. Something in me broke open as I watched live footage of Lahaina burning.
I sat down on my kitchen floor and cried and cried.
I won’t ask you to support my brother and his family through their crisis—we’ve got him. But most Hawaiians don’t have off-island people they can call for support.
Today I’m asking you to support the Hawaiian people, from whom so much has already been taken.
<< This is the moment for every tourist or transplant who has ever been to Maui to open their wallets and donate. >>
Hawaii is an illegally occupied country and wildfires are just one of the ways colonization impacts the island and its inhabitants. If everyone who opened this email donated just $5, it would significantly impact the lives of many displaced families.
<< This is the moment for every business owner who has ever read a land acknowledgement to put your money where your mouth is. >>
Here are two campaigns I recommend:
- Kākoʻo Maui Match Donation Fund, a campaign by the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement
- ‘Āina Momona Emergency Fundraiser for Maui Fires
You can also check out this Maui Mutual Aid Guide or give directly to Hawaii families here.
Mahalo in advance.
Tarzan
