Regarding the fires in Lāhainā, Maui: Context

/ aztec8888
Lakota Law

My name is Dov Korff-Korn and I’m the new staff attorney at Lakota Law. I write to you to both introduce myself and to provide some important context regarding the fires in Lāhainā, Maui. For the last two years I’ve worked closely with this organization as a volunteer law clerk, supporting a variety of projects. I recently joined full-time after graduating from law school and passing the bar exam. It has been a true privilege to be a part of this organization, and I’m excited for all that we can continue accomplishing together on behalf of Indigenous sovereignty and environmental justice.

One of the most formative experiences I’ve had in 10 years of work around Indigenous sovereignty was my time spent last year as a visiting student at the University of Hawaiʻi. The week we visited Maui to work with a team on water access for Native Hawaiian farmers and local residents, there was a large wildfire raging in the valley up in the hills behind Lāhainā. In my new blog post I share with you my reflections on that experience in light of the recent disastrous fires.

This image is from the time I spent in Lāhainā before the catastrophic fire. There was already a fire burning there at the time. Little did we realize what a foreshadowing it was.

The short story is this: the news will tell you that the fires were caused by high winds, a downed power line, and/or climate change. These factors may have contributed to the tragedy. However, the underlying truth is that more than a century of systematic exploitation by wealthy colonizing interests, armed with the greenlight from federal, state, and military agencies, set the stage for this devastation. As I delve into the dynamics of dispossession in my blog post, decades of water diversions drained Maui of its water, evaporating ecosystems and suppressing sovereignty. 

The Indigenous Peoples of Turtle Island are familiar with this marriage between wealthy interests and government. As was the case with the intentional slaughter of the Tatanka (buffalo) to drive the people of the Great Plains onto reservations against their will, greedy entities strike at the heart of Indigenous Peoples and their sovereignty by debilitating once-abundant natural ecosystems. The situation in Maui is no different. As Lāhainā starts out on a path of rebuilding, it is critical that we support our Kānaka Maoli relatives by ensuring that their voices are heard and their sovereignty is respected. Only that way can justice begin to be restored to Islands held sacred by so many. 

In Solidarity,
Dov Korff-Korn
Staff Attorney, Lakota Law

Lakota People’s Law Project
547 South 7th Street #149
Bismarck, ND 58504-5859

The Lakota People’s Law Project is part of the Romero Institute, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) law and policy center. All donations are tax-deductible.

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I read this and wanted to investigate more, here is what I found:

https://www.mauinuiahupuaaproject.com/ahupuaa

https://www.hawaiipublicradio.org/local-news/2023-08-17/lahaina-fires-reveal-ongoing-power-struggle-for-west-maui-water-rights

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/aug/27/maui-wildfire-water-plantations-ecology

Here are also the links to the information in the Lakota Law Project article. I think it is important to look at all questionable disasters as if viewing a crime scene; what is the context? what interests are in play? Calling it a conspiracy puts up a wall against asking questions. I now view the words conspiracy theorist as a sign that some truth is about to be discovered.

Main Website for Maui County: https://www.mauicounty.gov/Archive.aspx?AMID=121

Here are the minutes from the Commision June 15 meeting:

https://www.mauicounty.gov/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/30240

Here is the June Department of Water Reports:

https://www.mauicounty.gov/DocumentCenter/View/141875/41-Dept-Reports

> The July Agenda Notice is posted , but not the July Meeting Minutes

>The August 15 Meeting was canceled, so I was only able to find information up to June 2023

List of people unaccounted for as of 8/24/23 https://www.mauicounty.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=12763

Ref. ID:First Name:Last Name:
66LouiseAbihai
85JohnAeohuhu
106SethAlberico
107KaliaAlberico
125JenniferAlviar
126GenerosaAmakata (aka Chun)
132JuneAnbe
136ChristopherAnderson
155John (aka Juan)Arquero
156AdelinaArquero
166RolandoAvincula
172SamuelBack
173AngelicaBaclig
2702EllenBassford
192RevelinaBaybayan
202KenBeebe
207JulianBellin
213Johanna (aka Jopie)Bergman
214LuzBernabe
218JulieBernades
221DorothyBest
244LarryBotelho
276CharlieBoy
2703KarrolBritton
1949AkiliBryant
259JenniferBuasert
260AngelicaBuasert
264MauriceBuen
266Travis (aka Kawai)Bulawan
269BobBurgelhams
270DonaldBurgess
272DoveBurgmen
277AndyBurnt
278HadenBurt
280FlorinaCabales
295AdelinoCarbae
305CaresseCarson
306Buddy JoeCarter
308Mark WayneCarvalho
2787JoelCase
320ReneCastillo
322EdiomedeCastillo
332PoeravaCemigh
338CedrickChing
340LaniChow
342LilianChriste
347LizChun
352JaysonClarke
353ChrisClayton
355Patricia (aka Patsy)Clifford
368William K.Collins
369Christine DeloraCollins
372LydiaColoma
377SarahConnelly
381AllenConstantino
387StephenCooper
388RileyCopeland
392VanceCorpuz
398JordanCortinez
399RandyCosta
400DorothyCosta
405LilianaCoundrey
419RosemaryCummings
424StéphaneCuvelette
451Chris (aka CJ)Delacruz Jr.
452KrystalDelapinia (or Delapina)
2280JuanDeLion
456Jerry BethDemelo
461RuthDeodna
462DaveDeProsse
474KacieDias
475MarilouDias
481MitchellDombek
482MoisesDomingdil
496BusabaDouglas
507MauriceDuen
515RobbieDunn
519Joseph M. (aka Lil Joe)Durante Jr.
527HermanEdlao
532Jean (aka Jeanne)Eliason
535RobbieElliott
536James KimoElliott
547BarbaraEssman
549TimothyEsty
570TimmyFerguson
574BobFields
2660WilliamFink
581DavidFlading
602KalaniFrey
606KenyeroFuentes
613TanteGalang
634Phyliss (aka Penny)Garett
635MarkGarnaas
636CharlesGarrett
638Michael RayGarvin
639Michael CraigGatlin
644JunmarkGeovanie Villegas
647GaryGillette
666DavidGonzález
668MichaelGordon
669RebeccaGordon
677SidneyGreene
682RobinGross
701MichaelHammerschmidt
706AdamHanson
707Chase DanielHanson
708MorrisHaole
713Remy SelimHart
715Jay VaughnHartman
716AllenHashimoto
722ZachHawley
1947BillieHazel
1948ChrisHazel
726YazmineHeermance
742Arturo GonzalezHernandez
764MaureenHo
768LarryHogan
2777MarkHoshino
788HaydnHuntley
792StephenHyun
796PacitaIbanez
802FallenIldefonso
804RafaelImperial
809RichardIona
822WadeJacobsen
833ViaJay Vogt
841KaiJohn
843DonJohnson
848JasonJosefovicz
851LehuaKaahane
852JonKaaihue Jr.
853VirginiaKa’al
859Charlene KaiamaKahoe
860NormanKaiaokamalie
863MorrisKaita
864CrystalKalalau
865ElizabethKalalealea ShawReyes
866SharonKalani
869PatlynnKalauliIto
877GordonKamahika
879NormanKamaka
886JamesKanekoa
887JasonKaneshiro
888JohnKaniho
891MarshaKaoni
897Anne MarieKarlsen
898PaulKasprzycki
911MichaelKearns
918ConradKekoa Johnson
919LeanaKekoa Johnson
923LyndaKenney
924BarnabyKenney
927JohnKeohuhu
931BarbaraKerrbox
932JasonKhanna
933SueKidney
934MichaelKidney
935Gary (aka Duffy)Kiel
940MarkKing
941LuluKing
950SabreeKoch
952ImeeKoike
953HannahKoltz
966RonaldKristy
968MikeKushner
970JoyceKushner
971TheresaKuzianik
2711AliavuLa
2658MargieLaborte
975JarendLacuesta
979PatriciaLanphar
980RickLaoonetti
982JosephLara
984RicLarsen
989JosephLaura
996Rich Ha (Nina) ThiLe
998Bich Ha (Nina) ThiLe
1004TimLee
1005JimiLee
1007GailLeiby
1008JayLein
1014TonyLeon-Guerrero
2172DavidLewis
1025ColleenLiggett
1026SkyLiggett
1040MoraLohaina
1046NedLoomis
1044SabreeLopez
1045EduardoLopez
1052WendyLou Rose
1054SharonLoveland
1055KennethLoveland
1065JamesLusk
1066BibianaLutrania
1083MichaelMahnesmith
1087SabinaMakaiwi
1093MalouMallison
1094BarryMaloy (aka Malloy)
1098AlexManno
1100MaríaMansur La Valva
1108VaughnMariani
1113BradMarquez
1117Leroy (aka Le)Marsolek
1123ElizaMartinez Cota
1124JoelMartinez Cota
1125CarlosMartinez Cota
1126EmiliaMartinez Cota
1129BrianMasano
1131Tevita (aka Noa)Mataele
1132Douglas (aka Doug)Matsuda Boucher
1143HeidiMazur
1144JohnMcCarthy
1148Michael FrancisMcCartin
1149MichaelMcCartney
1155JamesMcDonald
1156Joseph (aka Joe)McKibben
1157Gerald (aka Jerry)McLain
1159Brandon ChaseMcLaughlin
1161HarryMcMeen
1162KellyMcMullen
1164EileenMedcev
1168CarterMejia
1175VisitacionMercado
1176AnnaMerva-Driscoll
1179FallenMiles
1181MichaelMisaka
1191Dwayne JoseMoore
1204JordanMoore
1193DonaldMoral
1194ChristopherMoral
215MichaelMorinho
1211JohnMosley
2565SeanMusko
1223KevinNacua
1231TimmyNakamoto
1234EdyngtonNaki
1235BenNamoa-Hanusa
1236AnayaNand
1239AngelaNee Thompson
1244Tammy JoNelson
1250LiannaNespor
1251Paterna (aka Patti)Neuse
1267DavidNuesca
1283Johnny (aka J.O.)Olson
1290Matsuyuki (aka Matsu)Osato
51BarbaraOsurman
1292JosephOwens
382Leticia (aka Letty or Lety)Padagas Constantino
1306KPagan
1309AlbertPagdilao
1312ValenciaPaige
1328DamonParrillo
1331NickPasion
1333PetiePaul
1340PabloPerez
1341AlisaPerez
1345MichaelPerreira
1349MarkPeterson
1354HerbertPhillips
1362VictorPolcano
2708Robert Lynne (aka Hank)Potter
1374BobbyPowers
2605BeverlyPowers
1384JaimieProfetta
1389FarrahPu
1392Gwendolyn (aka Kanani) Puou
1394Glenz QSabay
1396JunmarkQuijano
1397FelimonQuijano
1402Kathy (aka Cathy)Racela
1419Richard (aka Rick)Rashon
1421Alfred (aka Alfie)Rawlings
2780Santa MariaRaymond
1428JustinRecolizado
1429VictoriaRecolizado
1430EugeneRecolizado
1431KenRedstone
1432KawikaRegidor
1438Elisha JoyRemi Elloui
1439Sandra KeikoReyes
1446JamesRichardson
2779CatherineRichardson
1447TrevorRichmond
2173DaleRitcher
2790Jose LuisRoa
1475Raúl Alfonso ManceraRodriguez
1477ColinRogers
1479SundanceRoman
2284MidiraRosado
2726ReubenRosado
1489CathyRussell
1490KimberlyRussell (or Russel)
1491MikeRyan
1492Jay-areSabalo
1495DanSaenz
1497IsraelSagabaen
753ElvisSaint Hilaire
1512HokuSanchez
1514RubenSanchez
1517TerranceSantiago
1522EdwardSato (aka Katsumi)
1526IvanSaturno
1529JudySavage
1536VenusSchlauch
1539SusanSchow
1542SandySchultz
1551NoraSemillano
1562FredrickShaw
1563CaroleShaw
1567JoeShillings
1572KevinSiemon
1578Anthony (aka Tony)Simpson
1597NatalieSmith
1601MichaelSmith
2171SarinaSmith
1602DerekSmithson
1603PhilSneed
2785TiffanySolorzano-Nutter
1610NinoskaSomers
1614RebeccaSpague
1615LauraSparkman
1616GracieSparkman
1617LynnSpeakes
1619GabiSpetler
1626JanetSt. Claire
1627Floyd A.St. Claire
1641AliaSteinbeck
1644KeithSternberg
1646SherryStevens
2278Elmer LeeStevens
1656JeffSullivan
1658MelissaSumeme
1661MatthewSwift
1675VirginiaTalacio
1690HollyTasin
1697SummerTaylor
1698AnnieTaylor Vance
1702HenryTelles
1711TerriThomas
1716MaiThuy
1723EvangelineTiu
1732TalatiTofa
1733MickToko
1735TerryTomas
1738Rebeng (aka Revelina)Tomboc
1739BibianaTomboc Acosta
849Richard JosephTrevino
1763JayzenTumamao
1765TongoTupou
1766NickTurbin
1773DaxUnderwood
1776KaimanaUnknown
1781ReneeVachow
1784LindaVaikeli
1786SoniVainikolo
1804PatrickVasquez
1815AdelaVellejas
1821RosselVentura
1825CoreyVierra
1829AdelaVillegas
1830JoelVillegas
1831AngelicaVillegas
1836AlexanderVilliarimo
1843LeroyWagner
1846AndrewWagner
1855RobynWalters
1856AnnetteWard
1860Malama K.Watson
1866WarrenWaukee
1867BrianWeiss
1872ConnorWentworth
1873RebeccaWentworth
1874SandraWert
1876JerryWert
1881T.K.White
1891DeeWilke
1902MichelleWinkler
1908JosephineWittenburg
1909PeterWood
1910IncaWood
1914WayneWorthington Jr.
1917DonnaWright
1920Dylan JamesXander
1921GlendaYabes
1936DarinYoung
1937JaysonYoung
1940RhondaYoung Holde
1941MariYounger

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