Abstract
The paper analyzes the role of community-based disaster recovery efforts in the community-wide holistic healing process in the aftermath of wildfires in Maui that decimated the entire town of Lahaina, claimed 115 people’s lives, destroyed 2,000 homes, and displaced over 7,000 people. Through ethnographic methods, statistical data, and historical contextualization, special attention be paid to the spontaneous grassroots self-organization by the survivors and local community organizations, supported by an influx of intra-island and inter-island donations and human resources, which produced five service hubs in West Maui and one in Central Maui. The range of services for the displaced people at the hubs reflects the orientation towards holistic healing and trauma recovery: the provision of no-cost medical services, traditional medicine and healing, mental health counseling, groceries, meals, household supplies, programs for children, etc. all based on volunteer labor. Each hub is led by Kanaka Maoli (Native Hawaiians) and adheres to the foundational cultural values of the land. The consensus-based decision-making at each hub and the lateral coordination between programs and hubs demonstrate the community’s commitment to deep democracy as a vital part of the collective healing process. Accordingly, the research delves into the interplay of multiple factors that have facilitated the organic alignment of community-based governance and holistic healing in post-disaster recovery. Furthermore, the findings are compared with other research on community governance and holistic healing in both indigenous and non-indigenous settings to identify the common themes and features unique to the Maui community.
Presenters
Masahide T. KatoAssociate Professor, Social Sciences, University of Hawai'i at West O'ahu, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
2024 Special Focus—Health for Democracy, Democracy for Health
KEYWORDS
Self-organization, Holistic Healing, Indigenous Cultural Values, Trauma Recovery, Post-disaster Relief
