How Traditional Hawaiian Food Is Playing a Key Role in Wildfire Recovery

The firestorm that engulfed Lahaina last year disrupted a whole way of life and led some to reflect on food, land and a future beyond tourism

In the aftermath of last summer’s catastrophic wildfire in West Maui, Miriam Keo began to question everything – from her well-paid union job at an upscale resort and the island’s reliance on tourism and food imports, to what role she, a Native Hawaiian, should play in rebuilding Lahaina. At the heart of much of this soul searching was the question of food (meaʻai) and land (Āina) – who controls it, and why it matters.

“My outlook changed during the pandemic, but the fire was the last straw for me … I don’t want to serve tourists any more. This isn’t what our ancestors would want,” said Keo, 40, who recently resigned from the hotel after 16 years to work at a composting company. “I want to be a better steward for my people and Āina. I want to show my kids that there’s an alternative to the corporate tourism we’ve been under for so long, and food is a big part of that.”

Keo was among 11,000 people displaced – and deeply traumatized – after the 8 August firestorm razed the historic town of Lahaina, killing 100 people.

The survivors, many of whom are struggling with a loss of income and food insecurity, are grateful to the Red Cross, the non-profit managing the emergency shelter program including the buffet meals served three times a day. But thousands of people are still stuck in hotels, eating the same set menu week after week with no comforting Hawaiian dishes like poi (starchy porridge) or luʻau (baked or steamed meat and fish wrapped in taro leaves) or even popular local dishes that reflect Maui’s cultural diversity such as pork and watercress soup. The strict rules forbidding food preparation and not being able to share a meal with loved ones have taken a physical and emotional toll.