Hui Mo‘olelo

Here, Leilani Patao connects with Kevin Sur—a Kanaka Maoli musician and host of Sounds of Survivance—to explore Native Hawaiian identity across the diaspora. Moving beyond tourist stereotypes to focus on the reality of decolonization, Sur shares his journey from feeling like an "endangered species" to building a global platform for Indigenous solidarity. Together, they discuss breaking free from "impostor syndrome," finding connection outside ancestral lands, and why any art created by a Native person is an act of cultural survival and healing.
About the Hui Moʻolelo Cohort This recording is part of the 9th Hui Moʻolelo cohort (HM9), an NYU-based, trauma-informed initiative bringing together storytellers with ties to Hawaiʻi and Indigenous Pacific communities. The project preserves intergenerational talk-story in public archives, ensuring the diaspora has a direct voice in the long-term rebuilding of Lāhainā.
For Leilani, these conversations serve a dual purpose: gathering community values to inform the permanent Lāhainā Memorial and serving as creative inspiration. As an "artist-as-vessel," Leilani will translate stories from the Lāhainā archive into an original musical composition (mele), performing live at the NYU Lāhainā Think Space on September 18, 2026.

In this recording gathered by Kekaulaiwi (Biggy) Farm as part of the NYC-based 9th Hui Moʻolelo cohort (HM9), Aunty Moani shares a deeply personal narrative bridging her childhood on Oʻahu, four decades in California, and her eventual return to Maui. She reflects on the ancestral values instilled by her father, introducing the concept of puka—searching through diverse life experiences to uncover spiritual lessons—and recalls her strong intuition regarding the survival of the Lāhainā banyan tree following the 2023 fires. Preserved as part of an intergenerational effort to give the Hawaiian diaspora a direct voice in the 20-year rebuilding of Lāhainā, Aunty Moani’s talk-story serves as a vital community fingerprint that will inform the permanent Lāhainā Memorial and inspire dynamic artistic interpretations at the NYU Lāhainā Think Space activation on September 18, 2026.
 

In this rich intergenerational recording gathered by Māhealani (Claire) as part of the East Coast-based 9th Hui Moʻolelo cohort (HM9)—her grandparents, Calvin and Davida Sambrano, share their lived experiences of plantation-era Maui. Contrasting modern community challenges with a past rooted in ethnic cooperation and open-door trust, they recall the grueling labor of the sugar fields and the deep bonds of aloha forged among families of diverse backgrounds. Preserved to ensure the Hawaiian diaspora has a direct "voice and a vote" in Lāhainā’s 20-year rebuilding process, this conversation acts as a crucial community fingerprint that will inform the permanent Lāhainā Memorial RFP and inspire artistic interpretations at the NYU Lāhainā Think Space on September 18, 2026, advancing the Sambranos' vision of a future Lāhainā that honors its multicultural heritage with dignity and educational spaces for all.
 

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 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, Lahaina Intermediate School student Emma Patao sits with Sharise to reflect on her life in Lahaina, describing a profoundly connected community defined by its safety and multi-generational roots. She highlights the transition from a lush, green landscape once dominated by sugar plantations to a modern environment that has become increasingly arid and vulnerable. The narrative emphasizes the importance of family landmarks while celebrating a childhood of freedom where the town's geography felt like an extension of the home. Sharise characterizes Lahaina's identity through its unwavering spirit of aloha, portraying a culture that remains generous and welcoming despite the challenges of tourism and environmental change.