Haunani Tolentino Roback & Kaliko Storer of Lahaina

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.