Hui of Native Hawaiian Organizations pledge to collaborate in the next phases of West Maui cleanup

Hoʻōla Maui is a coalition of Native Hawaiian Organizations, along with other Hawaiʻi businesses and organizations that are actively collaborating to ensure the clean-p of the burn zones on Maui is efficient and thorough for the affected community. This view of Lahaina was taken on Oct. 2, 2023. PHOTO BY HOʻŌLA MAUI.
LAHAINA — A coalition of Native Hawaiian Organizations (NHOs) announced their commitment to Hoʻōla Maui — a pledge to dedicate their technical expertise and organizational capacity to the cleanup effort, under a commitment of shared values, in service of the people of Maui.
“As Native Hawaiian Organizations that are controlled by Native Hawaiians who have innate connections to Hawaiʻi, we are committed to using our world-class capabilities to serve our community in this unprecedented disaster,” said Cariann Ah Loo, Nakupuna Foundation chair and Native Hawaiian Organization Association (NHOA) president.
“As Hawaiians, we have kuleana to the Maui community, and as world-class companies, we have both the technical expertise and the deep understanding, in our naʻau, of the tasks ahead. As both the chairperson of an NHO and the NHOA president, I am proud to represent and stand with the NHOs committed to hiring and utilizing Maui-based resources and reinvesting profits from this effort back into the Maui community.”
The announcement comes as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers prepares to initiate the next phase of the recovery from the devastating August wildfires on Maui. This phase will follow the major environmental hazard removal nearly completed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
The scope of the new contract includes: Hazard Site Assessments (HSA) and loading and hauling of Household Hazardous Materials (HHM) and Bulk Asbestos Materials (BAM) within fire-impacted areas in Maui County.
Hoʻōla Maui NHO partners will engage together in the effort, bringing their combined experience with large-scale federal contracts and professional expertise to support the people of Maui in this critical work.
A Hoʻōla Maui partner, the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement (CNHA), is aggregating job portals and providing logistical support for job applicants. Interested applicants are invited to visit CNHA’s Hoʻōla Maui jobs portal to review position descriptions and apply, or visit CNHA’s Kāko’o Maui office at Maui Mall to utilize computer portals to submit digital applications, access additional services and learn about training opportunities.
“It’s so important to get Lahaina residents back to Lahaina, and it would mean a lot to me to have the opportunity to be a part of [the clean-up effort]. A lot of people have lost their businesses, their paths in life, everything they own. Hiring Maui people is a way we can help the community get back on track,” said Shane Haas, Maui resident and Hoʻōla Maui job applicant.
As Maui works through the aftermath of the worst natural disasters ever to impact this community, many thousands of residents have suffered irreversible impacts that may take years to heal. Hoʻōla Maui believes the effort to remediate, restore, rebuild and re-envision a new future will require kōkua from all those who have the ability to contribute, and must center the needs and perspectives of the Maui community in all decisions and actions along the way.
Community members interested in receiving updates and news stories from Hoʻōla Maui about the progress of the cleanup can sign up to receive e-mail newsletters at www.hoolamaui.com or follow @hoolamaui on Facebook and Instagram.
Member NHO companies include DAWSON; Nakupuna Companies; Alakaʻina Foundation Family of Companies; The Hawaiʻi Pacific Foundation; Kinai ʻEha; Namauʻu Technological & Industrial; Makai, a Kekoa Company; Mālama Kai Technologies; and Krilla Kaleiwahea.
Hoʻōla Maui partners include The Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement; Enterprise; Hawaiʻi News Now; Hawaiian Airlines; International Longshore & Warehouse Union; Kaiser Permanente; Native Hawaiian Organization Association; and Westin Kaʻanapali.
To join Hoʻōla Maui in its work, or to learn more about the progress underway, visit www.hoolamaui.com.