Instead of organizing another Maui circle-island torch march this year, a grass-roots group is holding sit-down meetings in a dozen districts to talk story with people who know the areas as well as to update a Maui map with original place names.
The march, which was called E Ka'apuni A Ho'a Kukui Na Moku'aina and spearheaded by several community groups, including community elders, was held last makahiki season (this past February), said U'ilani Kapu, one of the members.
Since it is makahiki season again, Kapu said they were receiving many calls asking if they planned to march again.
(Makahiki is a Hawaiian festival lasting about four months with sports and religious festivities and a taboo on war, according to "Hawaiian Dictionary" by Mary Kawena Pukui and Samuel H. Elbert.)
Instead of the march, there will be meetings to talk about issues, something that couldn't be done while marching.
Kapu said that at the community meetings there will be a PowerPoint presentation and discussion of what was learned at the last march. And people will be invited to discuss what concerns them in their districts as well.
Kapu said the group will also gather names of those in each district who would like to be contacted about events and issues that arise, such as projects or agriculture issues.
The issues don't have to be related particularly to Native Hawaiians, and people of all backgrounds are invited to take part in the community meetings, she said.
"If you live there, that's your kuleana (responsibility)," she said.
The group is seeking to obtain all the original names of districts, subdistricts and land features such as gulches.
Kapu said they found out during the march that names were missing from the map.
The district meetings have already been held in West Maui. The next meeting is scheduled for the Wailuku district on Dec. 6 in Waihee.
The meetings will be held in the order of the districts visited during the march. The 12 districts were: Lahaina, Kaanapali, Wailuku, Hamakuapoko, Hamakualoa, Koolau, Hana, Kipahulu, Kaupo, Kahikinui, Honuaula and Kula.
Over several days in February, marchers visited and paid respects to individuals and ohana of districts.
Kapu said it has been difficult to find meeting locations across the island. She said the group has yet to firm up a schedule of meeting times and locations and will announce them later. Sundays are their preferred days to meet.
For more information, call Kapu at 250-1479.
* Melissa Tanji can be reached at mtanji@mauinews.com.
