Reconnecting with Lāhaināʻs history to build its future

HONOLULU (KHON2) - History shares that Maui was once the capital island, that it was here at the Pali Lookout where King Kamehameha conquered Oʻahu which was under Maui control at the time, and that Kamehameha himself connects back to Maui.  

But as much as history shares, what does history teach?  

One year after the devastating fire, Lāhainā is figuring that out as they rebuild.

Long before the whaling town and tourism hot spot as its more commonly known as, Lāhainā was known as Malu ʻUlu o Lele, the “shaded breadfruit grove of Lele.”

The abundance of agriculture and freshwater had sustained a population much larger than that in recent history.

“You know, Lāhainā was once the primary melting pot where everything commenced, especially when we talk about the capital Kingdom of Hawaiʻi, the constitutional monarchy that actually started here in Lāhainā,” says Keʻeaumoku Kapu of Nā ʻAikāne o Maui.

In 1962, nine different properties of importance were identified by the National Parks Service, including the Baldwin House, Hale Aloha, and the Courthouse.

“So, when yo...