How traditional Hawaiian food is playing a key role in wildfire recovery

The firestorm that engulfed Lahaina last year disrupted a whole way of life and led some to reflect on food, land and a future beyond tourism

In the aftermath of last summer's catastrophic wildfire in West Maui, Miriam Keo began to question everything - from her well-paid union job at an upscale resort and the island's reliance on tourism and food imports, to what role she, a Native Hawaiian, should play in rebuilding Lahaina. At the heart of much of this soul searching was the question of food (meaai) and land (ina) - who controls it, and why it matters.

My outlook changed during the pandemic, but the fire was the last straw for me ... I don't want to serve tourists any more. This isn't what our ancestors would want," said Keo, 40, who recently resigned from the hotel after 16 years to work at a composting company. I want to be a better steward for my people and ina. I want to show my kids that there's an alternative to the corporate tourism we've been under for so long, and food is a big part of that."