For people whose cultural traditions have been threatened by American colonization and the state's embrace of tourism and development, government help was never expected. Instead, the community has relied on itself.
Native Hawaiians organize Maui fire relief to Lahaina as government lags washingtonpost.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from washingtonpost.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
The boats kept coming. Each one was laden with supplies: generators, propane tanks, trash bags full of clothing and ready-to-eat meals. Scores of residents, led mostly by native Hawaiians, coordinated a large-scale disaster relief effort following the Maui fire.