Abstract
The paper analyzes self-organization as it manifested in the community-wide holistic healing process in the aftermath of wildfires in Maui that decimated the entire town of Lahaina, claimed 115 people’s lives, destroyed 2,000 homes, and displaced over 7,000 people. Through ethnographic methods, statistical data, historical contextualization and the scientific theory of self-organization, the paper focuses on the spontaneous grassroots self-organization by the survivors and community members, supported by an influx of intra-island and inter-island supplies and manpower, which produced five service hubs in West Maui and one in Kahului. The range of services at the hubs reflects the orientation of holistic healing: the provision of no-cost medical assistance, massage therapy, mental health counselling, groceries, meals, household supplies, programs for children, etc. all based on volunteer labor. Each hub is led by Kanaka Maoli (Native Hawaiians) and adheres to the foundational cultural values of the land. While the main ethnographical data (participant observation and interviews) is concentrated in one of the service hubs where the author also worked as a volunteer, the comparison with other sites is incorporated for analyzing common themes and uniqueness. Fundamentally, the paper aims to elucidate the complexity that facilitated the organic alignment of community-based governance and holistic healing in the context of post-disaster reconstruction of the community.
Presenters
Masahide T. KatoAssociate Professor, Social Sciences, University of Hawai'i at West O'ahu, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
Health Promotion and Education
KEYWORDS
Post-Disaster Recovery, Community-based Holistic Healing, Self-Organization, Indigenous Cultural Values
