海角大神

In Hawaii, everyone knows where they were on Aug. 8, 2023, when fires raced down the hills and devoured Lahaina town on Maui.

At least 100 people听were killed and 12,000 displaced听in the deadliest U.S. fire in over a century. The past year has been hard, and events this week honor those who died as well as the community鈥檚 remarkable resilience, symbolized in the green leaves of the town鈥檚 scorched historic banyan tree.

Along with commemoration, a question of Lahaina鈥檚 identity has emerged: What should be the future of this picturesque harbor town,听which has seen its own transformation from capital听of the Hawaiian Kingdom, to whaling mecca, to plantation lands, and finally to tourist center and economic driver of Maui?

An answer might come from a surprising place 鈥� the neighboring island of Molokai.

Across the Pailolo Channel, the mountains of Molokai are visible from Lahaina. After all, it鈥檚 only a 30-minute boat ride away. The cousin islands share history, families, and culture. Yet Maui is built largely on tourism, while Molokai is mostly agrarian, with far fewer people. On this, the least developed of the Hawaiian Islands, you can still identify everyone by the car they drive. There are no high-rise buildings, no freeways, no traffic lights.

Now, the shock of devastation on Maui has caused many residents to rigorously investigate questions about tourism, economics, and identity that have been tested on Molokai for years.

The difference in tourism between these two islands is enormous.听In June,听216,065 visitors came to Maui, while a听mere 2,478 visited Molokai, according to Hawaii鈥檚 Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism. Cattle ranching and pineapple cultivation were long-time businesses on Molokai, with small-scale farming becoming increasingly prevalent today. Many Molokai residents follow Indigenous subsistence practices 鈥� hunting, fishing, gathering 鈥� which supply about a third of the food.

It鈥檚 a lifestyle closely tied to land and ocean. Nearly half the population lives below the federal poverty line.听

鈥淲e鈥檝e always marched to our own drum,鈥� explained Malia Akutagawa, who is from Molokai听and is an associate professor of law and Hawaiian studies at the University of Hawaii, in an interview听last year. 鈥淲e never prioritized tourism. People thought we were backwards, but we just wanted something different.鈥�

Molokai has the highest percentage of residents of Native Hawaiian ancestry in the state 鈥� more than 60%. Over the decades, this population has vigorously resisted the development of tourism on the island, thwarting the expansion efforts of Molokai Ranch, once the island鈥檚 largest employer. In 2008, the resort, owned by a Hong Kong investment group, shuttered its hotels, restaurants, movie theater, and golf course.听

鈥淢olokai has humbly been a showcase for what it means to be a Hawaiian community attempting to be healthy,鈥澨齟xplains听Todd Yamashita. Mr. Yamashita, who was born and raised on Molokai, is the co-owner of the听local听solar energy company听Sun Farmers, as well as the former president of Hoahu Energy Cooperative Molokai.

Mr. Yamashita听calls this a time of 鈥渉uge transition鈥� for Hawaii as a whole,听where living by the values of sustainability and self-reliance could take precedence over tourism. His solar company primarily services Native Hawaiian families who have not had access to reliable electricity.

鈥淚 have no other choice but to live by my values,鈥� he听says.听鈥淚 would put my life on the line for this island.鈥澨�

Now, it seems as if Lahaina is interested in following that example by dialing down tourism.

This summer, a proposal to eliminate more than 7,000 short-term rentals on Maui was passed by the Maui and Molokai planning commissions. The proposal aims to free up rentals that serve predominantly tourists so that the housing can become available for residents.听

鈥淲e simply cannot continue to prioritize offshore investments over the needs of our people,鈥� said Richard Bissen, mayor of the County of Maui, which includes Molokai, at the commission hearing July 10.听听

Following the August fires, housing costs on Maui hiked to extraordinary levels. Single bedroom apartments went from $1,800 to $2,500, as an already limited housing stock became nearly impossible to find postfire. Meanwhile, thousands were still living in Federal Emergency Management Agency-funded rooms at the Kaanapali beach resorts.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a slow-moving disaster,鈥澨齭ays听Autumn Ness, executive director of the newly founded nonprofit Lahaina Community Land Trust, which seeks to 鈥渒eep Lahaina lands in Lahaina hands.鈥� She points to disturbing trends before the fire 鈥撎齩vertourism, real estate wealth, and the trend toward short-term rentals 鈥� as overrunning residents.

The trust is working to help displaced Lahaina residents 鈥渟tay home,鈥澨齅s. Ness听explains, by offering them financial help to rebuild their properties, or by buying the property directly.

鈥淲e keep that land in Lahaina hands forever,鈥� she says. 鈥淲e鈥檙e almost leveraging our fire relief effort to correct a problem that was prefire, which is the displacement of Lahaina residents by economic forces.鈥�

The Lahaina trust has been working with Molokai Heritage Trust, which is currently trying to acquire Molokai Ranch 鈥� one of the largest landowners in the state. 鈥淲e鈥檙e not reinventing the wheel,鈥� says Ms. Ness. 鈥淲e鈥檙e learning from them.鈥�

While organizations push for a new tourism balance on Maui, local businesses that rely on tourism are being forced to navigate a changing scene. Tourism still hasn鈥檛 recovered. The most recent state data shows that overall visitor spending on Maui听dropped 27% in May compared with the same time last year. The number of visitors also declined 鈥� by 25%.听听

David Jung, owner of the Lahaina Cruise Company, is still unable to operate his business out of Lahaina harbor, and has had to let go 30 employees. Mr. Jung lost his home and close friends in the Aug. 8 fire. Now, he鈥檚 living on Oahu, waiting to restart on Maui.

This month, the state government, County of Maui, Hawaiian Electric, and other defendants agreed to a $4 billion settlement for victims of the fires. It addresses hundreds of lawsuits filed by individuals, businesses, and insurance companies.

鈥淭he tourists didn鈥檛 start the fire,鈥澨齭ays听Mr. Jung, arguing that the tourism industry is being unfairly blamed. It鈥檚 government officials who have the express responsibility of protecting the people, he says. 鈥淲e should blame ourselves鈥� for electing them.听

Mr. Jung cautions against listening to just the loudest voices who are calling for less tourism.

The adjustment to a culture that鈥檚 less dependent on tourism can be tough financially, as residents of Molokai can attest. Clare and Gordon Albino have run Molokai Outdoors for 25 years, seeing firsthand the decline of tourism. It鈥檚 been a tough year for them fiscally, and they鈥檝e shrunk their payroll from 10 employees down to one.

But the feast or famine business model is just a reality on Molokai. 鈥淚f we make it to November, we could be hiring,鈥� says Ms. Albino.

Ultimately, the couple view their work as more than a job in the tourism industry.听

鈥淲e鈥檙e here to educate the visitors on what Molokai is all about,鈥� says Ms. Albino. 鈥淚t鈥檚 really important to find that balance.鈥澨�