After Hawaii fires scorch historic church and school, Lahaina mourns loss of culture

As Hawaii’s island of Maui continues to fight wildfires that have killed at least 53 people, residents of the devastated town of Lahaina are mourning the loss of nearly all their cultural institutions. Among them, a 200-year-old church, which Native Hawaiians say has been a mainstay in their community for centuries.

“It was a gathering place, it was a staple of Lahaina,” said Kūhiō Lewis, CEO of the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement. “Like when you think of Seattle, you think of the Space Needle. In Lahaina, it was that church.”