Bidens to tour Lahaina as residents remain frustrated

LAHAINA >> President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden on Monday plan to tour what fire evacuees call “ground zero” in a visit that will keep global attention on the Aug. 8 Lahaina wildfire and its aftermath, while demonstrating an ongoing commitment from the White House and the federal government.

But a warm welcome may not be assured for Biden in some circles on Maui, where the head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency on Saturday acknowledged frustrations from some fire survivors applying for FEMA aid.

Some evacuees cannot have their applications processed because all of their government IDs were burned, FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell told reporters Saturday during a conference call. And last week, Criswell said she met a family of 35 in Lahaina but only one name was on the lease, making it difficult for the others to be approved for aid.

FEMA has made changes in the last two years to address both situations, but Criswell emphasized that everyone applying for FEMA aid has unique situations that require patience as they navigate the application process.

And then there are online conspiracy theories, particularly from some who claim to be Native Hawaiians who are urging fire evacuees not to sign up for federal assistance they’re entitled to, alleging they’ll be victims of a government attempt to take what’s left of their land.

Keith Turi, FEMA’s deputy associate administrator for response and recovery, pushed back last week against social media posts urging Lahaina residents not to trust FEMA relief efforts for fear they could lose their properties.

“Applying for FEMA assistance does not give FEMA any authority or ownership over anyone’s property,” Turi said in a media conference call. “It does not commit any change in ownership or otherwise impact the ownership of property. FEMA assistance is there to support survivors with their immediate needs, with their personal property, with their housing repairs. We encourage all survivors to register for assistance.

“We are committed to respecting the deep cultural roots of the community and having resources available in multiple languages,” he said. “We are working hard to make sure that we can combat any misinformation that might be out there on this point, and make sure that it’s crystal clear that there is no risk to your property or to your ownership if you register with FEMA.”

And, yet, the online campaigns continue.

Frustrations with FEMA only add fuel to generations of “this apprehension, this distrust that is based on Native Hawaiian grievances,” said state Sen. Angus McKelvey (D, West Maui-Maalaea-South Maui), whose three-bedroom condo on Limahana Place in Lahaina was destroyed by fire.

State Sen. Jarrett Keohokalole (D, Kaneohe-­Kailua), co-chairs the Legislature’s Native Hawaiian Caucus and cautioned fire evacuees — especially Native Hawaiians — to ignore efforts on Facebook discouraging them from applying for FEMA aid.

It’s similar to the anti-vaccination campaigns directed at Native Hawaiians during the COVID-19 pandemic, he said.

“It’s obviously very concerning,” Keohokalole said. “People are vulnerable and misinformation can take off quickly and people can take advantage of it. Especially on social media, content has intention.”

Urging fire victims not to apply for what is expected to total tens of billions of dollars in federal aid follows failed promises for Native Hawaiians, Keohokalole said, such as the inability of the state Department of Hawaiian Home Lands to fulfill its obligation to build homes for the remaining 28,700 Native Hawaiians on the wait list — and the lack of meaningful action since then-President Bill Clinton signed legislation in 1993 apologizing for the illegal overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom 100 years earlier.

“They’re trying to tap into that anger and frustration and stress,” Keohokalole said. “Misinformation can take off quickly, especially on social media where there’s this vein of anti-establishment. It’s the theme of a lot of folks in the community that are suspicious of mainstream information. It’s group think directed by misinformation, misinformation that’s predatory and spread by these disaster capitalists who are trying to take advantage.”

June Shipei, 79, traces her lineage to Hawaiian-Chinese descent and has applied for federal and state aid. She wants to rebuild the three-bedroom, two bath house on Komo Mai Street that she lost on Aug. 8.

Shipei was born and raised in Lahaina and wants to move back into a new home when the time comes, with the help of any government aid she can get.

Asked if she considered the online admonitions to avoid applying for government help, Shipei’s daughter — Mokihana Gushi — said, “there’s a lot of rumors out there.”

Ke‘eaumoku Kapu, a Lahaina community leader, ran the Na ‘Aikane o Maui Cultural Center before it was destroyed in the fire.

He has served on boards and commissions for years, but a younger generation of Hawaiians — like his three adult children — want progress to come faster.

“There was hope once upon a time,” he said. “Now the tensions are high. The next generation, my kids’ generation, are getting agitated: ‘We gotta make some noise.’”

An Associated Press reporter at a Wednesday news conference asked about “mistrust” of government in general spreading across social media, leading to a testy exchange between the reporter and Gov. Josh Green and Maui Mayor Richard Bissen.

“Doing reporting through social media is idiotic,” Green told the AP and the rest of the mainland and international media squeezed into the room. “Doing reporting in person is intelligent. You have people who are predators on social media, we know that for a fact. You have people who want to spread negativity.

“Please do not rely on people who fancy themselves as influencers,” Green said. “The word influencer right off the bat suggests that they want to influence you in a position which will increase the clicks on their social media sites that will increase their popularity, making it about them. Nothing could be more disgusting than that if we’re going to deal with a crisis.”

Bissen then followed Green by saying, “I can’t answer why people don’t trust people. … The reason you should trust us is because this is our home. The reason you should trust is because we’re the ones who suffered the loss. That’s why you should trust us.”

On Monday, the Bidens are scheduled to depart Lake Tahoe, Nev., for Maui, where they will meet with federal, state and local leaders, talk to survivors and thank first responders, according to the White House.

They’ll see the devastation directly and discuss Lahaina’s recovery effort.

While on the ground in Lahaina, state Rep. Elle Cochran, (D, Waihee-Lahaina- Lahainaluna), hopes the Biden visit does not cause too much of a disruption for a community in mourning and trying to restore service.

She has not heard anyone tell her “firsthand” that evacuees should not apply for FEMA aid, but said such sentiments follow years of “deep-seated fear.”

“All Hawaiian people since the overthrow have had that mistrust of others coming in,” Cochran said. “… Overall FEMA’s here’s to help.”

Keohokalole wants the president’s visit and message of support to counter online efforts to discourage evacuees from seeking assistance.

“I hope it sends a message to the West Maui community who feel they haven’t been given enough attention that they are a priority and we are trying to get them what they need.”

Some survivors may believe they are not being treated with aloha by FEMA workers sent to Hawaii, McKelvey said.

“There’s a lot of rage, anger, frustration right now, especially toward FEMA,” he said. “I hope he (Biden) promotes a message of healing.”