Letter from Aunty Nettie
Welina mai me ke aloha! My name is Aunty Nettie and I am the Po’o (Executive Director) of Nā Kia’i O Maui, a boots-on-ground, people powered nonprofit that was founded in the early hours of August 9th to provide compassionate support to fire survivors rooted in our shared values of ‘ohana and aloha.
No Nā Kānaka, meaning for the people, is a movement founded on the belief that the people of Lahaina can rebuild Lahaina. Every decision we make, everything we do, every thought, word, or deed must be fueled by only this—our deep and unwavering love for the people and our belief in their inherent and collective power to be the navigators of their own destinies.
We know that healing our land and people will take many years, perhaps even generations, and we acknowledge that the immense challenges we face today have been generations in the making. Nā Kia’i O Maui is committed to the long road ahead and we wholeheartedly embrace our kuleana to this work. I would like to invite you to join us on this journey.
Let us amplify all voices no nā kānaka to ensure that no one is forgotten and every single person, every family, every neighborhood is held lovingly in our collective embrace for as long as it takes to restore complete health, wholeness, and well-being for all.
Me ka mahalo,
Aunty Nettie Aquino
Po’o, Nā Kia’i O Maui
Rooted in Lahaina
Born on Maui and raised near Waiola Church in Lahaina, Aunty Nettie grew up deeply connected to her ‘ohana and her ancestral home.
Aunty Kahili’s Youngest Daughter
For a quarter of a century, her mother, Emelia Kahili (Momona) Kaina, known affectionately as “Aunty Kahili,” was the konohiki (translation) for the royal tomb of Kalanikauika’alaneookeopuolani, the sacred wife of Kamehameha nui and the mother of his heirs Kamehameha II and Kamehameha III as well as Princess Nāhi‘ena‘ena.
Aunty Kahili was known as a genealogist, a keeper of knowledge, and an advocate for Hawaiian culture. She co-founded the Friends of Keopuolani with Lydia Poaipuni in 1972 to restore the royal tomb and ensure it would be cared for by the next generation while grooming her daughters for this kuleana.
Aunty Nettie’s father, Benjamin Jayme Aquino, the oldest of 13, worked for the county parks caring for Malu’ulu o Lele Park and then Lahaina’s iconic Banyan tree.
Kuleana Passed On
At only 17 years of age, this young wahine lost her mom and her world goes dark. She was raised to be independent and knows she must not burden her relatives so she leaves Lahaina and her family home to make her way in the world. She carries with her the kuleana passed on to her and her twin sister—to protect and honor the royal tomb of Keopuolani and Princess Nāhi‘ena‘ena—and in her heart she know that she will return to Lahaina when the time is right.
As this young wahine grows up, she becomes the kia’i for Mauna Haleakalā, protecting this sacred wao akua and leading sunrise ceremonies.
NKOM is Born
After almost 40 years away from Lahaina, she watches with Maui and the world as her beloved hometown and Waiola church are taken by flames, yet the cemetery remains untouched. She doesn’t consider her own loss but can only think of the people that just lost so much.
She shows up at the War Memorial fueled by a deep love for the people rooted in generations of stewardship. She organizes Da Hui to provide compassionate care for survivors.
She has come home, young and old alike call her “Aunty Nettie.”