Day 1 intervention centers Indigenous leadership, displacement, and human rights in the wake of Lahaina wildfire
New York, NY — The Nation of Hawai‘i delegation opened its participation at the 25th Session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) with a powerful intervention grounded in the lived realities of Lahaina and the broader Hawaiian Islands.
Speaking under Agenda Item 3, focused on Indigenous health in the context of conflict, Native Hawaiian representative Paele Kiakona delivered a direct message to the international community: what happened in Lahaina is not an isolated disaster, but the result of long-standing systemic conditions tied to the ongoing occupation of Hawai‘i.
“I stand before you as a native representative of an occupied sovereign nation whose overthrow in 1893 remains unremedied under international law,” Kiakona stated, grounding the intervention in Hawai‘i’s unresolved political status.
The August 2023 Lahaina wildfire, which claimed over 100 lives and displaced more than 13,000 people, was presented as a defining moment — one that exposed deep vulnerabilities created by decades of land mismanagement, resource diversion, and decision-making that excludes Indigenous leadership.
While Lahaina served as the focal point, the intervention made clear that these conditions extend across the islands. Recent extreme flooding events and ongoing environmental pressures were cited as further evidence of a system that has transformed Hawai‘i’s once-resilient landscape into one increasingly fragile and prone to disaster.
“In both cases of flood and fire, we were left to fend for ourselves,” Kiakona shared, highlighting the failures of existing systems and the burden placed on local communities to respond and recover.
Despite these conditions, the intervention emphasized the strength and resilience of the Hawaiian people — communities organizing from the ground up, caring for one another, and asserting their right to lead recovery and restoration efforts.
Central to the message was a call for Indigenous self-determination in rebuilding Lahaina and beyond, grounded in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), including the right to maintain spiritual relationships with land and the requirement for free, prior, and informed consent.
The Nation of Hawai‘i delegation issued a clear set of recommendations to the United Nations, including:
- An international investigation into the human rights and health impacts of the Lahaina fires and their aftermath
- Ensuring that rebuilding efforts are Indigenous-led and aligned with UNDRIP principles
- Recognition of the ongoing displacement of Native Hawaiians as a violation of international human rights law
The delegation also extended a formal invitation to the UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Dr. Albert K. Barume, to conduct an official visit to Hawai‘i.
Closing the intervention, Kiakona framed Lahaina as a global test:
“To us, Lahaina and the pae ʻāina o Hawai‘i is a test of whether Indigenous peoples will be protected or erased under the guise of recovery.”
As the Forum continues through May 1, the Nation of Hawai‘i is advancing a coordinated delegation presence, bringing forward interconnected issues of land, water, culture, and governance to the international stage.
LINKS
👉 See Paele Kiakona’s intervention
👉 Download the full PDF text
👉 Watch the full UN session (Agenda Item 3)