NHEA Laukanaka

NHEA Laukanaka is a grassroots collective of vetted and licensed Hawaiian cultural practitioners on Maui organized to respond to the trauma and loss experienced by survivors and those impacted by the 2023 Maui Fires. Laukanaka’s main services consist of lomilomi, hoʻoponopono, kūkākūkā, pule, pī kai.

About Our Design

The center of the design is a pewa or “butterfly patch” traditionally used by wood workers to repair cracks. In this context, it aligns with Laukanaka’s restorative mission through traditional healing practices for those impacted by the Maui wildfires.

A pewa, while its function is to mend or repair, is also seen as a prized addition for its visually pleasing aesthetic and more importantly the strength that it adds; reminding us similarly that although Laukanaka was born through difficult circumstances, its work ultimately leaves a lasting impression of beauty and strength in the community it serves. Three pewa are included here to represent the organization’s 3 years of existence at the time of this design’s conception. The two columns on the outside of the pewa are known as niho niho. Aligned in this fashion, they serve as a protective design from harm or danger, placed specifically on the outside of the pewa, symbolically protecting the people, process and results of Laukanaka’s work.

Six individual niho or “triangle” patterns make up each column, totaling 12 to represent the moku of the island of Maui for which Laukanaka was established to serve. Additionally, as an added layer of kaona, the thought behind the use of multiple individual niho to make up the niho niho and multiple individual pewa is meant to allude to the name Laukanaka, and that through ike kupuna we recognize that a multitude of people (niho and pewa) together provides a collective mana for greater strength and resiliency.

Contact Info

Phone: 808-357-5950

Email: aloha@laukanaka.org

Address: P.O. Box 1190, Wailuku, HI, 96793