Lahaina Halloween Party: Native Hawaiians Take Offense, Seek Shutdown
Where: Maui || Grouped in: Maui Nightlife || Tagged:
The raucous Halloween festivities in Lahaina (pictured here -- yes there are some risque costumes), the most touristy city on Maui, have long drawn comparisons to Mardi Gras and other gleeful street parties. This apparently offends Native Hawaiian groups, who feel the semi-drunken public costume ball is a desecration of Lahaina's important historic heritage as the longtime ruling seat of the Kingdom of Maui in Hawaii's pre-contact era. The town also served a stint in the 19th century as a primo whaling port, which probably involved lots of public drunkeness, as well, but c'est la vie. The Maui cops say they think this is one party no one can stop -- after all, its not legal to forbid people from walking public streets in costume. Unclear what all this will mean but probably not much -- except maybe some bad karma for party-goers, or perhaps even more raciness to this already edgy event. I have mixed feelings on this. On the one hand, totally understandable objections. On the other, Native Hawaiians have always loved a good party -- witness celebrated reign of the Merrie Monarch himself, King David Kalakaua, a noted bon vivant.
Image via Jelly Designs
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Comments
Maui Girl said:
The party will not be stopped. The picture you’ve chosen is a bit racy, but just because of the angle. She’s wearing more than a regular bikini. I’ve never seen anyone wearing less than a bikini to Halloween in Lahaina. I suppose that it’s racy if it’s at night and not on the sand?? Anyway, this party is good fun, and will never be hindered. The spirit of Aloha is alive and strong and influencing the spirit of Halloween.
—09/19/07
Kiki said:
It is not so much the party that offends native Hawaiians but that they are partying in an honored historical site against the wishes of the native people. It is like throwing a Mardi Gras party at the Vatican against the Pope’s and the rest of the Catholic community’s wishes. It is simply ill manners and lack of respect for the native population, but what else can be expected of non-native people? They never have had good manners to begin with and have never respected native people’s customs and culture throughout history, what makes you think they would start now or even consider the repercussions of their actions upon others?
—04/19/08