Local author to discuss Māhū’s place in Hawaiian and settler societies on Oct. 8

Kahala Johnson, a local author and Hawaiian activist, will discuss his chapter from the book “Civil Society in West Maui” during a public presentation at the Lahaina Public Library on Oct. 8 from 2 to 3 p.m.

The chapter is called “Placed in the Middle: Serving Mana Māhū Maoliness for the
Gods in a Wā of Cosmic Emergence.” It is a wide-ranging collection of essays piecing together key political controversies that have animated the social and political life of West Maui.

Johnsonʻs essay discusses the Kumulipo as a way of framing how māhū (third gender people with traditional spiritual and social roles within the culture) can be understood in Hawaiian and settler societies. Also, he will discuss how they can relate to multiple communities in the complex navigation of social identities and interactions.

He describes Mana Māhū as “the power of māhū to spread, branch, adapt and transform to the realities and worlds we live in.”

A Q & A session and book signing will follow the discussion at the event organized by the North Beach West Maui Benefit Fund.

This free informational talk-story is the fourth in a series focusing on community-oriented solutions to issues confronting West Maui today — water management, traffic congestion, over-tourism, housing and other struggles.  For more information visit librarieshawaii.org/events.

The Lahaina Public Library is at 680 Wharf St. in Lahaina.