Intern Lenei Naipo - Summer Disaster ReliefInternship Reflection
I cannot express my complete gratitude for the opportunity to be a part of the PONO Legal inaugural summer internship experience! My first inclination that this was not your run-of-the-mill law firm internship was when I received the incredibly rich syllabus. The syllabus, and it’s exceedingly well thought out guest speakers, events, schedule, activities, and community opportunities made some of my law school courses look subpar. My first thought was, as a former kumu, there must be an experienced teacher behind the syllabus. The wealth of knowledge encapsulated in the topics, readings, and guest lectures was so impressive. Our very first meeting with Aunty Nettie at Nā Kia‘i O Maui brought me all the feels, pilina, and inspiration I could have ever imagined needing to delve into this disaster relief community lawyering Maui Komohana kaiāulu headfirst. After this initial meeting I knew the knowledge and mana I was about to get from this mostly wahine-led resilient community was beyond my wildest dreams. I cried throughout the program, more than a few times, both witnessing and experiencing the exchange of mo‘olelo, compassion, kāko‘o, and inspiring resiliency in this community.
One of my favorite activities within the PONO Legal internship program was attending Lāhainā community meetings. Here, we witnessed the community members’ needs, requests, and advocacy for each other and their path forward into what the new future looks like for Lāhainā. I equally enjoyed attending the Bill 9 hearing and working with Lāhainā Strong members. There was a lot of confirmation for me throughout the summer that yes, things are as bad (or worse) than I imagined, and yes, I am on the pono path to kū‘ē for the Lāhui. Another one of my most cherished moments within this program is meeting and learning from the incredible partners who are both a library of information and the most resourceful and creative community warriors zealously advocating for Maui Komohana’s people. I was inspired over and over by their acts of heroism (often wildfire survivors who lost everything themselves), steadfastness, and innate ability to MANAfest anything a community member may need. It is difficult to name a favorite partner, but I enjoyed Sieny with Kaibigan, Sherry with United Policyholders, Aunty Nettie, Autumn and Marina with Lāhainā Land Trust, Brandy and Rhonda with the LTRG, the Hawaii Community Lending team, the Roots Reborn team, and the mana wāhine Pacific Gateway team, if I had to name a few. Our time with Jeremy and Shannon at Kaiāulu Initiatives was special and grounding for my mind, body, and spirit. It confirmed that aloha and mālama ‘āina saves lives and is a necessary and perhaps the most important piece of recovery for Lāhainā.
A favorite feature of this incredible program is the structure of the program. Each day of the week we focused on different things, whether it be rich conversations about the diverse readings, special guest lectures, mālama ‘āina activities, community meetings, or tabling at the kāko‘o resource centers. The schedule allowed for ample time to read, research, and complete assignments, and was never boring or dull. I am still impressed by Hi‘ilei’s and Margot’s ingenuity and creativity with the structure of the program and the in-depth education I received this summer. Another favorite aspect of the program was being privileged to learn from and pick Hi‘ilei’s brain, as a scholar and high-achieving law school graduate and attorney, as well as learn from Margot and the other interns. The undergraduate mana wāhine and I engaged in intellectual, creative, and reenergizing conversation often. This program has been a scholarly incubator that I still can’t believe I got paid to be a part of. This team is made up of outside-the-box resourceful joyful innovators that made me feel both valued and heard as a community and team contributor. No intern or their ideas were made to feel like they were “less than” in any way based on age, experience, or accomplishment. This program was specifically curated for us, which is a stark contrast to some of the law school internships where interns are tasked with busy work like filing, scanning, or running errands, and sitting around waiting for their next task. At the seventh week of this program, I feel like a Maui Komohana community member and advocate, and that I have new lifelong mana wāhine friends and powerful resources I can call on.
