Remembering Mill Camp...Kuhua Village, Lahaina

Aloha,

Our Taguiped Ohana was established in Lahaina just short of 100 years ago. My father, Kerminar Kerry Taguiped, aka Papa Tag, was the middle child of five. He and his family lived in Kuhua Village better known as Mill Camp. This community backed up to the previous historic Pioneer Sugar Mill Plantation built in 1860. Mill Camp consisted of twelve streets of homes filled with very close families who exemplified the term Ohana. My siblings and I have many memories covering our noses from the smell of the running sugar mill, walking through Mill Camp from garage to garage where our aunties and uncles would gather to play cards, and playing barefoot in the streets where the red dirt-stained our feet and clothes. Our parents would “talk story” all night and we would wake up earlier than planned with the daily neighborhood rooster crow and clucking chickens!

There was nobody more proud to be from Lahaina than my dad, and he boasted about it every chance he got. He lived by the phrase “Maui No Ka Oi” and happily bragged that his life in Lahaina was truly the best! “You may not see or touch the spirit of Aloha…but the Aloha Spirit can be felt.” This was Dad’s motto to live by. The true spirit of Aloha ran through his veins and he made sure to share it with everyone that he came into contact with. He dedicated his life to spreading the Aloha spirit by always putting the needs of others first and being always ready to help everyone without any expectation in return. Our parents hosted hundreds of luaus for thousands of guests over many years coordinated and emceed by our dad. He once owned a restaurant called Tag’s Hawaiian Hut and he spent the last 20+ years of his life playing and teaching ukulele to patrons at the local Target store. He was very active in the Hawaiian community and often played ukulele with his friends at many Hawaiian music festivals, Kanikapilas and private events.

Sadly, Kuhua Village was among one of the many communities destroyed by the Lahaina fire. The homes of our Kupuna and Mill Camp family are now a memory. Many lost their lives just steps away from their driveways trapped in their vehicles trying to escape the flames. A mile away our cousin who is a single mother of three boys is now homeless. She worked three jobs to provide her sons with a beautiful life in Lahaina, but her well-established livelihood will no longer exist without the support of tourism. The tragic stories of Lahaina families and friends are a heartbreaking reality. The Maui fires have changed the lives of all Maui residents forever. The once popular Historic town of Lahaina is now almost unrecognizable but its collected years of memories for locals and previous visitors will never be forgotten. We are blessed to have decades of memories of beautiful Lahaina, its history, and spending time with family and friends on Front Street. Unfortunately, future generations will never have the same opportunity to experience Historic Lahaina in its original beauty.

We are so thankful for all of the kind families and friends that have reached out to us knowing our Lahaina family history. To honor my father's legacy in spreading Aloha, our Ohana has collectively created this Go Fund Me Fundraiser.

E ʻoluʻolu e kōkua ke kākoʻo i nā ʻohana Maui

Please help us support Maui families

Our goal is to provide 25+ displaced Lahaina families with $2500 per household with additional funds raised to be used to assist the Maui Food Bank and our family church at Maria Lanakila. All donations will be personally delivered as we continue to show our support to our Lahaina Ohana, friends and neighbors. On behalf of our Ohana, we hope that you will keep Maui in your prayers and ask you to please consider supporting our fundraiser. Any monetary donation amount will make a difference and is appreciated.

Pule no Maui❤️

Pray for Maui

Michelle & Heath * Caitlin & Jonathon * Lauryn & Josh * Peytyn * Wesley