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deandre.makakoa

@deandre.makakoa

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Grassroots Filmmaker | Community Videographer
Lahaina Strong Organizer
Better to be a Warrior in a garden than a gardener in a corrupt system.
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LET’S KEEP THE ENERGY CONVERSATION GOING! With storms continuing to impact our community and power outages disrupting our daily lives, building a more resilient energy future for Lahaina is more important than ever. Join us TOMORROW for the second virtual presentation hosted by the Lahaina Energy Partnership! We’ll be diving into microgrids and electric grid hardening to explore how we can strengthen our energy systems, improve reliability, and better prepare our community for future emergencies. Tomorrow, Tuesday, October 20 5:30–7:30 PM HST Virtual presentation on Zoom Come learn about the technical findings, ask questions, and share your manaʻo as we move toward the next phase of energy planning for Lahaina. Mahalo to everyone who joined us for our first presentation! Let’s keep showing up and making sure our community has a voice in shaping what comes next. RSVP through the link in our bio to join the conversation and receive the Zoom details! #LahainaStrong #LahainaEnergyPartnership #EnergyResilience #CommunityPowered
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Pāʻele Kiakona speaks on his experience after the fires. Having already been off-grid, he was one of the only people in West Maui with power, water, and internet access. And he used it to the community’s benefit. He shares why our community needs to be at the table for all of the decision making regarding our recovery, but especially our energy future. WHAT SHOULD LAHAINA’S ENERGY FUTURE LOOK LIKE? With storms becoming more frequent and our community continuing to lose power, energy resilience matters now more than ever. Join the Lahaina Energy Partnership for two virtual community presentations sharing new findings on: - Energy generation - Building energy design - Microgrids - Grid resilience & hardening Hear directly from technical experts, ask questions, and help shape what comes next for Lahaina’s energy future. 📅 Tuesday, Oct. 20 | 5:30–7:30 PM Microgrids + grid resilience Your voice matters in this conversation. Let’s make sure Lahaina’s energy future reflects the needs and priorities of our community. RSVP through the link in our bio to receive the Zoom details!
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In this sneak peek from our short film “Lahaina Strong - Why Energy?” we sit down and speak with Brandon Makaʻawaʻawa over at Puʻuhonua ʻO Waimānalo. Brandon explains how in the Puʻuhonua, they are still tied to HECO. The last barrier to the independence of the Puʻuhonua. Across the board, we need to start seeing a bottom-up approach to decision making. But, that starts with us understanding the systems that govern and power our community, how they function, how they can be improved, and after all of that, we can collectively envision a beautiful future. WHAT SHOULD LAHAINA’S ENERGY FUTURE LOOK LIKE? With storms becoming more frequent and our community continuing to lose power, energy resilience matters now more than ever. Join the Lahaina Energy Partnership for two virtual community presentations sharing new findings on: - Energy generation - Building energy design - Microgrids - Grid resilience & hardening Hear directly from technical experts, ask questions, and help shape what comes next for Lahaina’s energy future. 📅 Tuesday, Oct. 20 | 5:30–7:30 PM Microgrids + grid resilience Your voice matters in this conversation. Let’s make sure Lahaina’s energy future reflects the needs and priorities of our community. RSVP through the link in our bio to receive the Zoom details!
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Another year celebrating the incredible @lightsforlahaina event in the heart of Lahaina town. ❤️ Watching hundreds of community members come together, carrying their handmade lanterns from the Lahaina Boat Ramp, down Front Street, and back to Maria Lanakila Church was a truly powerful and emotional experience. Seeing our community united in remembrance, love, and hope gave me chicken skin and brought up more emotion than I ever expected. Events like this are a beautiful reminder of the strength, resilience, and spirit of Lahaina. Our community has been through so much, but the love we have for this place and one another continues to shine. A huge mahalo to everyone who helped bring this meaningful event to life and to all who came out to be part of it. 🙏🏽
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WE ARE VOTING FOR PAELE. ✊🏽❤️‍🔥 And we will NOT let big money buy this race. Our community is strong, our voices matter, and we don’t ever go down without a fight. When it comes to the future of our people, our ʻāina, our wai, and our keiki, we will always stand up and fight for what’s right. Paele is the right choice & the ONLY choice to ensure our community has a real voice in the Capitol building. We need someone who will stand with our people, represent our interests, and make sure our voices are heard where decisions about our future are being made. This is OUR community. OUR future. OUR voice. And we will not let big money drown us out!! 🗳️ REGISTER TO VOTE. SHOW UP. VOTE FOR PAELE. Let’s show them the magic that happens when our community comes together! COMMENT BELOW if you’re voting for Paele too! Let’s make it LOUD. 💪🏽 #VoteForPaele #CommunityOverMoney
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In this sneak peek from our short film “Lahaina Strong - Why Energy?” we sit down and speak with Brandon Makaʻawaʻawa over at Puʻuhonua ʻO Waimānalo. Brandon explains how in the Puʻuhonua, they are still tied to HECO. The last barrier to the independence of the Puʻuhonua. Brandon dives into the history of the company and the role they played in the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom. Fast-forward to today and we are very much living under the totality of the HECO grid and we are quickly seeing that the infrastructure isn’t quite up to the standards of surviving these extreme weather events that are increasing in volume. We are so grateful to the incredibly hard working linemen and field techs that you see out in the elements protecting and restoring our energy system during these events. And ensuring our power is restored as fast as possible. They are heroes! We do need to ask, though. As these weather events continue, is HECO prioritizing grid infrastructure and sustainability over everything else? And at what point do we stop blaming HECO and the government for everything and start taking our own independent resiliency into our own hands. Starting with education and awareness. WHAT SHOULD LAHAINA’S ENERGY FUTURE LOOK LIKE? With storms becoming more frequent and our community continuing to lose power, energy resilience matters now more than ever. Join the Lahaina Energy Partnership for two virtual community presentations sharing new findings on: - Energy generation - Building energy design - Microgrids - Grid resilience & hardening Hear directly from technical experts, ask questions, and help shape what comes next for Lahaina’s energy future. 📅 Tuesday, Oct. 20 | 5:30–7:30 PM Microgrids + grid resilience Your voice matters in this conversation. Let’s make sure Lahaina’s energy future reflects the needs and priorities of our community. RSVP through the link in our bio to receive the Zoom details!
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WHY MILITARY LEASES ON HALEAKALĀ SHOULD NOT BE RENEWED *Testify before OHA this Saturday (Oct. 17) at 10:30a at UH Maui College, Pāʻina Dining Hall* What you are watching is one of the most powerful moments of Hanohano ʻo Halekalā, our community lead evening of education and inquiry on March 11, 2026. 

Kaleikoa’s questions come after an hour of presentations and more than an hour of questions. Directly preceding it were statements by Pentagon employee Noelani Kalipi, who claimed the military is about protecting “people and place.” The hypocrisy of her statement fueled the ensuing exchange. What Kaleikoa asks is at the heart of why leases on Haleakalā (and throughout the pae ʻāina) should not be renewed. Noe acknowledges a history of harm, but doesn’t think that proceeding without consent AGAIN is further harm—a violation, in fact, of our human rights as poʻe Hawaiʻi. Ask yourself if ANYTHING will change in the abusive relationship we are forced into with the American military just because they roll out five brown faces. See you on Saturday!!! #noleaserenewalsonhaleakala #notelescopesonsacredground #hanohanoohaleakla #protecthaleakala #epaleikapiko
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***The only AI in this deck is their ugly rendering. Instagram is marking content made in Canva as AI, but this deck was built by hand. Mahalo NEW: Talking points / email template just added to my bio. Please feel free to use them in full or in part to email the decision makers in the last slide. Mahalo! 💧 Did you know the Air Force wants a data center too? They have deceptively split the AMOS STAR project into two pieces - the seven proposed telescopes at the sacred summit of Haleakalā and the Secure Integration Support Laboratory (SISL) down at the Maui Tech Park in Kīhei (EA was pushed through in 2022 - did anyone hear about it?) Read all slides to learn about the sea level facility that has huge implications, especially for south Maui. Will all of Maui experience increased water and electricity prices because of wildly unsustainable builds like this? Why are the combined effects and impacts of the two facilities not taken together? We demand that SHPD do a Kapaʻakai analysis that accounts for the impacts of these two facilities. AMOS STAR cannot operate without the SISL, but there is no estimated power draw or water use for either facility. Only statements that it will come from our main grid and municipal supply. Write the decision makers and tell them not to sign the MOA. Ask them if the SISL is part of the South Maui plan. If not, why? Ask them why there is no comprehensive plan for the summit area. Ask them why it’s so hard for community members to get meters, but this military facility is going to have one. It’s 2026 and our Maui community has lived through major fires that came from a complete imbalance in water use. Let’s not go farther down that road. REJECT AMOS STAR & SISL. Stand for the ʻāina and the wai. Sign up for the email list at protecthaleakala.com for updates. Have a look at the amazing new report called “The True Cost of US Military in Hawaiʻi.” https://ips-dc.org/report-true-cost-of-u-s-military-bases-in-hawaii/ #epaleikapiko #protectthepiko #protectthesummit #kinshipecology protecthaleakala
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This October 14th, 5pm - 8pm come down to Hanakaʻōʻō for our second West Maui candidates forum. This is your opportunity to learn who is in your ballot. The need to vote is getting more and more critical and it’s always best to hear your candidates in person. Especially since the winners of this election will go on to have major influence over our lives. See you there!!!
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Over 650+ lbs of trash removed from the beach and surrounding area!!!! Mahalo nui to @surfridermaui for hosting such an incredible coastal cleanup day down at Puʻunoa Beach / Mala Wharf area. In coordination with Lahaina Jodo Mission and @mauinuibg we also identified and roped off sections of pōhuehue to prevent the native coastal dune superstar from being trampled on. @dukesmaui brought the ʻono lunch and super necessary refreshments! Not only did they serve food to the volunteers, but the @dukesmaui team was out cleaning up trash too! Additionally @mauinuivenison donated ground venison for @officiallahainastrong to make the best chili in West Maui. Super important and special mahalo to @malama_maui_nui for picking up and hauling out all of the trash that the volunteers gathered. ʻŌN 142: ʻAʻohe hana nui ke alu ʻia - No task is too big when done together by all
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Lahaina come through! The 2026 General Election is right around the corner, and we want our community to have the opportunity to hear directly from the candidates before filling out those ballots. Join Lahaina Strong for our Community Candidate Forum, covering the Maui County Mayor and County Council races. Join us for a community-led candidate forum focused on the issues that matter most to Lahaina. This is your chance to listen, learn, and hear directly from the people asking for your vote. Come with your questions, bring your neighbors, and take part in the conversation so you can make an informed decision when it’s time to cast your ballot. You do NOT want to miss this one. We’re proud to collaborate with @kaheawaimedia to help bring this important conversation to our community. 📺Can’t join us in person? ʻAkakū Maui Community Media will be broadcasting the forum live! Tune in on Spectrum Channels 53, 54, or watch online through ʻAkakū. (Akaku⁠) 📅 Wednesday October 14th, 2026 ⏰ 5pm dinner 5:30pm forum 📍 Hanaka’ō’ō (Canoe Beach) RSVP TODAY — LINK IN BIO Your vote is your voice. Make it count. Folks who have not responded yet: @yukileiformayor @votefortomcook @votejonyokouchi @kamalu123 #LahainaStrong
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WHO’S BEHIND THE CANDIDATES? FOLLOW THE MONEY. Two candidates. Two very different types of power. In the race for Hawaiʻi House District 14, campaign finance records reveal stark differences in who is funding Paʻele Kiakona and Sne Patel. Paʻele Kiakona, endorsed by Our Hawaiʻi and a signer of our pledge, committed to refusing donations from: Corporate PACs and corporate lobbyists Luxury and out-of-state developer executives Major landowners and hotel conglomerates Energy monopolies and military contractors Our research found his campaign supported by family, community members, environmental and justice advocates, and labor organizations outside the building trades. Sne Patel’s campaign tells a different story. Nearly 50% of his contributions came from real estate and development interests, while more than 30% came from Capitol power brokers, including legislators’ campaign committees and corporate lobbyists. And direct donations are only part of the picture. Outside advertising expenditures from the Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi and PRP’s For a Better Tomorrow PAC add another layer of spending in this race. Two candidates. Two very different sources of political power. Whose interests will shape Lāhainā’s future? LĀHAINĀ’S FUTURE IS ON THE BALLOT. Note: House District 14 has a third candidate, Elle Cochran, whose campaign reported one $500 contribution from herself during the period analyzed. This comparison focuses on the two campaigns with substantial fundraising activity.
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