With lei, Maui locals weave together grief, thankfulness, and hope

A worker at Maui Floral makes a lei, a traditional Hawaiian symbol that has taken on added significance in times of grief for the community of Lahaina in Makawao, Hawaii, U.S., August 18, 2023. REUTERS/Liliana Salgado

MAKAWAO, Hawaii (Reuters) - Niki Roberts walked around her Maui neighborhood, loading her collapsible green wagon with cuttings from the ti plant, whose foot-long leaves are woven into the lei central to Hawaiian culture.

Roberts was making lei to present to Red Cross workers who had flown in from the mainland United States to help with the recovery effort for the Maui town of Lahaina, which was devastated by a wildfire that claimed homes, cultural landmarks, and the lives of over 100 people.