Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 28, Number 10, 1 October 2011 — Kalaupapa ancestors return to their home islands [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Kalaupapa ancestors return to their home islands

This month's eolumn is written by Valerie Monson, staunch advocate anā board member of Ka 'Ohana '0 Kalaupapa.

How do you travel around the islands with more than 7,000 kūpuna from Kalaupapa? You carry their names with pride and eall out to their families. In August, representatives of Ka 'Ohana 'O Kalaupapa journeyed from one island to the next to reunite the people of Kalaupapa with their descendants. For the last few

years, the 'Ohana has been compiling the names of everyone sent to Kalaupapa, whieh will eventually be engraved on the Kalaupapa Memorial. That list now contains nearly 7,200 names of individuals who were sent to Kalaupapa between 1866 and 1931. Names of those admitted to Kalaupapa after 193 1 are not yet available to the general puhlie, but the 'Ohana is reaching out to families to make sure the names of their ancestors are part of the Memorial. The trip began at Kalaupapa with a blessing of the names. 'Ohana leader Sol Kaho'ohalahala opened with a chant of knowledge and inspiration, draping a maile lei across the volumes of names. The blessing was conducted by Father Ambrosius Sapa, the Kalaupapa resident Catholic priest, and the Rev. Charles Buck, Hawai'i Conferenee Minister for the United Church of Christ. About 30 residents and workers gathered to send them off on their three-week journey. And what a joumey they had. During two days in Hilo, the 'Ohana was greeted by more than 150 residents. With the help of Manu Josiah and his wife, Leilehua Yuen - who both had family at Kalaupapa - there was a wave of excitement, enthusiasm and new friendships forged. The 'Ohana then llew to Kaua'i for two days and was received by a welcoming chant and hugs from the students of Ke Kula Ni'ihau o Kekaha.

One of the most moving moments of the entire trip was when the youngsters spread out on the classroom floor with the books of names, eaeh of

them hoping they couid hnd an ancestor at Kalaupapa. The 'Ohana then traveled to Maui, where unexpected connections were made with descendants of those who had made their mark at Kalaupapa in different ways: » The family of Owahi, a man who was taken from his family in Kaupō and shipped to Kalaupapa in 1889 at the age of 105; » A descendant of Nahuina, one of the first three women sent to Kalaupapa

in the first group that landed there Jan. 6, 1866, and who later beeame a founding member of Siloama Church; » The very young descendant of Kapahe'e, the great swimmer from Ni'ihau, who was ordered to Kalaupapa from Kalalau Valley on Kaua'i in 1893. The 'Ohana spent an aftemoon with the Boys and Girls Club of Paukūkalo and a day with Kamehameha Schools students in Pukalani, speaking to the Hawaiian history classes led by Kumu Kapulani Antonio, who said the 'Ohana visit had "made history eome ahve" for her pupils. On topside Moloka'i, the 'Ohana held a workshop at the beautifully restored Kalaniana'ole Hall. Almost all who attended was a Native Hawaiian who had at least one ancestor at Kalaupapa, making the evening even more personal. The trip wrapped up on O'ahu, where the 'Ohana attended the eonventions organized by the Sovereign Councils of the Hawaiian Homelands Assembly and the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement. In nearly three weeks on the road, the only island not reached was Lāna'i, whieh will be visited in the near future. The ancestors of Kalaupapa had an incredible joumey back to their home island where their loving famihes were waiting with open anns and family trees. ■

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Cūlette Y. Machade ChairpErsūn, Trustee Muluka'i and Lāna'i