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| North-facing shoreline of Kalaupapa - Jan 2005 |
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| click on photo for larger image - use scroll bars on bottom and rt side of screen to navigate image |
This webpage is dedicated to the memory of Charles
(Chili) Kealawaiole
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| From Kalaupapa, Molokai - May 27, 1927 |
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| The dock at Kalaupapa settlement. Jan 2005 |
Our Kalaupapa Relative
I have always been a history nut and have always wanted
to know about my family's history. Years ago, one day while discussing photos in a family reunion book, which contained
photos of our family in Hawaii, my mother told me that she recalled her mother, my Grandmother, tell her that she recalled
going to Kalaupapa as a little girl and kissing a relative through a glass partition.
I had always been very interested in the history of the
islands and had read books about Father Damien and the fact that Kalaupapa was an area on the island of Molokai
to which men, women and children were taken if they showed symptoms or signs of an incurable, highly contagious disease
called leprosy. Today, this disease is curable and the medical term used is Hansen's Disease.
I still recall, as a child, seeing a photo of a young
girl, in a book. Her parents had dressed her up for the trip to Kalaupapa. There appeared to be no visible
signs of the disfiguring disease, at least not on her face. I recall looking at the photo of the child and thinking
about the heartbreak her parents must have felt, knowing that they may never see their child again. And because of the
stigma that could be attached to the other "healthy" family members, their daughter would not be discussed, at least not in
public.
Yet, until that discussion with my mother, I never heard
anyone mention that we had family members that were taken to Kalaupapa. When she told me this I remember a
feeling of sadness coming over me. We all seem to know each others "business"; yet, for some reason these family members
are sent to Kalaupapa and for some reason their names are never mentioned again. I just didn't understand how this
could happen.
Years later, after much research, travel to Kalaupapa
to look for answers and a little wiser, I have a sense of why families reacted the way they did when other family members
were sent to Kalaupapa. Times were hard and it was a matter of survival and taking care of those in front of you.
I felt good knowing that my Great-grandmother made efforts to see her brother, which must have been quite a trip and undertaking
in itself.
I've also discovered along this journey that we humans
tend to not talk about issues or things that cause us pain. I now have a child whom I love dearly. I could
not imagine putting her on a boat and watching that boat sail out towards the horizon, knowing I would probably
not see her again . . . .
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| Cliff walls above Kalaupapa. No, this isn't a golf course. Jan 2005 |
Mom told me that she knew the relative at
Kalaupapa was related to her Grandmother, Emma Kai (Kealawaiole). I took that information and travelled to Molokai
in 1994. My wife and I flew into Kalaupapa's small airport, where we were greeted by a nice lady, who was the
airport attendant and a long time resident (former "inmate") of Kalaupapa. You could feel the strong "aloha spirit".
She took the time to tell me about the history of Kalaupapa as she experienced it. I asked her if
she recalled hearing the name, "Kealawaiole". She said the name did sound familiar, but she could not picture his face.
She wished us well as we continued on to tour the peninsula.
My wife and I took the tour of Kalaupapa, which was hosted
by Richard Marks of Kalaupapa. While on that tour I was in awe of the beauty of the peninsula and then I recall looking
up at the cliffs, which isolated this peninsula from the rest of the island. I thought to myself, I am not forced
to be here, so I see beauty. If I was not free to leave, I would see a high, natural, inescapable prison wall.
As we toured the different sites, I recall looking
up at the cliffs, almost continuously, all the while thinking about my Kalaupapa relative and what he must have thought when
he looked up at those steep cliff walls. For me those cliffs represented the beauty of nature; yet, for so many,
they represented, pain, suffering and isolation.
It was my Kalaupapa relative, whom I have since identified
as Charles "Chili" Kealawaiole that was the catalyst that motivated me to find the roots and the branches of my Hawaiian, Filipino and
now my African-American and European roots.
I have read documents dated in the 1920's, authored
by Chili, while at Kalaupapa. In one of those documents, Chili was making an inquiry to the probate court
in Honolulu, in the Territory of Hawaii, regarding his deceased younger brother's estate. One could very easily
read between the lines and almost sense that he was asking to be recognized and remembered, nothing more.
One of the many highlights of this journey has been the
people I have had contact with along the way. Though briefly, I had the opportunity to exchange e-mail with the
granddaughter of Robert "Doc" Cooke, who was the Superintendent at Kalaupapa during the time period that Chili was an
"inmate", the term used at that time by the U.S. Census Bureau.
Doc Cooke was respected by the residents and staff
of the settlement. He was also responsible for many of the improvements to services that were either non-existent or
were in disrepair due to neglect. Doc Cooke's efforts improved the quality of life for the residents of Kalaupapa.
Please take a look at the website by clicking on the link below.
My Kalaupapa relative was Chili Kealawaiole.
He was Grandma Emma Kai's older brother. Records indicate that Chili died while at Kalaupapa. The
names of many who were sent to Kalaupapa were seldom spoken and some forgotten. In a sense, I feel we may be re-introducing him
back into the family after having been away for a very long time.
James
Michael
(grandson of Emma Julia Cruz <Gasper>)
To Chili - your 'ohana has not
forgotten. You are loved . . . welcome home.
Your 'ohana
Remembering Kalaupapa ~ The "Doc" Cooke Years 1925 - 1939
Please click on the photo to the left to visit this
awesome website and
learn about the great work of this great
man.
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