Longtime Kalaupapa resident Kenso Seki cuts John Cambra’s hair as Herbert Hayase looks on. All three men have died, but their spirits live on in this 1986 photo by Wayne Levin from the exhibit “A Reflection of Kalaupapa: Past, Present and Future.” (Photo courtesy of Ka Ohana O Kalaupapa)
“A Reflection of Kalaupapa: Past, Present and Future,” a photo exhibit sponsored by Ka Ohana O Kalaupapa, will open with an 11:30 a.m. blessing on Aug. 13 at historic Paschoal Hall in Kalaupapa. Hosted by Kalaupapa National Historical Park, the exhibit will open through Sept. 12 on days to be determined. It is free.
The exhibit features nearly 100 historical and contemporary photos of the residents of Kalaupapa and their family members along with scenes from Kalaupapa. Most of the contemporary photos were taken by acclaimed Hawaii photographer Wayne Levin who began his work at Kalaupapa in 1984. The historical photographs are from various sources.
The Ohana will also present a narrated slide show, “The Restoration of Family Ties,” on Aug. 12, at 5:30 p.m. at McVeigh Hall. This presentation is about the work of Ka Ohana O Kalaupapa in helping families reconnect with their Kalaupapa ancestors. The community is invited.
Ka Ohana O Kalaupapa president Clarence “Boogie” Kahilihiwa said walking through the exhibit will be like welcoming back all the people in the photos, most of whom have died.
“The exhibit will have the most meaning here where all of these people lived and died,” said Kahilihiwa, a Kalaupapa resident for more than 50 years.
The exhibit was produced three years ago and displayed in art galleries and public venues on Oahu, Maui and the Big Island. Ohana coordinator Valerie Monson believes the exhibit should be seen even more widely throughout Hawaii.
“Every community lost people to Kalaupapa, so the Ohana feels it’s important to reach out to as many places as possible,” said Monson who has been writing about the people of Kalaupapa for more than 25 years.
The Ohana obtained funding to build portable display walls so that the exhibit could be set up anywhere. After Kalaupapa, the exhibit will open in late September at the Molokai Museum and Cultural Center in Kalae.
The exhibit is made possible by grants and in-kind donations from the Hawaii Tourism Authority, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs and Young Brothers Ltd.
Established in 2003, Ka Ohana O Kalaupapa is a nonprofit organization dedicated to honoring and remembering the estimated 8,000 individuals who were sent to Kalaupapa because of government policies regarding Hansen’s disease, or leprosy. The group advocates for Kalaupapa residents, reaches out to family members of those sent to Kalaupapa and works with other organizations to preserve the important history.
Its mission is “E Hoohanohano a E Hoomau … To Honor and To Perpetuate.”
For more information, call Monson at 808-573-2746 or email vmonson@kalaupapaohana.org, or visit www.kalaupapaohana.org.
