Former Gov. John Waihe‘e addressed the crowd Aug. 23 at a celebration of the late Bernard Ka‘owakaokalani Punikai‘a’s 95th birthday and of Ka ‘Ohana O Kalaupapa, the nonprofit organization he created more than two decades ago. “Bernard’s life is a celebration of making things better for people,” Waihe‘e said. (Courtesy Wayne Levin)
By Valerie Monson
Special to the Herald
Two governors, the Bishop of Honolulu and descendants of Kalaupapa came together last month at the Queen Emma Summer Palace for the same reason: to proudly remember the late Bernard Ka‘owakaokalani Punikai‘a, the Kalaupapa warrior who stood up to government when the voices of the people were left out.
Punikai‘a died in 2009, but his legacy lives on in the hearts and minds of those who learned from him, admired him and loved him.
“I started weeping the second I came through the door,” said former Gov. Neil Abercrombie, who described his longtime friend as his “hero.”
Ka ‘Ohana O Kalaupapa, the nonprofit organization that was created by Punikai‘a in 2003 to bring together family members and friends to support the residents of Kalaupapa, hosted the event with the Daughters of Hawai‘i. The occasion was to mark what would have been Punikai‘a’s 95th birthday.
Although Punikai‘a was not there physically, his presence was everywhere. Photographs of him and of his greatest triumph — the Save Hale Mohalu movement — lined the hale next to the palace, his music resonated from musician Lopaka Ho‘opi‘i, and memories of Punikai‘a were on the lips of everyone in attendance, recalling how he inspired them or helped others.
“That’s the importance of our gathering today,” said former Gov. John Waihe‘e, a longtime friend of Punikai‘a. “Bernard’s life is a celebration of making things better for people.”
Bishop Larry Silva opened the gathering with a prayer of remembrance for Punikai‘a, while citing Sts. Damien and Marianne and all the people who were sent to Kalaupapa because they were said to have had Hansen’s disease, also called leprosy. (Bishop Silva also has ancestors who died there.)
Charmaine Woodward, president of Ka ‘Ohana O Kalaupapa, never knew Punikai‘a personally — he died just before she joined the organization — but, as she pointed out, that was exactly why a celebration of his life was needed 15 years after his death: to forever remember a man who stood up for the people of Kalaupapa no matter what hardships he had to endure himself.
“Our north star, our Ka‘owakaokalani, transcends time and space, continuing to guide us through his experiences and his stories,” said Woodward, whose great-grandparents are buried at Kalaupapa. “Happy 95th birthday to our visionary leader!”
“As future ancestors,” she continued, “it is important to honor and remember the legacy of our kupuna isolated at Kalaupapa so their moolelo remains alive forever.”
The people of Kalaupapa have wanted a memorial for the past 40 years — to honor and remember each person who gave up their freedoms and still managed to find hope and happiness through one another and the strong sense of community that they developed.
When Ka ‘Ohana O Kalaupapa organized, Punikai‘a and other residents asked that the memorial be a priority so everyone’s name would never be forgotten.
For 22 years, Ka ‘Ohana has worked tirelessly to create a design of the memorial, complete endless reports and obtain state and federal approvals in the complex government process that seems to get more complicated every year.
It was Punikai‘a who made the first donation to the memorial in 2007 when he wrote a check for $500 — and asked if he should give more. The state Legislature unanimously approved $5 million for planning and construction of the memorial in 2022, but it has taken years for the first portion of those funds to be released.
Waihe‘e urged everyone in the crowd to advocate for the memorial to be built as soon as possible. He also acknowledged the recent passing of Kalaupapa resident Danny Hashimoto, leaving just six residents who have the right to live at Kalaupapa.
“All of us have a challenge, and that is to join together, to bring forth Bernard’s dream of a memorial at Kalaupapa, so that the future will never forget the sacrifices made,” Waihe‘e said.
Valerie Monson is executive director of Ka ‘Ohana O Kalaupapa.