By Ka ‘Ohana O Kalaupapa Special to the Herald January is Kalaupapa Month, a time to shine a light on the lives of the nearly 8,000 men, women and children who were taken from their families and sent to Kalaupapa because of government policies regarding leprosy, now also called Hansen’s disease. Most never saw their […]
Gathering honors legacy of late Kalaupapa ‘visionary leader’
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 MonsonSpecial […]
January is Kalaupapa Month
Two years ago, Ka ‘Ohana O Kalaupapa proposed designating January as Kalaupapa Month to the Hawai`i State Legislature which gave the bill unanimous approval. Gov. David Ige signed the legislation into law. Ka ‘Ohana President Charmaine Woodward, whose great-grandparents are buried at Kalaupapa, sees Kalaupapa Month as a “time of remembrance and celebration — […]
Ohana to present webinar on Kalaupapa month 2023
Ka ‘Ohana O Kalaupapa, an organization of Kalaupapa residents, their relatives and friends, will present its first webinar of 2023, “Kalaupapa Month: A Time to Remember,” on Saturday, Jan. 14, 10-11:30 a.m. This webinar of historical and modern-day photographs will look at how January was designated as Kalaupapa Month. Information on how to register for […]
State Legislature OKs $5 million for Kalaupapa Memorial
By Anna Weaver Hawaii Catholic Herald A major step recently took place toward the creation of a Kalaupapa Memorial for all former patients. On May 5, the Hawaii State Legislature approved SB 3338, which grants $5 million for the design, planning and construction of The Kalaupapa Memorial as proposed by Ka Ohana O Kalaupapa, the […]
In the family: Ka ‘Ohana O Kalaupapa webinar brings together descendants and supporters of Kalaupapa settlement
By Anna Weaver Hawaii Catholic Herald The numbers of those logged on to the Zoom session quickly ticked upwards as the start time for a Damien and Marianne Catholic Conference webinar approached on Jan. 22. Attendees left notes in the chatbox introducing themselves. “I am the adopted Daughter of the Late Laurenzio & Katherine Costales […]
Governor signs bill designating January as Kalaupapa Month
By Patrick Downes Hawaii Catholic Herald Imagine if, for the health of the community during an epidemic, you were asked to quarantine, not for 10 days, not for 14 days, not for one year, but for the rest of your life. That is what 8,000 Hawaii citizens were forced to do between 1866 to 1969, […]