As momentum builds toward the canonization of Father Damien on October 11, Hawaii’s Lieutenant Governor James Duke Aiona held a press conference yesterday to announce the plans for the Saint Damien Boy Scout troop. The troop will be traveling to Belgium where they will participate in a Hawaii celebration and an event for thousands of scouts from across Europe. In Rome, they will attend the canonization at the Vatican, join a separate audience with Pope Benedict XVI, stay in a monastery, attend the Hawaii welcome festivities and visit historic sites.

In preparation for the trip, the scouts have been studying Italian, Dutch, journalism, photography, cinematography, video editing, and Belgian and Italian customs and courtesy, among other subjects. They will also share their experiences with thousands of students from Hawaii, the U.S. mainland and abroad through blogging and social networking sites.

Kalaupapa patients favor monument site on east side of peninsula in Kalawao

By David Lichtenstein

Recent federal legislation empowered Ka Ohana O Kalaupapa with the noble task of preserving the history of the 8,000 or so patients sent to Kalaupapa between 1866 and 1969 with a permanent tribute in the form of a memorial.

Last night, representatives of Ka Ohana O Kalaupapa along with the National Park Service gathered at the Kulana ‘Oiwi halau to present the Kalaupapa memorial project. The purpose of the meeting, according to Kalaupapa National Park Superintendent Steve Prokop, was to listen to the feelings of the public concerning the memorial, in particular the monument’s location and design. This was one of five statewide public scoping meetings on the memorial. On Saturday at 9 a.m. the meeting will be held at McVeigh Hall in Kalaupapa.

Prokop and other park employees explained the role of the park service in creating the memorial. Because the Secretary of the Interior has final approval of the monument’s design, size, inscription and location, the Park Service must prepare an Environmental Assessment for the project. This involves collecting ideas, as they did at last night’s meeting, as well as evaluating comments and developing alternative plans.

The most important aspect of the memorial plan, according to those in attendance — including Office of Hawaiian Affairs trustee Collette Machado, Ka Ohana members, Park Service employees and local kupuna —is to carry out the desires of the Kalaupapa patients. Prokop emphasized that the Park Service supports the wishes of the patients “1,000 percent” in this process.

Of the nine locations originally considered for the memorial, the list has been narrowed down to four, two on the Kalawao side, two on the Kalaupapa side of the peninsula. Ka Ohana president Boogie Kahilihiwa expressed the sentiment that the majority of patients prefer the memorial on the Kalawao, or east side. The four locations are the first Baldwin home, Judd Park, the second Baldwin boys home and Papaloa near the airport.

Concerning the monument’s design, Billy Akutagawa of Na Puu Wai Health Services, suggested a ring-like structure that would create the feeling of walking through history. Valerie Monson of Ka Ohana said a design contest will be announced soon. When a final design is chosen fundraising for the memorial will begin in earnest. In the meantime, Monson doesn’t want to take too much attention away from the impending canonization of Father Damien, who will become a saint on October 11.

Ka ‘Ohana O Kalaupapa to present four proposed sites; contest for monument’s design

By David Lichtenstein

An important public meeting is taking place at 7 p.m. tonight to seek public input on the plans for a Kalaupapa memorial. Ka ‘Ohana O Kalaupapa, a group of Hansen’s disease patients, relatives and friends, along with the National Park Service, will be holding the meeting at the Kulana ‘Oiwi Center in Kalamaula. This will be the only opportunity on topside Molokai for the voice of the public to be heard on this issue.

On March 30 President Obama signed federal legislation authorizing Ka ‘Ohana O Kalaupapa to establish this monument to recognize the 8,000 leprosy patients who died at the settlement. The memorial will include the names of all those who died in Kalaupapa.

The exact location and design of the memorial have not been determined and will be discussed tonight. Ka Ohana will present four site proposals to consider. They will also oversee a design contest for the memorial.

Attending the meeting tonight will be Anwei and Henry Law, authors of the recently published book about the Kalaupapa settlement titled, “Father Damien … a Bit of Taro, a Piece of Fish, and a Glass of Water.” The couple was in Kaunakakai yesterday talking to third and fourth graders from Kualapuu Elementary and Kaunakakai Elementary at the Molokai Public Library. Anwei said she was surprised by how much the kids already knew about Father Damien and leprosy, now known as Hansen’s disease.

Anwei has been studying and writing about the history of leprosy for most of her life. She first visited Kalaupapa in 1968 at the age of 16 and has conducted over 200 hours of oral history interviews with many of the patients going back to the 1970s. The title of the book is attributed to Joseph Manu who knew Father Damien from 1873 to 1889 and considered him a friend as he took Damien in his canoe to his home in Pelekunu and other parts of Molokai. According to Manu, Father Damien said he already had a bit of taro, a piece of fish, and a glass of water when asked if he wanted more to eat on one of their trips.

Prior to tonight’s meeting at 7 p.m. at Kulana ‘Oiwi will be a family workshop at 6 p.m. This will be a chance for anyone with family in Kalaupapa to share family history and information with Ka Ohana O Kalaupapa.

This Saturday, all Hawaiian Islands will participate in the “Get the Drift & Bag It!” campaign, cleaning up beaches across the state, including for the first time Kalaupapa on Molokai. The annual event spans 90 nations from Argentina to Vietnam and last year volunteers cleared 6.8 million pounds of litter and marine debris from the coastlines.

For information from different islands visit www.getthedriftandbagit.com and www.coastalcleanup.org or call Arthur Aiona in Kalaupapa at 567-6802 extension 1304.