e Memorial Committee, The Kalaupapa Memorial Act was introduced to the US House of Representatives by then Representative Ed Case in December, 2005. Case’s Chief of Staff, Esther Kia`aina, helped the ‘Ohana draft the language. Having Kia`aina involved made the process even more special: her great-grandparents, John Kia`aina, Jr. and Mary Lucas Lujon died at Kalaupapa and are buried there.
Case left the House of Representatives before the law could pass. His successor, Congresswoman Mazie Hirono, re-introduced the bill and worked tirelessly until it was passed on the floor of the House of Representatives on Feb. 12, 2008. Senator Daniel Akaka introduced a companion bill to the Senate which passed the Kalaupapa Memorial Act as part of The Omnibus Public Lands Act of 2009 on March, 25, 2009. Days later, President Obama then signed the bill into law.
“We Deserve To Be Remembered.”
Cathrine Puahala, 80
International advocate for the rights of people
affected leprosy. Mrs. Puahala was sent to Kalaupapa
at the age of 12 in 1942
“The passage of this law should be a proud moment for all Americans. We will now be able to recognize the Hansen’s disease patients of Kalaupapa for the way they led dignified, inspirational lives under extremely challenging circumstances,” said Hirono.
|Congresswoman Mazie Hirono places ho`okupu at the base of a tree on the site of the Old Baldwin Home at Kalawao that is the preferred location of Ka 'Ohana O Kalaupapa for the Kalaupapa Memorial. The exact site for the Memorial will be determined during an Environmental Assessment. Valerie Monson photo
The completed Kalaupapa Memorial will list the names of the estimated 8,000 people who were isolated on the peninsula beginning in 1866. The Memorial will not only serve as a permanent tribute to these individuals, but also as a type of tombstone for many of them.
The National Park Service has been able to identify just 1,300 marked graves at Kalawao/Kalaupapa, meaning that nearly 6,700 people who died there have no tombstone. Family members looking for a place to pay tribute and find closure and healing often go away brokenhearted.
Kahilihiwa said that the Memorial will bring the people of Kalaupapa back into history – and make the history of Kalaupapa a more complete history.
“When you see all the names, it will be just like all of the people of Kalawao and Kalaupapa will be right there before you,” he said.
Anticipating the day when the Memorial will be unveiled, Kahilihiwa said simply:
“It will bring tears to my eyes.”
Hirono praised the ‘Ohana for the years of “hard work, perseverance and patience” to get the Kalaupapa Memorial Act passed.
“I would like to thank the members of Ka ‘Ohana O Kalaupapa for their ongoing efforts in establishing this memorial. I will continue to work with them until the Kalaupapa Memorial becomes a reality,” said Hirono.
The ‘Ohana is beginning the Environmental Assessment process with Kalaupapa National Historical Park. Among the components of the Memorial that still need to be decided are the location and the design guidelines. The ‘Ohana is responsible for all the fund-raising. This website will updated as progress happens.
"It is good for people to remember
who were there before us. It is just like those who
went to war and had died, there are monuments with their
names on it. There were thousands who were sent to Kalaupapa.
My mother was also sent to Kalaupapa"
Peter Keola Jr., 82
who was sent to Kalaupapa In 1940