Another letter from the island of Hawai'i was written by W. Kahalelaau
of Ka'u, and published in Nupepa Kuokoa on April 24, 1866. Like
Makanoanoa, Kahalelaau described bis arrest and also tbat of his ill
and paralyzed daughter. The police arrived at his house at around
8 at night, telling him to come with them immediately.
He wrote:
Huli ae la au ma na paia o ko'u hale, ike aku la au i ka'u waiwai makamae
mai ke Akua mai, oia hoi ka'u kaikamahine, nona ke kino i loohia
i ka mai hiki ole i ke ku ae iluna, pane aku la au me ka naau kaumaha,
["P]ehea la kuu kaikamahine?["] [I] mai la no ua wahi makai nei,
"Oia no kekahi," ia manawa he mea e ke kaumaha a me ka luuluu o ka
naau, i nana aku kuu hana i ua kaikamahine nei, e hiolo mai ana ko ia
la mau waimaka.
I turned to the walls of my house and saw my cherished treasure from
God, that is, my daughter, the one whose body has gotten a disease
which prevents her being able to stand up, and I said with a heavy
heart, "What about my daughter?" The police officer said, "Her too."
Then I felt so much sadness and sorrow, [and] when I looked at my
daughter, tears were falling on her cheeks.
Kahalelaau asked the police officers to wait until daylight to take
his daughter, because they could see that she could not stand up. At
first they agreed, but then again ordered him to go with them immediately.
He asked that the Chief of Police be summoned to look at
her, since other "haole" had been there and told him her sickness
was a fever, but not leprosy. They again refused. The officers took
Kahalelaau, but) left his daughter.
He continued:
A hiki makou ma i Kaalualu, o ka miki aku la no ia o ua mau makai nei
i ke kapena o ka moku, lohe aku la au i ka olelo a na makai e kii hou
i ua kaikamahine nei a'u.
[L]ohe mai la ke kapena i ka nunui o na leo o makou, ia manawa i
lohe pono aku ai au i kona leo, e pane ana me ke aloha ole. "Kii koke
aku na makai i kela kaikamahine, ina aole hiki, nakinaki maluna o ka
lio a lawe mai, i na make ma ke alanui pono no, kanu no malaila[."]
When we arrived at Ka'alu'alu, the police officers went promptly to the
captain of the boat, and I heard them say they were going again to get
my daughter. The captain of the boat heard our loud voices, and I
heard his voice well, saying with no compassion, "The police should go
get that girl and if she is imable, she should be tied onto a horse and
brought; if she dies right on the road, bury her there."
Kahalelaau became incensed by those words:
Olelo hou aku la au i na makai me kuu makau ole ia lakou, a maanei
hoi e ike ai kakou i ka hana pili i ka lawe ola a na makai a me ke kapena
0 ka moku, pane aku la au i na makai, ina i kii hou oukou i kuu kaikamahine,
ina i pau kona ola ma ke alanui e like me ka oukou olelo,
hoopii kino au ia oukou, a hiki aku i ka mea e noho ana ma ka Noho
Alii.
He spoke again to the police, with no fear of them—and here we see the
actions of the police and captain of the boat are close to taking life—
I said to the police, if you folks go again to get my daughter and if she
dies on the road as you say [she might], I will personally sue you all the
way up to the one sitting on the Throne.
But Kahalelaau and his family would not let that happen. He
described the extraordinary measures they took to ensure that his
daughter was eventually transported safely to the ship.
Eia wale no ke kumu i pakele ai ke ola, o ka nui o ka ohana, ua hana
ia he holowaa huinaha, me ke amo kiia ana, ma kahi maikai amo ia me
na lio elua, me ka hoolimalima ana i ko maua dala ponoi.''
This is the only reason her life was spared, that is, that the whole family
[did it]; a four-sided box was built, which was carried on their shoulders,
and in good places it was carried by two horses, which were
rented with our own money.
Kahaleiaau ended his letter with a criticism of government policy,
accusing them of racism:Ua pono anei keia hana, aole paha? Oiai, ke hana ia nei keia hana mai
Hawaii a Kauai me ka huikau, e like me ka'u mea e ike maka nei a ua
like no hoi keia hana me ka Pulumi ana i na Iliulaula, e noho ana ma
na papahele o ke Aupuni Hawaii, ka poe i komo io ke aloha i ka Iwihilo.
Owau no me ke aloha. W. Kahaleiaau, Hale Mai, Kalihi-Kai.
Are these actions pono [right, beneficial], or not? These things are
being done from Hawai'i to Kaua'i, in a confused way, as I am witnessing,
and these actions are like Sweeping away the Brownskinned
people, who are living on the floor of the Hawaiian Government, the
people in whom aloha has truly entered, in the last rib bone [i.e., the
core of their being].
I am, with aloha, W. Kahaleiaau, Hospital, Kalihi-Kai.
Reference:
Silva, N. & Fernanndez, P. (2006). Mai Ka 'Aina O Ka 'Eha'eha Mai: Testimonies of Hansen's Disease Patients in Hawai'i, 1866-1897. The Hawaiian Journal of History, (40), 75-97.
My self-reflection or analysis of letter:The disease was brought in by foreigner that catastrophically decreased the population from nearly a million in 1778 to 40,000 in 1898. The provisional government didn't care about kanaka maoli and therefore sought means to eliminate even if it meant sending people to the peninsula who didn't have the disease!
As we look at the kalo, without its part, the kingdom does not exist!Hawaiians were standing in the way of foreign progress and therefore gave United States "bullets" to fire, kill or eliminate po'e who stood in their way.
One way was to take away the language.Without the language, where are we as Hawaiians?Racial discourse does exist in this thime frame! GREED was the forefront of U.S. They achieved their means disempowering Hawaiians thus making them to be like ignorant people!I leave you with these thoughts...If you continue to listen to people who stereotypes or ridicules, then you are doing yourself a disservice. For every negative remark, make a positive remark about yourself. Make a remark of what you have accomplished. For another remark, set goals to achieve, simple to most complex and work one easy ones first.You need to feel good about yourselff... DO YOUR GENEALOGY.... GET INVOLVED OR TAKE YOUR CHILDREN TO HAWAIIAN ACTIVITIES OR EVENTS.VOLUNTEER AND HELP SOMEONE LESS FORTUNATE...
ABOVE ALL, TAKE CARE YOURSELF...THERE IS A HISTORY OF LIES THAT HAVE UNFOLDED, IT IS YOUR KULEANA TO PEEL OFF THE PILAU ONES...
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The scene discribed is simply sad. It speaks highly of your people that they have taken so much, yet stand so strong. Kanaka maoli are simply incredible people from whom many can learn and benefit. This is the intent of Beyond Wailea, to reveal the essence of the Hawaiians for the world to appreciate.
Your advice is sound. Know who you are and give thanks for possessing such a beautiful character.
aloha friends: mahalo for sharing/caring. auwe auwe...but thank you for suggesting the positive response/action..Aloha is allways the only answer---'ae
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Your advice is sound. Know who you are and give thanks for possessing such a beautiful character.