In 2009 I traveled to Kalaupapa National Historical Park on the island of Molokai. Vacationing in Maui at the time, I ferried over from Lahaina and hiked down into the valley, escorted by Damien Tours. At that time a permit was required to visit. My reasons for the trip were personal as I was on a quest to learn more about my culture and genealogy. I had learned that my great-grandmother Hannah had contracted Hansen’s disease and was sent to the settlement. She later succumbed to Pulomonary Tuberculosis and was buried there. (I recently discovered my great-great-grandfather, Hannah’s father, was also sent to Kalaupapa. He died a few years before Hannah arrived there.)

Picture of Woman with arms crossed in hospital — **My Great-Grandmother Hannah**

Kalihi Hospital in Honolulu, HI was a receiving station for those with Hansen’s disease. Mild cases were treated here and those in advanced stages were sent to Kalaupapa.

Since the ferry ride and the hike ate up the majority of the morning, my time was spent mostly on the Kalawao side. My memories of that visit have faded, but I do recall feeling the serene beauty yet sorrow of the place. Trying to imagine the people sent there, exiled, forever separated from family and friends...it was heart-wrenching to imagine to say the least. However, the stories of the residents and their resilience despite their circumstances is both humbling and inspiring.

A year or so later after my visit to Kalaupapa, I attended a workshop with artist Lance Green(@lancegreen_arts) called “Painting the Soul.” The workshop encouraged you to delve deep, intuitively and expressively through art. At first, I started applying random fields of color and brushstrokes to my canvas, experimenting. I created these triangular shaped blobs that each had a single drip of paint that, to me, resembled spirits rising. I remembered my trip to Kalaupapa and that’s how the painting began to emerge. It’s my visual interpretation of the place, as if I’d arrived there by boat and was looking towards the settlement, witnessing the spirits rising, and knowing that would eventually be my fate. This unconventional approach to painting completely changed how I initiate the creation process. It loosened me, releasing the boundaries I didn’t know I had on my subconscious or imagination. To this day, I still practice and play with my paintings before I even have an idea of what I want to convey. Sometimes it’s just about the process of being, and the activity of shifting vivid colors and exploring textures.

Kalaupapa has been closed to outside visitors since COVID. There have been concerns about what would happen to the preservation of the settlement once the last few patients passed. There is a non-profit organization - Ka ‘Ohana O Kalaupapa - established in 2003 by Kalaupapa residents, family, and friends, dedicated to promoting the dignity and protecting the history of Kalaupapa. One of their major endeavor’s is building a memorial to display the name of every person admitted. Over 8,000 people were sent to Kalaupapa, yet only 1,300 have a marked grave. Congress even passed the Kalaupapa Memorial Act in 2008, supporting the project. This memorial will serve not only as a place of remembrance but also as a powerful testament to the lives and humanity of those who endured forced isolation.

Kalaupapa - my journey, reflection

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